soot & smell

Justin_2

Some friends of ous are having a problem with their hot water boiler. There is alot of black smoke comming out of the chimney and a bad smell in the house. They had a guy come down to look at it and he said the boiler is shot. To prove this he pointed to some rust in the jacketing and explained how the fire box had colapsed. He said that it was so old that you just couldn't get parts for it anynore. So I went over to check it out for myself and found the firebox to be fine and a normal amount of rust on the 25 year old jacket. I should say to that I am no pro, I'm just a 25 year old carpenter who's hooked on steam heat.
So my question is what causes the black smoke? I should also add that they can't remember the last time they had the boiler or burner cleaned. He also mentioned a couple weeks back that they ran out of oil. They have a 1000 gallon burried tank. Could it be a cloged line, filter?

Climate Creator

What it needs is

A good cleaning by a reputable and honest burner tech. Call someone else. What kind os boiler is it? They make replacement chambers for most boilers. (changing them is another story)

Rich

Al Letellier

soot and smell

Tell your neighbors that any fuel burning appliance, like an automobile, needs regular maintenance. Soot and odors come from improper burning of the fuel, and clogged filters certainly contribute to the cause. Their boiler should receive an annual tune up and efficiency set-up. As mentioned by the other response, call in a reputable heating tech and get it cleaned and adjusted. And do it annually!

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

jim lockard

Have

you turned this boiler off til a pro can check it out. Poor burning is a great CO generator.Best Wishes J.Lockard

Justin_2

Thanks for yor help and comments guys, I have relayde your thoughts to my friend.