Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Bad Nozzle or other obvious issues too?

I found this wet ash looking stuff and evidence of dripping/pooling fuel in the tube. The old nozzle was covered with oil residue, especially on the bottom.

The old nozzle was 1.00 70A, but the Olsen label states this furnace was originally supplied with 1.20 60A.

I replaced the old nozzle with a new Delavan 1.00 60A & reset the electrodes to spec using the T500 gauge.

I am just starting out with oil heat and want to make sure I understand the most likely cause of the junk I found in the tube before doing much else.

Thanks for your feedback!

--
Michael



Comments

  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Could be a lot of things. Bad nozzle, poor pump cut off, dirty heat exchanger/lack of negative draft in the chamber, burner not pitched, lack of post purge...
    steve
    Robert O'Brien
  • MichaelRent
    MichaelRent Member Posts: 5
    Last year this system lost its prime, several times, at 1/4 tank (outdoor above ground tank and the line runs ~20 feet overhead). Notes from techs before I bought the house mention this condition and suggest Tigerloop.

    I've installed the Tigerloop with the spin on filter (& changed the pump strainer). I installed a vacuum gauge on the tigerloop suction line (stays at 0, unless the supply is throttled with the supply line shut off valve) and a pressure gauge connected to the 1/8 port on the back of the Cleancut pump.

    The pressure gauge indicates the system is running at 103-104 PSI and the pressure drops to 0 immediately on burner off.

    Does this rule out poor pump cutoff?
    dennis53
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    If they system is losing it's prime you have an air leak in the suction line. Find it and fix it.

    As usual your service tech too the easy way out and opted for a band aid. The tiger loop band aid.

    Air getting trapped in the nozzle line will cause fouling of the burner tube and combustion head.

    Have you had a combustion test done...you need one.

    Oil heat is not a hobby
    rick in Alaska
  • MichaelRent
    MichaelRent Member Posts: 5

    If they system is losing it's prime you have an air leak in the suction line. Find it and fix it.

    I will check all connections back to the tank.

    Air getting trapped in the nozzle line will cause fouling of the burner tube and combustion head.

    Have you had a combustion test done...you need one.

    Oil heat is not a hobby

    Ed, I appreciate your professional perspective on this!

    I will eliminate the obvious system problems and get the combustion test done.

    Steve, ...thank you for the link, I will read up!

    --
    Michael