What should be done during annual oil boiler service?

CoachBoilermaker

Guy from oil delivery company coming today. I read over some other threads and made a list. Should he do all of the following?

1. Test LWCO (Low water cut off)
2. Drain entire boiler?
3. Test pressure relief valve
4. What are push nipples?
5. Clean soot from heat exchanger.
6. Change nozzle, filter, and pump strainer.
7. Set burner with combustion analyzer. Test and set draft.
8. Check your chimney seals
9. Inspect your oil tanks.
10. Locate/check reset/emergency/power switch? (at boiler, and at stairs?)

SuperTech

Check primary control safety circuit, especially on old 3 wire controls. Clean the pigtail. Check burner motor capacitor if it has one. I don't necessarily think it should be drained completely but on a steam boiler I will fill the boiler up to the risers to make sure the boiler doesn't have any leaks above the water line.

ethicalpaul

Oh and check the installation and operation manual for your boiler, it likely tells exactly what should be done.

Edit: I forgot, you have that really old boiler so the manual might be hard to find. Try some modern rough equivalent like this one

EdTheHeaterMan

I just mentioned this on a different discussion where the oil burner technician did not do a complete steam boiler maintenance (her was there for an oil burner maintenance). I went to the WayBack Machine and remembered this:

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1820288#Comment_1820288

so from your list "

1. Test LWCO (Low water cut off). YES
2. Drain entire boiler? NO
3. Test pressure relief valve NO , That is the homeowner's responsibility
4. What are push nipples? The things that connect each boiler section together
5. Clean soot from heat exchanger. YES
6. Change nozzle, filter, and pump strainer. YES
7. Set burner with combustion analyzer. Test and set draft. YES
8. Check your chimney seals Vent connector (Smoke Pipe) to base of chimney YES
9. Inspect your oil tanks. Exterior YES
10. Locate/check reset/emergency/power switch? (at boiler, and at stairs?) YES

Things I would add to your list:

• Remove carbon from end cone or flame retention ring of burner
• Check burner coupling
• Brush burner fan. remove dust buildup.
• Check fuel pump pressure
• Check fuel pump cut-off
• Inspect vent connector condition (is the smoke pipe in good condition?)
• Inspect/adjust barometric draft control operation.
• Clean and adjust the electrodes
• Check flame failure protection, safety timing and ability to reset primary control.
• Test High Limit control
• Inspect thermostat operation, (if old style, clean dust from sensing element)

Those are just off the top of my head.

EdTheHeaterMan

To answer you specific question about "What are push nipples?" I can safely say that they are about $28.51 plus tax and shipping

This is an illustration of all the parts of a cast iron boiler. There are three Push Nipples (called slip nipples herein) in the illustration. I have highlighted them in Green.

ethicalpaul

Salty!

Long Beach Ed

Ed, that's a wonderful tabulation of what I was taught of servicing in 1980. I still do my own equipment exactly the same today…

CoachBoilermaker

Boiler service tech did nothing b/c he saw the last owner scheduled a clean out last Spring before listing. He said nothing needed to be done b/c the boiler started and "looked good".

I asked him if he were to do the cleaning, where would he clean it from? He couldn't answer that question, and we/he could not find the grates. Can you point out where the grates are located in this video?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14t3uE3SDOztP-sK9Bp5ShVYxcAXz87wP/view?usp=sharing

PS: He had no idea what testing the LWCO even meant. I asked if he wants to test the low water cut off switch. To make sure float isn't stuck . He said float isn't stuck otherwise boiler would shut off. I said the boiler doesn't have low water. He says that means the switch is working. I said you can only tell if the switch is working if the water gets below the sight glass . Which it's not. I tried to explain again.... If for some reason the water goes low the boiler should turn off.. how do we know that's going to happen? He says.... It will happen..,. I said how do you know it will turn off without testing the float is not stuck? He says ...Because there's water in the boiler... He says it wouldn't fill if the float is stuck.... I said there is no automatic refill on this boiler. Plus, the water never been drained.... He says If the float was stuck the water wouldn't be able to be filled up again.... I said it was never drained. I said I don't think the low water cutoff switch prevents water from being manually added to the boiler..... which is not even my point. We went around in circles for 10 minutes....and I just gave up trying to explain.

He did not touch the relief valve because "it could break, and then I'm stuck here".

He did not have a combustion tool or CO2 tool.

He did not look at exhaust, flue, or chimney.

The only thing he was going to do was filter and strainer, I think. And grates, if he could find them.

pecmsg

I hope you kicked him in the **** on the way out the door and called the company and told them he’s not allowed back!

Send someone that knows what there doing or your calling a different service provider

ethicalpaul

as happens all too often, Coach, you now know more than your technician does. Congratulations and condolences are in order.

Now work to find a company that knows what they’re doing. I wish you luck

CoachBoilermaker

I'm hoping someone can watch the video and tell me how the tech supposedly can access the grates

delcrossv

Grates? Is he from the coal company?