smaller nozzle for Beckett AFG / McLain WGO-3 boiler?

jsda77

Hello,

I found something weird when I check my boiler today.
According to spec, its nozzle has to be 0.85x45degree but my technician installed 0.75x45degree one.
Is this OK?

Thank you.

bburd

Most oil boilers can be downfired somewhat from their maximum rating. This can help match boiler capacity more closely to the load of a particular system. Often they will run a bit more economically that way because there is proportionately more heat exchanger surface for the amount of fuel being burned, and downfiring reduces short cycling.

You can check with the manufacturer, but if the house is adequately heated it’s probably fine.

HVACNUT

The pump pressure should still be 140 psi, or more of if they brought the firing rate back up. 
And it should still be a B (solid) nozzle. 
Its important that on a design day the input can keep the boiler hot enough to prevent the flue gasses from condensing.
Did the tech do combustion, smoke, and draft tests?
What aquastat is there and what are the settings?
Does it have a tankless coil for domestic hot water? If so, you might see a change it that. An indirect recovery will be slower obviously, but depending on usage, you might not notice. 

jsda77

@ HVACNUT
Thank you for your reply.

Yes, it is solid nozzle. It says ".75 45degree B" on the package.

I think they did those tests. My system was OK for several months after annual cleaning (nozzle change included).

The auqastat is Honeywell 8148A (resideo).

MaxMercy

jsda77 said:

I think they did those tests.

Unless they used a wet kit, you should have been left a printout of the test results. Even if the printer was not working or they used a wet kit, they should have left you the combustion numbers on a handwritten tag.

EdTheHeaterMan

MaxMercy said:

Unless they used a wet kit, you should have been left a printout of the test results. Even if the printer was not working or they used a wet kit, they should have left you the combustion numbers on a handwritten tag.

In a perfect world, no one would ever make a mistake. and you would not need a tag. I stopped leaving the printout after I ran out of paper. After that, I stopped buying kits that had printers. Zero smoke and negative draft, write those numbers down and your insurance company will settle the claim out of court anyway.

Only had one soot claim ever and it was settled. The mechanic doing the tune-up dropped the smoke pipe full of soot on the new (All White Tile) Floor in the laundry/utility room. Then quit that day and said he would never work on oil heat again.


Max, not everyone is as clear-cut and precise as you

BTW... You reached 100 comments. Congratz!

MaxMercy

EdTheHeaterMan said:

Max, not everyone is as clear-cut and precise as you

LOL, I'm hardly either! It's amazing how many burner techs do a routine service or repair and eyeball the flame without checking for smoke or draft.

EdTheHeaterMan

@MaxMercy, I was brought up that way. With over 5000 automatic delivery customers, most of them with burner service contracts, having smoke and draft readings in the 1960s and 1970s would get you a lower insurance premium.

Soot floating through the home from a "puff-back" was covered by the Smoke Damage section of the homeowner's insurance. The last guy that serviced the unit would get a call from the customer's HO insurance company. They wanted the liability insurance coverage info from the servicing company. Having Smoke and Draft information was Golden, in those cases

It's like an automatic reflex with me.

BTW your profile picture looks great! I have your Christmas Album playing right now...

Merry Christmas toooo Youuu!
Ed