Annual clean and tune hot water boiler

John Luebbers_2

Question, What is the average time it takes to clean and tune an oil fired water boiler. It took me 5 hrs today, just curious, and yes I'm a greehorn.

tommyoil

Depends

Not out of the question if its in rough shape. I've spent all day on bad ones. Most places figure two hrs or so. Most guys take 45 minutes. Sad but true.

GaryDidier

Service

John, On a regularly serviced boiler it averages about 2 hours.

Gary from Granville

lchmb

on average

If the boiler has been properly maintained and serviced yearly, the company I work for expect's 1 1/2 to 2 hour's. I like Tommyoil have spent the entire day if not longer on boiler's that have had improper or no service. Just make sure to take your time and do it right, sitting up all night wondering if you forgot something can get hard on the mind....You will learn to do thing's in a more organized fashion and gain time with experience just don't hurry it for now....IMHO

John Luebbers_2

THanks guys, boilr was very dirty, also spent some time with initial air band setting on the AFG. Had to completely close inner air band and reduce trim band just to get it to smoke, so I could get my reference point, wasn't to comfortable with competely closing inner band but a smoke test dosen't lie

tommyoil

Read spec sheets

Did you have the Beckett burner/boiler manufacturer cross reference book? Beckett puts out a book that list every boiler company who hangs a beckett on them. It lists the settings(nozzles ect) which operates best in the listed piece of equipment.Carlin mas the same type book. TRY to look for install manuals around all your jobs B4 you go re-setting airbands or readjusting nozzle assemblies ect... Sometimes that stuff comes back to bite you. Also if you have improper pump pressures and your re-setting air bands, you may be in for more than your share of 2:00 a.m. calls.READ,READ,READ. I work with alot of guys who completely disregard what manufacturer specs because " I've been doing this a long time". Nice to work w/ such an educated group who know MORE than the manufacturers. DONT be one of those guys. Information and good test equipment(pressure gauges, vacuum gauges, ect) will be your key to a good job. Take each job as a learning experience and practice using all your test equipment. You wont be green forever. TAKE YOUR TIME, and do it right. Hang in there, you'll be just fine.

John Luebbers_2

oem guide

tommyoil I do have the beckett oem, I checked the application, and for the initial air band setting, it says S-9/B-0. I am not sure what this means. I was working on an AFG.

Alan R. Mercurio_3

John, S=Shutter which is on the side and B=Band which wraps aroun the housing.

By the way I agree 2hrs depending on how much is entailed. It could be more.

Your friend in the industry,
Alan R. Mercurio

Oil Tech Talk

John Luebbers_2

Thank you very much

Alan R. Mercurio_3

You're very welcome my friend.

Your friend in the industry,
Alan R. Mercurio

Oil Tech Talk

Weezbo

Thats fine....

a reasonble turn around is about two hours ...if you installed them and maintain them more like half the time.some POS that Worked fine until YOU hit the reset...that could be clogged stem to stern need new stove pipe metal chimney roof cap oil filter nozel fire eye drive coupler pump electric motor squirrl cage brushing new target wall firechamber wet pack on and on...these things take time not to mention a veritable Tribe of tools....and we havent even broken out the test kit! remeber this....if you cant get your slaker through it..and someone Tuned it recently...it has the wrong nozzel most likely the pump pressures been fricked with and EVERYTHING is suspect including the reliability of information given you by the homeowner or business man.