boiler co

[Deleted User]

I found a boiler yesterday making 1300 ppm co...there was plenty of draft above the bell shaped draft hood, in the flue. but there was no draft below the draft hood. when ive encountered this before ive always replaced the bell shaped draft hood with a double acting barometric damper, and its solved the venting problem, clearing up the co. I test this before buying the barometric by wrapping the openings of the bell draft hood with aluminum foil as a tempoary thing to be able to check readings. I monitor the readings as I slice open the foil, (i'm trying to simulate adjusting the barometric's door with the weights). if this works I then put on the barometric. has anyone else run into this,,what do you do for the remedy?

Unknown

Above the draft hood

you are measuring chimney draft, which you can have even with a cold chimney sometimes. No draft at the breach or before the draft hood is a possibly plugged boiler. What was your over fire draft? I am assuming this is a designed piece of equipment? As I have mentioned before I am not a big fan of removing designed draft hoods and replacing with barometrics. Need a litle more info on this to give a better answer. The 1300 ppm is definitely a problem.

Mark Hunt

I would not


have allowed that boiler to remain in operation!

Anything over 400ppm is cause to shut the system down regardless of whether it is drafting.

I think something else is up when you are getting CO that high.

Did you get any ambient CO readings? What else did you check?

Mark H

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[Deleted User]

the draft below the hood

was very slight. but when i closed off the hood it went to .02-.03 area. bounced around a bit. and the co went away.it was as if the room air was entering the hood and stopping the unit from drafting.

[Deleted User]

mark, i left the foil around the hood till i get

his barometric. the supply house was out of them. its working okay that way, temporarily. no ambiant readings detected in the house. the unit was drafting some but poorly.

Unknown

WOW

you left the draft hood with foil and left the job. There is no way that should be done. Who is authorizing the installation of a baromteric? The potential for disaster on this job is definitely there. Shut it off until you can definitely find out what is wrong. The more I see posted here about how to solve CO problems the more I get concerned. I have either been in the dark for 40 years or we have a whole new process of how to properly repair and adjust a system. Until someone can convince me I do not believe removing a draft hood is the right way to fix a job. Think about this- How long has this job been running with the draft hood? Now all of a sudden it is not working. Is this a brand new job? How long has it been in? Why don't manufacturers ship boilers with barometrics. If draft hoods are no good let us get rid of them. With foil on that draft hood and a down draft comes down that boiler is going to have the flame roll out the front and the potential for a fire is there.I am going to bed I hope the folks in that house are okay!!!

Mark Hunt

Curtain effect


This can and does happen.

That is why it is important to check in both areas as you did.

You say that the CO "went away", what did you get for a reading after you put the foil on?

Mark H

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[Deleted User]

yes the co went away

when i put the foil on. its not completly closed off. i sliced holes in it that are big enough to slip four fingers at a time into. i was attempting to simulate adusting the door of the barometric. no one can tell me dampers dont work. ive used them for years. my house is set up with them on the furnace and the waterheater. both gas. i'm not willing to get in a design argument here. bottom line, they have solved many of this same problem. i go back the next year, and the next year, and the unit still is burning clean, the customers have heat, fuel bills okay. they're alive. i'm happy.

[Deleted User]

and yes mark, door curtain effect is it

thats exactly what i am occassionally finding. i was just curious if anyone else had expierianced this.

Mark Hunt

I have seen it


on a few water heaters and I did what you have been doing.

Has anything been done to this home recently? New windows or insulation?

Something caused this to start happening.

Mark H

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[Deleted User]

actually Mark heres how i got involved

the carpenter on a job with me said he has to keep taking his boiler apart to clean the soot out of it. he does this every year or two. he thought this was normal maintenance. I said he is treating the symtom and not the problem. so I went to look at it. so i gather its done this since the boiler was installed. lets put it this way, its done it since he has been in the house. he called a contractor out some odd years ago, and the guy cleaned the soot out but didn't look for why it was there. the carpenter thought, heck he can do that. so thats why he thought that was normal. there was no hole drilled below the draft hood so I dont think it had ever been tested, not at installation or during any service it may have had.
I dont just blindly alter equipment. my bacharach is going the whole time in the flue. my inspiration for this is from a class I took years ago. you know the instructor I think. i also keep a copy of the following handy in case of questions. im trying to get additional copies, when I try to make them the black/white photos dont show up right.
Report # FT- C- 07-93
''On performance of drafthood equipped gas appliances modified by the addition of barometric dampers''
A.G.A. LABORATORIES FIELD TEST PROGRAM
prepared for the field controls company.

Mark Hunt

You're spot on


Keep up the GREAT work!!!!

Mark H

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[Deleted User]

thanks Mark

was stating to wonder if there was any support out there.