Squeaking damper? DR Draft Control

bkselly

Video of issue

May need to click on the audio button on the top right to turn on the audio for the video

I think that is what is called a damper. The issue is when it is very windy outside, the cover moves in and out making the squeaky noise

Any recommendations on how to fix this? Wasn't sure if it was something I can apply WD40 to

Big Ed_4

The draft regulator can be oiled or greased ..

Waher

WD40 isn't a lubricant it is a "Water Displacement" formula. You want to use a dab of oil or grease that has a service temperature equaling or exceeding that of the flue gas to avoid it igniting. You could also use graphite from a carpenter's pencil for something completely odorless and non-flammable that won't get dust/dirt stuck to it like oil & grease can.

Long Beach Ed

Clean the bearing surfaces and oil it.

Intplm.

Grease the inside hinge area.

bkselly

Would this work?

Waher

"0.5 oz. Silicone Faucet Grease
The Danco Waterproof Silicone Sealant Grease is ideal for lubricating faucet stems, valves and cartridges when repairing a leaky faucet. Plumbers Faucet and Valve Grease helps reduce friction, provides long-lasting lubrication and helps hard-turning faucets work smoothly. It is NSF 61 approved and meets or exceeds the requirements of FDA regulation 21. Our Silicone Faucet Grease works well in temperatures between -40° to 400° F and can be formulated for many plumbing and household applications. This Silicone Faucet Grease is water resilient and oxidation resistant and can be used on ceramic stems."

As long as your flue exhaust is under 400° F should be fine unless there's already a petroleum based lubricant (or if you were to use a petrol based oil/grease later) on the bearing surfaces in which case they won't get along and will repel each other. Not that your flue exhaust should be coming into contact with the bearing surfaces (typically only exposed to ambient room make-up air) unless something went wrong with a backdraft.

Long Beach Ed

Would this work?

That would work fine, if you can work it into the pivot. Regular motor oil would probably be easier to get to the problem points. A few drops on each end would instantly work.

bkselly

Waher said:

"0.5 oz. Silicone Faucet Grease
The Danco Waterproof Silicone Sealant Grease is ideal for lubricating faucet stems, valves and cartridges when repairing a leaky faucet. Plumbers Faucet and Valve Grease helps reduce friction, provides long-lasting lubrication and helps hard-turning faucets work smoothly. It is NSF 61 approved and meets or exceeds the requirements of FDA regulation 21. Our Silicone Faucet Grease works well in temperatures between -40° to 400° F and can be formulated for many plumbing and household applications. This Silicone Faucet Grease is water resilient and oxidation resistant and can be used on ceramic stems."

As long as your flue exhaust is under 400° F should be fine unless there's already a petroleum based lubricant (or if you were to use a petrol based oil/grease later) on the bearing surfaces in which case they won't get along and will repel each other. Not that your flue exhaust should be coming into contact with the bearing surfaces (typically only exposed to ambient room make-up air) unless something went wrong with a backdraft.

I had someone come earlier to try to fix short-cycling, and he had done combustion testing -- the T-stack came back at 520F back in December 2022. He did mention that it was too high, but we didn't discuss much about the implications and what can be done about it

A quick search shows likely dirty boiler tubes, but I did do my annual maintenance with the oil company in November 2022 (a month prior). Would have thought they would clean the tubes?

Off-topic from my original ask, but would that T stack temp warrant a call back to the oil company to clean the tubes?

EdTheHeaterMan

I would pay for a brush of the heat exchanger and vacuum cleaning of the heat exchanger if my stack temperature was that high. You might also see if a smaller firing rate might be appropriate. It may not be an option but I would explore that option. Set up the oil burner to operate at a trace to zero smoke, then open the air adjustment to reduce the Carbon Dioxide by 1%. Then you will not have any more soot build up on the heat exchanger over the next year of operation.

bkselly

EdTheHeaterMan said:

I would pay for a brush of the heat exchanger and vacuum cleaning of the heat exchanger if my stack temperature was that high. You might also see if a smaller firing rate might be appropriate. It may not be an option but I would explore that option. Set up the oil burner to operate at a trace to zero smoke, then open the air adjustment to reduce the Carbon Dioxide by 1%. Then you will not have any more soot build up on the heat exchanger over the next year of operation.

Just so I understand in terms of urgency, is the issue an efficiency problem or are there also safety concerns with a stack temp that high?