Too much draft

Steamhead (in transit)

I had to do this on my own boiler, as well as several others, to make sure the draft was properly controlled.

<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=367&Step=30">To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"</A>

Scholl P&H

Too much draft

I installed a Burnham V83 oil fired beckett boiler. Everything went great until about a week. The homeowner complained of soot from the damper. Upon evaluation it was found to have a breech of .08-.1 WC causing too much draft. This was causing the flame to pull off the cone creating huge amounts of soot. I swept the chimney and vaccumed the boiler( alot of soot). We attempted to fine tune the boiler but could only get a .04 WC with the dramper wedged wide open. As sone as the damper was let go the WC shot up. I called Burnham. They suggested 2 draft regulators and some fine tuning. I consulted a manson who stated the 8x8 18'-20' tall chimney was adequate for a 6" flue. The boiler also has an encased oil burner, I installed a passive combustion air intake kit with VRV. I attempted to test the draft with the combustion air device removed but it made no difference.
? Could there be too mush combustion air, the house is at the bottom of a hill could this change the chimney dynamics. The chimney does not extend to the floor with a clean out, it starts where the flue enters.
What can I do
Help Scholl P&H

Alan R. Mercurio_3

So far to it seems Burnham’s advice for the additional draft regulator is what I would be thinking of doing. One thing I’d make sure of is that the hole cut out for the current draft regulator is cut completely out.

When you’re experiencing this high draft what’s the out door temperature and what’s the stack temperature?


Your friend in the industry,
Alan R. Mercurio

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Scholl P&H

Willing to try

Thanks I will do what Burnham is recommending. I'll follow up with the outside temp and stack temp after this eff. test (the third time). Hopefully this will solve the problem

Mark Eatherton

What about a restrictive orifice in the breach...

I had a natural gas atmospheric boiler on a 14 story building. There was NO room for an additional damper on the breach prior to its entering the masonry chimney.

I installed a heavy gage metal orifice in the flue breaching (6" hole in 14" breaching) between the boiler and the barometric damper. It cut the customers fuel bill by 35%.

I don't remember where I learned to do that, but suspect it was from a boiler manufacturer (Ajax, or ThermoPak). Got rid of the excess air problem in a heartbeat.

Would that work on an oil boiler?

ME