This is going to be messy

offdutytech

Get a service call from a customer saying my oil boiler won't heat. Head out to the job take a look and customer says I have a guy come change the filters each year. Im like ok let's have a look and by the look on my face the customer is like that's not good is it. No, sir it's not this is probably going to not be cheap. 

The boilers been installed 15 years, no combustion tests done,  no heat exchanger cleaning, or other inspections. Just minor repairs like ignition transformer. Needless to say things didn't go well and the boiler is red tagged for now. It needs a major cleaning, but need to get some basic parts before we can even proceed. 

What's a good parts source for oil parts these days? I was lucky to find a nozzle at a supply house here in SE MI. Every place I called locally nobody stocks any oil parts these days. Got a few "you need what?" from counter guys. I said yeah good thing I saved my oil burner test equipment lol. Most of the oil burners have been removed in our service area in favor or propane. 

426hemi

Do you have a Sid Harvey? Or FW Webb? Those are my go to places 

Tom_133

Maybe I don't do enough oil. But did you open the door to see how it looks inside? Its a little messy outside, I don't like the filter being up at the burner, but otherwise are you red tagging for cobwebs?
Clean that baby and move on? What am I missing?

mattmia2

supplyhouse.com? grainger will have it but it will cost a fortune.

Oil is perceived as unobtainably expensive in michigan even though gas and propane prices have since increased such that it might be feasible. In the 80's it was seen as too expensive and ripped out.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@offdutytech

sid harvey
3 industrial park road
negaunee, mi
906-226-2186

mattmia2

negaunee is like an 8 hour drive from southeast mi

and I wouldn't recommend going there this time of year

JakeCK

mattmia2 said:

grainger will have it but it will cost a fortune. 

**** grainger.

retiredguy

Do a complete inspection of the burner and the internals (boiler sections) and etc. Get a list of the parts and services necessary to complete the repairs and the time required to do the job. Give the customer your price to complete the necessary work. If he gives you the "go ahead", clean up as best you can, order the parts and get the job done. Then go to the next service call. Looking at the diffuser, nozzle, and electrodes, this oil burner doesn't look too bad after 15 years of neglect. It just needs a thorough cleaning a few replacement parts and combustion set-up.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I agree if the nozzle assembly looks like that after 15 years it's probably been burning reasonably ok. That does not mean the boiler is not plugged. As the flue passages start to soot i becomes a slow down hill slide

HVACNUT

Is that a 2 section boiler? That's the only GO that spec's a 70° B with the L1 head. 
Red tagged for what exactly? 

SuperTech

I would be fired for red tagging equipment based on what you pictured. A little bit of brake cleaner and a couple minutes with a little wire brush would clean up that flame retention head and electrodes. I highly doubt it was plugged with soot or unsafe to operate. Did you check draft through the boiler? How about maybe just opening it up?

That cord to the delay valve is comical. That oil filter being so close to burner would aggravate me if I had to adjust the air band.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I worked with techs who were basically "gas techs". If they pulled an oil burner apart and saw a couple of carbon crumbs they would freak out and think how horrible it is.

I am not in any way saying that's what happened here. @offdutytech does excellent work we have all seen his boiler installs.

After 15 years there is a good chance the boiler is plugged.

I will bet the homeowner wouldn't neglect his car for 15 years.He has probably bought 6 new cars in that time. But when @offdutytech gives him the bill he will probably complain.

With those customers you charge double

As my old boss told me "Charge them more, then when they complain you will have something to give them back, then they will be happy"

Matt_67

@mattmia2
I would recommend going to Negaunee this time of year. Bring your snowmobile!

offdutytech

Supply House had all the parts needed. Grew up doing oil work with grandfather and dad so def no stranger to sooted up units. Indeed it did not draft correctly and needs a cleaning. Trust me was ready to go to town and take care of things that day. Was more frustrating than anything because nobody had the parts that were needed. Simple rope gaskets were not in stock. I got one of the last nozzles the supply house in the area had. The counter guy said they don't stock oil parts anymore. That was the case on all my usual got to supply houses. Oil heat is not very common in the area any longer. Many have been ripped out in favor of Nat Gas because the gas companies have expanded service. In areas where Nat Gas isn't run, propane took over because it was cheaper. Explained everything to the customer and showed him right in the manual the service procedures. He basically said well crap I didn't think about that looks like the last company didn't do me any favors over the years. Order the parts and let's do it right. 

Steamhead

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

@offdutytech

sid harvey
3 industrial park road
negaunee, mi
906-226-2186

R.E. Michel has branches in Osceola, IN (near Elkhart) and Fort Wayne. Still quite a schlep, but closer than Negaunee.

HVACNUT

EBEBRATT-Ed said: As my old boss told me "Charge them more, then when they complain you will have something to give them back, then they will be happy"

I always looked at it that if you're willing to give me the same job at a cheaper price than originally quoted, then you were attempting to rip me off in the first place.

Steamhead

HVACNUT said:

I always looked at it that if you're willing to give me the same job at a cheaper price than originally quoted, then you were attempting to rip me off in the first place.

This.