flame observation

jaybee

hi guys i want to know how you know you have a good flame? and if you dont how do u know which air to adjust secondary or primary?I have asked several people at work and know one really gave me a strieght answer can some here try and explain it to me?

Robert O'Connor_6

Good question.

> hi guys i want to know how you know you have a

> good flame? and if you dont how do u know which

> air to adjust secondary or primary?I have asked

> several people at work and know one really gave

> me a strieght answer can some here try and

> explain it to me?

Robert O'Connor_6

Good question.

Install manufacturer spec nozzle. Set burner to spec z dimension , pump pressure etc.


Finla adjustments must be made with a combustion tester and smoke tester.

Alot goes into it . You really need to take a couple of classes and work with someone experienced

Check out for seminars:

oiltechtalk.com/

http://firedragonent.com

Both are excellant instructors and may be able to point you in the right direction if they are not coming to your area.

Best regards

Robert

Weezbo

the burner can go bang!!!

there are alot, ALOT ....of minor technicalities to what you are asking Personally i am fairly sure that i could write a book on the subject and not even make it out of one manufacture seriously...... if you have different shaped size formations of fire box there are differences,for the same burners,however then they are likely to have different nozzels with different angles of the dangel sort to speak...here is a simple thing to do go to the manufacturer of the burner read the tec sheets on the burner follow thier suggestions...then call the guy with a lyn or bacharac kit to come make it go...

Jim Davis

Oil Flame

When I talk to people that work on oil without test equipment I ask how they set they burner. The most common answer is they look at the flame. I ask how do you do this? They say open up the inspection door. Then I explain that this is like opening a refrigerator door to see how dark it was with the door shut. This changes the characteristic of the flame up to 40% or more. My 1926 oil hand book says a flame should be "white", "bright white", or "dazzling white" which sounds more like a toothpaste commercial. On oil primary air is set with the air shutter on the side of the burner. Moving the drawer assembly affect secondary and primary air mixes. A carbon monoxide reading is useful is making sure the drawer assembly is positioned correctly, usually close to factory specs. Once this is set, measuring Oxygen, temperature and smoke helps us to adjust air if flue temperature is high or pump pressure is flue temperature is low. Then a smoke test verifies the perfect setting.

Ed_13

Combustion testing

Jay,

The first day i started in the HVAC field in very early 70s my boss handed me my too box into one hand, and a Bacharach combustion test kit for the other. (No Joke)

That was a time when most of the equipment was not flame retention, (we did have shell heads, etc,), however, most of the equipment was fairly simple to adjust.

He taught me to use that combustion teat equipment. I never forgot how he said that it was the only PROPER way to adjust oil equipment. (In the 70s)

The equipment of today is no where near as forgiving as that old equipment. You simply CAN NOT properly adjust combustion of an oil flame without combustion test
instruments.

If you went to the doctor, and from across the room he said that he knew your vital signs without using his instruments to test you, you would think that he was a quack. The oil burner tech that adjusts the flame "by eye" is probably that doctor's son.

The others have given you good advice about combustion testing. Don't take lightly.

JMHO Based on well over 30 years of testing oil equipemnt

Regards

Ed Carey

Ed_13

Combustion testing

Jay,

The first day i started in the HVAC field in very early 70s my boss handed me my too box into one hand, and a Bacharach combustion test kit for the other. (No Joke)

That was a time when most of the equipment was not flame retention, (we did have shell heads, etc,), however, most of the equipment was fairly simple to adjust.

He taught me to use that combustion teat equipment. I never forgot how he said that it was the only PROPER way to adjust oil equipment. (In the 70s)

The equipment of today is no where near as forgiving as that old equipment. You simply CAN NOT properly adjust combustion of an oil flame without combustion test
instruments.

If you went to the doctor, and from across the room he said that he knew your vital signs without using his instruments to test you, you would think that he was a quack. The oil burner tech that adjusts the flame "by eye" without combustion test equipment that is IN GOOD WORKING ORDER (and that is important), is probably that doctor's son.

The others have given you good advice about combustion testing. Don't take lightly.

JMHO Based on well over 30 years of testing oil equipemnt

Regards

Ed Carey

eleft_4

Oil Flame

Jim,

Which would you recommend, to do, after a steady state is established. Favor a higher efficiency number or a lower CO ppm number?

And how is the overall performance effected by the CO ppm at light off?

thank you in advance, al

john_35

flame observ

You simply can't tell if the flame is "good" with visual observation. People who think they can adjust a burner by just eyeballing it don't have any business working on oil burners. Period. The best combustion analyzer I've used is the Testo 325a. A little pricey but worth it.