Oil Fired Boiler Soot Problem

Tim Kline

thanks for your reply. i can't answer your questions, only can fall back on the owner's 15 years in the home without any problems.

there has been suggestion of boiler replacement which the owner is willing to do. i'm just trying to help figure out what is different now compared to before this nest was built in the chimney.

Tim Kline

Oil Fired Boiler Soot Problem

I am a building trades person of 24 years (carpentry, non-boiler tech) trying to help with a puzzler. 20+ yr old New Yorker boiler, Beckett burner in 50+ yr old small brick single home with terracotta lined brick chimney. several weeks ago puff back occurred in home, chimney was checked, animal nest found near top causing 80% blockage. First puff back or sooting in the 15 years of their ownership. Chimney was cleaned then boiler cleaned. All boiler tests including draft show all is A-ok. Tests done by 2 different service companies. Boiler has continued to occasionally push soot through the basement and first floor. Boiler is steel with no visible cracks. Performed smoke bomb test in boiler which showed one small leak from gasket which was sealed. Homeowner going crazy. Any thoughts ? Appreciate all of your time.

Unknown

Is there

a proper supply of combustion-air for the burner?
Is the chimney over/undersized?
Does the burner have a pre-purge function?
I see this alot, and the list of causes can be endless.

Dave

billtwocase

soot

This is a dry base steel boiler. The chamber probably still has some residual soot that is finding it's way out on start up. Usually from the front panel. They should have vacuumed and brushed everything including the baffles, pipe, etc. They may need to pull the burner to get it all out. Make sure there is atleast -.04 breech draft, -.02 overfire draft. Retest with combustion tester. peace

Tim Kline

soot

i know the guys had the front panel and the burner off to perform the cleaning operation.

i imagine after months of operation with a blockage that the soot buildup in the boiler could be significant.

are you saying that a cleaning after an event like this should be any different than a typical cleaning ?

clammy

revisting friends

when they removed the nest and cleaned the chimmey did they put a chimmey cap on the top so the nesting pests could not nest again ,if so then i would re check the burner espically the ,pump pressure ,vacume ,pump cut out ,turbolator head, combustion chamberand if a vertical steel fire tube make sure the tube turbolators are still in good shape ,flame impigement on chamber other things to check that some may miss is make up combustion air espically if the basement has been partically finished or the home was gone through some weatherization like new windows,door weather stripping .i have seen where a pump cut out did not hold and a hot combustion chamber would draw fuel into the chamber and smolder and upon restart there would not be a stable flame until the pump primed .Is the oil burner piped a single pipe or a two pipe confrigation and where the oil lines supply and return clean meaning not plugged(blowen back with a co2 cartirideg and hand pumped )If neither of the service companies cannot correct then maybe it's time to find anew service co ,good luck clammy

billtwocase

cleaning

The cleaning is done thru the top on this one, unless it's the rear flue model. Does the smoke pipe come off the top, or out the back?

billtwocase

clammy

Alittle at a time my friend. You gave him so much to digest at once, he's probably chokin lol peace

Steve Garson_2

From my own experience, sooting occurred with tightening of the house resulting in inadequate combustion air. One of many things to consider.
Steve

clammy

sorry bill

Sorry Bill my brain is wired quite different from most and it comes natural ,it seems alot o oil guys miss out on some things ,i know i used to do oil service 24 /7

Tim Kline

soot

the flue is out the back.

i have attached some photos to help.

Tim Kline

soot

it's a single pipe oil supply.

the chimney was capped with a stainless cap.

the house is anything but airtight.

billtwocase

New Yorker

Yes, I see now that it is the rear flue. Thease things are terrible, and replacement would be best. If they have problens gitting this thing to burn right, increase pump pressure, add a target wall, and drop nozzle size to compensate for the higher pressure. Should crank it up to 140 PSI. These had no chamber, and had issues fully combusting. peace

billtwocase

I could tell clammy

Excellent suggestions. He has the touchy rear flue model. peace

Steamhead (in transit)

I agree, replace the boiler

dry-base boilers lose some efficiency since the base is not water-cooled. There are better boilers out there- that would be the best way to solve this problem.

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Bob Bona_4

this is WET base.

He's got a FR series NY, looks like the 173. I put tons of them in back in the early '90's.

Built like tanks, not bad efficiency. Stack temps were around 325-350 net- you could see 85%. They used to have rugs for refractory. They were predictable at service time, and the Becketts were easily tuneable. Sometimes you had a cleaner fire with the F6 head and the smallest static plate. I often pulled a baffle or two to get the stack temp up a little and give the OF draft a little more negative cushion.

They did produce some ash, though, as one would expect with a steel boiler with turbulators. Kind of messy at cleaning time. Turbulators liked to burn up pretty quick, or seize up in the fire tubes if not cleaned yearly.

The soot problem can be solved-whether it's combustion air or venting issues or burner set up/component condition. Look at all possibilities and the usual suspects..

Not time to throw it out, but the tankless and the design is SO dated, even though they are still making them. Watch that coil gasket, looks like it's getting cooked, and starting to be a problem.

billtwocase

we base

yes they were. There were some wet base steel boilers out there, this is one of them

steve_29

Is that a cap where the draft regulator is suppose to be???

If so, put it back in, test the output of the transformer, it should be 10K.

What is the draft reading? Please post the combustion test results that should be posted there.

Check Pump pressure, what is it?

Your problems will go away when you have someone who knows what they're doing, check your system.