Crane Fuel Oil Boiler (Water)

Michael Ketchum

Have a customer with a Crane Boiler, CAB-2. It has the original Crane fuel oil burner. Would like to know the electrode setting. I'm not sure of the fuel oil nozzle either.. Currently has a 1.00 GPH, 80deg. A nozzle. I am following a long list of service people on this boiler and would like to get back to square one on the burner set-up.
It's an oldie but in good shape.

Kevinj

crane oil

> Have a customer with a Crane Boiler, CAB-2. It

> has the original Crane fuel oil burner. Would

> like to know the electrode setting. I'm not sure

> of the fuel oil nozzle either.. Currently has a

> 1.00 GPH, 80deg. A nozzle. I am following a long

> list of service people on this boiler and would

> like to get back to square one on the burner

> set-up. It's an oldie but in good shape.



It has been a few years since I seen one of those. Is it sooted and can you tune it with the existing type nozzle ? Does it have a rentension head? Is the burner motor 1725 or 3450 ?? Most of the old Cranes needed a solid nozzle and the pattern needed to be so it does not burn off the back wall as many Cranes had a short firebox.

Kevinj

crane oil

It has been a few years since I seen one of those. Is it sooted and can you tune it with the existing type nozzle ? Does it have a rentension head? Is the burner motor 1725 or 3450 ?? Most of the old Cranes needed a solid nozzle and the pattern needed to be so it does not burn off the back wall as many Cranes had a short firebox.

Michael Ketchum

Thank you for responding! The nozzle and electrodes were sooted and wet on the most recent service call and thus it was not firing. I had taken a look at this boiler for the first in the early spring near the end of the heating season. At that time the nozzle was fouled and spraying off to one side. The customer has very little understanding of the boiler and what has been done to it over the years. But listening to him talk, this boiler has had yearly attention to keep it running. He isn't sure what has been done to the boiler except to say that "they always have to put in a thingy so it will burn again".

When I approach one of these relics for which there is no paperwork or information available, I assume to some extent the last guy to service it has some knowledge of its proper settings and/or nozzle size. Can be a poor reference for sure, but a starting point none the less.
Of course I can't know for sure how much tinkering has been done to "see if this works".

Therefore on my first visit I replaced the nozzle with the same size and type. I cleaned the electrodes and left the current setting. Checked the transformer, etc. and checked fuel pump pressure. All things cleaned and ready the boiler fired smoothly and quietly. As I recall overfire draft, vent draft, and smoke test were within reason. Stack temp not out of whack but could have come down a little for better efficiency. A starting point.

This time I removed the electrodes to double check insulators, etc. ( Was not getting a spark.) Reinstalled after cleaning and set similar to a Wayne burner. There is no retention head on the burner. The fire box is clean and smooth with no soot or carbon deposits on any surface. It is a 1725 rpm motor and as you say the fire box is relatively short. The flame does ever so slightly impinge on the the back wall. After 10-15 min operation there is no red spot or hot spot on the back wall. Appears though that a 90 deg. nozzle would broaden the flame as there is plenty of breadth to the fire box. But then the electrodes need adjusted accordingly. Again, I'd like to get this back to square one without several trial and error and expensive service calls. I'm open to suggestions.


Thanks Kevin for any help you can give.

Mike

Kevin Jahn

Crane

If your on the back wall and do not have retension, I would try a solid pattern to see if it cleans up. Check pump cut off and be certain the flue passages are clean. Given the low rpm motor I would expect this to have been equipeb with a solid nozzle. I think they used monarch in those but a Delavan will run fine. I have seen many of these with hollow nozzles and the result is soot by impingement.