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Thermo Pride OL5-85 flood damaged

rbs
rbs Member Posts: 2
in Oil Heating

I have a Thermo Pride OL5-85 furnace with a Beckett AF burner. I’m in the Asheville NC area and the recent storm Helene flooded the basement where the furnace is.

The direct drive blower is OK, I’m replacing the entire burner assembly, but my question is on the combustion chamber.

It had a couple of inches of water in it but is otherwise OK. Can this be dried and reused, or dried by firing the burner, or should I simply replace it?

Thanks!

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,556

    Let it dry out as much as you can before attempting to fire it. Check any fibrous insulation in the fire box for damage. Then, once it is pretty thoroughly dry, fire it just long enough to get really warm — perhaps 5 minutes — and shut it off to let it dry out more. Repeat a couple of times. Then let it run. Should be OK.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,382

    I'd open it up and inspect it. It's pretty easy to access and you can easily see the whole thing when you do. That's a great furnace. I consider Thermopride oil furnaces to be the most reliable and durable furnace ever made, but you can't be too careful with it.

    hilltown
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,283

    If I remember right Thermopride used a hard combustion chamber. As @Jamie Hall said fire it for a couple of MIN then shut off. Rince and repeat. If water is trapped in the chamber you don't want it to steam and blow the chamber apart. warm it up slow.

    I would try and vac out any water first if you can.

  • rbs
    rbs Member Posts: 2

    Thank you all for your replies!

    I do have it all apart since I had to replace the top & bottom mounting plate gaskets and the rock wool fill between the chamber and the burner mounting plate. There are a couple of small cracks in the combustion chamber but no major ones or any crumbles.

    Thermo Pride does (or did) use a hard, fire brick sort of chamber in this furnace. All the standing water is gone though the brick remains damp. It's drying slowly, I’ll get an electric heater on it today. I figure if I take it out to dry it I'd just break it!

    I’ve seen only a few oil furnaces but this Thermo Pride looks very well built to me -- I appreciate your assurances that the chamber should be OK. Thanks again!

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