Oil fired boiler setup with Fyrite Tech 50

takoateli

I just bought a Fyrite Tech 50 and am using it on an older Burnam oil fired boiler which has a newish Beckett burner installed. I get visible smoke unless I have about 18% or more excess air which yields about 84% efficiency. I can get up to an 85.5% efficiency with about a #3 smoke.



My understanding is one can tune for higher flame efficiency which results in more smoke which will soot up the boiler decreasing heat transfer efficiency which greatly reduces overall efficiency. It sounds like going for zero smoke is the way to go.



Do my numbers and thinking sound about right?



Thanks!

Greg

Charlie from wmass

0 smoke

Greg unless you are licensed to do this I would ask that you use a professional to do this. Heating system combustion is not a hobby or DIY project. There is a lot more then just CO2 numbers to a safe efficient boiler. Is your life or your families worth less than what it costs to have a licensed professional do a tune up?

icesailor

Amen:

Amen.

billtwocase

I will echo that

Someone who knows what those #'s stand for, and how to remedy incorrect ones, needs to be the one doing the testing. As Charlie said, hire a professional to put your mind at ease. Keep us posted 

Rich Bruno

Tech 50?

Where did you buy your tech 50, haven't been made for a while and may need to be calibrated, and to repeat what was said here, call a licensed oil tech.

icesailor

Fyrite:

I used a Bachrach Fyrite wet kit for years. Every result was open to my interpretation. I bought a Fyrite "Insight". Now I have more choices for interpretation.

In spite of all the things that the Insight does, I still use the Smoke Tester and Draft Gauge from my wet kit.

I can't imagine anyone trying to set up anything without a lot of past experience and knowing what you are doing.

Rich Bruno

Smoke Test

That's a great point, you should always do a smoke test before using a combustion analyzer, no matter what brand or model.

icesailor

Smoke Tests:

That's true.

It sure will quickly foul the filter element in my Insight. There are only two colors I want to see on the smoke paper. White and Yellow. Yellow means that I have WAY too much air and I can start cranking back. I love to watch those numbers change.

I like my Bachrach MZF Draft Gauge because it has a very long hose and has great big numbers to look at. What it means, I'm still trying to understand.