Retrofit Nozzle selection.

Robert_H

I found this procedure in a copy of the NORA Oil Heat Technicians Manual, chapter 5 and it makes sense however, I have only retrofitted one burner to an older system and I got lucky and the numbers came out nice right off the bat. BTW the entire manual is available on line https://learning.noraweb.org/manual/

Also I think this would be useful in situations where the OEM specs just don't work.

Nozzle application procedure
If the manufacturer’s recommendations
are not available, or if you are upgrading
an old unit with a new burner, the following is a step-by-step procedure you may
use for selecting the best nozzle.

1. Set the over-the-fire draft to -.02",
   check the oil pressure, and install a nozzle
   that does not exceed the rating of the
   appliance.
   1. Start with an 80-degree hollow
      nozzle, and adjust for a 1 smoke and mark
      the air band opening.
   2. Try an 80-degree solid nozzle and
      take another smoke test. If it is lighter, you
      have a solid air pattern; if the smoke is
      heavier, it is hollow.
   3. Try a 60-degree hollow or solid
      nozzle as indicated by the previous two
      tests.
   4. Select the nozzle that creates the
      lowest smoke and highest efficiency.

I'm pinging in to the experience pool, any tips, different procedures, good stories! etc will be appreciated.

Signed, the oldest oil burner apprentice

EBEBRATT-Ed

Yes, that is the basic procedure. I wouldn't start with an 80 degree though. I would start with a 70 deg. Some burners need 45 degree or 60 degree Finding out weather iit is a hollow, solid or semi solid is the first step.

With an older burner increasing the oil pressure if it is an older 100psi burner also helps. Dropping the nozzle GPH rate of course. Charlie Burkhardt's book from the 60s describes a similar procedure.

Robert_H

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1871617#Comment_1871617

That makes sense, starting with a 70deg nozzle, its more in the middle of the range. In 3 years I have not seen a 90deg nozzle that I can remember.

Thanks!

HydronicMike

That’s the nozzle substitution test we used a lot back when doing retrofits into older equipment.
With older equipment in most cases you can see the flame in the chamber-either directly or with a special mirror to check for impingement.
Most burner manufacturers give guidelines for chamber shape dimensions and starting nozzle angles.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Power Flame had a commercial burner years ago that used 90 degree semi solid nozzles. They had to be Steinen brand nozzles which are made in NJ. These nozzles became unavailable in the 90s. I had one job in a school with two boilers. I tried substituting Hago nozzles the same spray type, GPH and spray angle and the burners ran like crap. Luckily I didn't throw the old nozzles away, cleaned them and put them back in. We kept those burners running for years. We hired a new tech and I specifically told him keep the same nozzles don't replace them under any circumstances. He threw them away " the supply house told me the Hagos were a direct match". We ended up ripping the burners out and replacing them.

So brand to brand can make a difference as well. In general, I always liked Delevan Nozzles I guess Beckett owns them now.

SuperTech

I have a 90⁰ nozzle in my box. I've never come across a burner that requires that angle myself.

Brand definitely can make a difference. One boiler I work on specifies a Hago nozzle. When I first started working on it I tried using a Delevan nozzle because that's all I had. I couldn't get it to work right and it sooted up after I did the maintenance. After two years of this happening I got sick and tired of vacuuming up a ton of soot and I tried a Hago nozzle. The boiler has been perfectly clean ever since.

Sometimes it doesn't matter what brand you use, sometimes it makes a big difference.

Steamhead

@Robert_H , this depends on the burner you're using as well. Many (but not all) Beckett fixed-head burners use 80° nozzles- some hollow rather than solid. But the usual Carlin or Riello burner will use a 60° nozzle, as do many Becketts with adjustable heads. Check the burner instructions to see what nozzle the manufacturer recommends.

captainco

90-degree nozzles were used on mobile home furnaces and a few water heaters. According to test data, nozzles are rated using 80-degree oil at 100psi. To compensate for colder oil setting pump pressure to 125 to 130 psi works the best. In addition, oil pumps start flowing oil at 75psi and 75psi before they close. With the exception of Carlin burners, 80-degree angle also the best.

When I worked for a supply house brand new nozzles were found bad out of the box.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@SuperTech very true. Some burners may fire decent with several different nozzles. Others are real picky.

Factory specs don't always work either. I have had Carlin out to a few jobs that didn't work well when the factory specs were followed and in both cases a nozzle change that was not spec fixed it.

I also had a Power Flame on a Smith 19 brand new that made soot. Swapped the 60 degree bypass nozzle a couple of times nG. Put a 45 degree in which was not spec and it was fine.

I have said this before but if you make a boiler model in 3,4,5,6,7,8 sections and offer it with Carlin, Beckett and Reillo that is 3x 6 = 18 different combinations.

I know for a fact they don't test all those combinations.

Robert_H

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1871622#Comment_1871622

I'm on myI'm on my second flame inspection mirror. The first one I kind of toasted😄

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Robert_H A very common occurrence, I gave up on them.