New Nozzle

joe143

Hello folks- Just did a cleaning of my old thatcher boiler. Put in new filters .Switched out the nozzle from  a 1.00/80 to .75/80  trying to save money on fuel..but it started blowing smoke from chimney..Thoughts?

Big Ed_4

White smoke I assume , go back to a 1.00 80* W nozzle

Dave Carpentier

Not a pro here, but if we look at it in the simplest form you reduced the amount of fuel but have the original amount of air entering the combustion chamber. Imho lean and hot, possibly dangerous ?
Likely not a good idea unless someone with combustion gauges readjusts the air settings, and possibly the fuel pump pressure ?

EBEBRATT-Ed

@joe143

If you change to a different size nozzle you also change the firing rate (amount of oil burned). It's just like a car once the fuel rate is adjusted now the air needs adjustment.

Now since you messed with it you need a technician with a combustion analyzer to set the burner up properly.

If not, you could soot the boiler up (if your lucky) or have a delayed ignition or other serious problem if your not lucky

Jamie Hall

If you change the nozzle, you must make sure that the new nozzle is the correct pattern for the boiler. Just making it smaller won't do. Then you must perform a complete combustion test and get the air and pressures correct. This requires instruments which you may or may not have.

And that said... changing the firing rate for the boiler, even if you can get it right, is NOT going to reduce your fuel use. Sorry. Your house loses a certain amount of heat all the time, and the boiler needs to burn a certain fixed amount of fuel to produce that heat. All that reducing the firing rate will accomplish is that the boiler will have to run longer to make you warm enough.

joe143

Thanks!