Thinking of buying a spare used oil burner

CoachBoilermaker

Is this sane or nuts? I figure if the burner dies, it could be handy to have a spare that someone can swap in the same day.

Are they mostly interchangeable? I see used ones for $300, I bet I can get one for less, if unsold for a while.

Here are a few pics of my current burner. I see a mfg. date of 7/2000 ? Carlin burner and Beckett pump?

https://imgur.com/a/C9OsMaR

CoachBoilermaker

How do you size a replacement burner?

Will any of these work?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/486553810841177/?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/585140854289597/?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1197971748397077/?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/968990871835771/?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/883286800380570/?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/586380083727374/?

Intplm.

It's not a terrible idea. However most parts on standard oil burners are interchangeable and is much easier than swopping the entire burner. Using it for a parts burner might be your better option.

Long Beach Ed

Look for one locally on Marketplace or eBay in the spring or summer when people are doing gas conversions. While the burner may not be a replacement for yours, at the right price you'll have a complete set of replacement parts as most are interchangeable. Then buy a few new nozzles and filters.

We operate apartment buildings and always have at least two spares of every control we own. We keep it simple and never have to worry about waiting for parts.

When it comes to spare parts, "Two is one and one is none"

EdTheHeaterMan

You can go to just about any plumber that installs Gas Boilers and find a used oil burner in the scrap pile for free. When ever they remove an old oil heat system, that burner like you have in the picture ends up in the scrap metal pile that ends up at the scrap metal recycler. Just stop by any plumber's shop and ask if thay have any old use oil burners in the scrap pile.

You want to get a Beckett, or a Carlin. Those will use standard parts that you can buy from SupplyHouse.com in order to rebuild it to be like new. Your carlin has a Beckett pump because that is the Suntec pump with a Beckett name on it that happened to be on the truck when your pump failed in the past. I like to put Carlin Primary controls on Beckett burners to confuse everybody. And they are a better control than the Honeywell and Beckett primary controls in my opinion. 5 year warranty on the control.

I would not spend $300.00 for a used oil burner, that you can get fro free

Jells

I got one if you want it. This is the only pic I have handy. was pulled off a Weil-McLain in a 2012 gas conversion.

CoachBoilermaker

On my burner, apparently my oil delay valve has been bypassed? Why would someone do this? Can someone show me where that part is located?

Should I just get a newer (used) burner and have it replaced. God knows how old this burner is. Pump is 25 years old.

Jells

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1840882#Comment_1840882

If you're asking me, I have no idea. I replaced this within 2 months of buying the place and before heating season. I only held on to it because Jstar installed a new oil boiler with a Carlin conversion, which incidentally left open the option to return to oil if it someday seemed economical vs gas. That was 2012, and it doesn't look like that will ever happen.

Long Beach Ed

The oil delay valve is the unpainted steel thing on the left side of the burner. Someone bypassed it because it was burned out and not opening or was not needed.

CLamb

I bought a used one from Craigs List for $100 and am using it now. I replaced the pump however. It was purchased from a homeowner who converted to gas. The manual for the boiler should list the part numbers of compatible oil burners.

EdTheHeaterMan

You can test the valve by connecting 120 VAC to the black wires that are coming from the connection to the oil burner housing. If you connect 120 VAC on and off you should hear a click. If you hear the click then connect the valve as shown in the illustration above. operate the burner and then connect the 120 VAC to the valve and the valve should open and let oil thru, then disconnect the 120 VAC and the valve should close and no oil should come out.

Why would someone disconnect that valve? …because it failed!

My guess is the valve is defective so it was disconnected. You can purchase a new valve and your burner will be as good as a new Carlin CRD 99 or EZ-1 that you purchase today for over $400.00 wholesale.

Here is a Used Oil Valve on eBay that will connect just like the one that you have. This is an obsolete design that you can find on shelves of old warehouse stock like this New in box oil valve on eBay.

But if you want to kill 2 birds with one stone, you can replace the 25 year old A2VA 7116 fuel pump with a pump that has the valve included like this A2VA 3006B fuel unit or the Beckett CleanCut pump. You will need to purchase the connector wire separately for the Beckett.