Blue smoke from oil burner exhaust

TimeBandit

Toyotomi OM-180 tankless "boiler", direct-vented, #2 heating oil, in-floor, no glycol in system... producing what the customer describes as "blue" smoke... not the typical black (sooting) or white (HE leak) smoke. Any ideas? Has anyone run across BLUE smoke from an oil burner? When pressed, the customer called it BLUE-BLACK. All of the usuals have been checked, no culprit has yet been pinned. Heat exchanger is new, pump pressure good, no drips from new nozzle, no other signs of incomplete combustion, combustion blower good... Customer is remote, no technician available in area.

TimeBandit

also

Fuel is not the issue (I am told). Hooked up to 5 gallons of fresh fuel, still the same.

icesailor

Smokin'

You can't tell much without a Combustion analyzer. White smoke is usually REALLY incomplete combustion. Without the proper tools and instruments, its a real shot in the dark.

If it has wool sock canister filters in place, rather than Spin-On's, that's a good place to start. If very fine sludge is getting past the filter(s), it will clog the nozzle strainer and cut the pressure of the fuel that actually goes through the nozzle orifice. That usually makes the smoke and run like crap. Especially if the nozzle is under .85 GPH.

You going to futz with this?

TimeBandit

not me!

Trying to help a remote DIY homeowner... no combustion test equipment on the scene, the Toyotomi doesn't have air adjustment of any sort anyway. Nozzle is .85 @ 192psi, so about 1.05 GPH. I have just never heard of blue smoke, other than a car or truck burning oil ;o)

TimeBandit

thanks

filter at the tank is one thing I haven't asked about... sort of disregarded everything that direction after the cust. said he put the 5 gals of fresh fuel on it with no change... I will look into that.

icesailor

Good Support:

I'm sure that this appliance is sold as the greatest thing that ever came along since lubricated condoms. From a brief reading on the Web, playing with this thing isn't for the faint of heart or the average, experienced DIY handy homeowner. There are far too many things to go wrong. For me, the first thing is the crappy filter set up that probably promises a lifetime of care free operation. Like the second of the big three lies. One being the check is in the mail. If the homeowner installed this thing, or someone that believes wool sock filters are still the world gold standard, he/she/they might have to change their misguided opinion. And that nozzle is a special and specific nozzle, A Delavan ,85 60 degree XA nozzle. And is it you that lists the pump pressure at 192#? Someone has a gauge that will check that pressure? If you can't get a .85 XA Nozzle, get a .85 nozzle and swap the strainer with the old nozzle strainer on the nozzle you have. I can almost promise that the strainer is plugged up.

They'll continue to have problems until they install two spin-on filters between the tank and the unit. The OEM filter is to make the manufacturer look good. If crud gets from the tank to THAT filter, you've already lost the battle. And buy at least 3 spare nozzles to have on hand at all times.

Good Luck.

icesailor

Air adjustment:

There has to be some form of air adjustment somehow. Even if it means that you raise and lower the fuel pump pressure to change the Air/Fuel ratio.

If this is a "Off Grid" Installation, and is running on some form of back-up or generated power, just the system running at more or less than 60 cycles will change the Air/Fuel Ratio because the motor speed will be off.

Toyotomi seems to be playing these things quite close to the chest. There's a posting I found on the InterWebs from The Wall on 2011 where someone sounds just like you in Alaska. Toyotomi wasn't very helpful. They don't have any decent manuals on line. No parts breakdown.

TimeBandit

per the manual

192psi, and I do have a gauge that can measure that. The manual also recommends a 15 micron waterblock filter at the tank... whether or not the installer followed the installation instructions is another question. Funny how installer errors so often end up being blamed on the equipment. ;0)

TimeBandit

pump pressure

is adjustable... but to maintain the proper hollow cone pattern/size, I would think that adjusting the pressure too far from 192 wouldn't be a good idea... plus when it gets low it does cause sooting... oh, and exploded views/parts lists can be found on Toyotomi's website. Pretty easy.

gennady

Smoke

Blue smoke might be a fuel vapor. If oil drips inside when burner is off and gets soaked in insulation, then when burner is on residual oil starts evaporating producing whitish bluish smoke. Just my 2 cents.

icesailor

Fuel Pressure:

I wasn't suggesting that the way to control the air/fuel ratio was designed to be done through pump pressure. That would be a first in design and quite the novel approach. Just that it is a way. You could only accurately adjust the A/F ratio with a digital analyzer though. Fuel burning equipment (including internal combustion engines) use forms of air control through air bands or throttle plates.