Chimney keeps clogging? oil boiler?

Joe.G

I ahave a block Chimney (my house is also block), when I had my old york boiler (1947) the boiler shut down and I found out it was due to the Chimney being clogged. I put in a new boiler (peerless)last year and cleaned the Chimney now 1 year later I took the flue pipe off to check (there is no clean out on the Chimney and it was almost clogged shut again I cleaned it out(a five gallon buckets worth) what could it be? the flue itself looks clean (from the boiler to the Chimney )There seems to be a little mortor in it but teh rest is just stuff. Thanks

Steamhead (in transit)

Is the boiler

filling with soot? If so, the burner is not set up properly. If not, there may be condensation in the chimney. In either cae, it's time to call a pro to evaluate the situation.

Joe.G

I don't trhink it is just soot, plus the pipe from the boiler to teh chimeny is like new still. And it did this with teh old boiler and the new. thanks

Firedragon_4

Sounds like chimney corrosion due

to the fluegas acidity and condensation. Don't fool around, call a chimney sweep AND an oilburner tech.

Come to think of it, I'd try to get them there together, FACT!

Joe.G

Please keep the ideas coming,

Jeff Lawrence_24

oil burner?

Was the new boiler installed by a company that set it up using a combustion analyzer?

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Joe Brix

block chimney

It should be lined. An unlined masonary chimney will absorb a great deal of water and condense rain down onto the flue gases creating a nice wet soot. Your old boiler put alot more heat up the flue that helped keep the chimney dry. Any new boiler will produce much cooler exhaust gases making your soot problem even worse.

Firedragon_4

Yeah, and when

you cut your temperature by half you cut your ability to produce thermal draft in half, FACT!

Bob Harper

liner

You need a liner because:
-oversized
-cold exterior chimney
-need to incorporate a cleanout feature so you don't die!
-Easier to clean
-a high quality liner won't collapse in blocking the flue the way masonry can
-a metallic liner heats up quicker than masonry for a quicker draft

Once you have a good set of lungs on this appliance, your oil tech can tweak it to optimum performance. I like George's suggestion to get both the sweep and oil tech together. That way when the sweep says he's going to install a 5.5" liner, for instance, the oil guy can hear his reasoning and see how it will be installed to make his job easier. They can also agree on who's going to set the barometric damper to what draft. The sweep gets invaluable feedback on his ideas and how certain notions he has might adversely affect the equipment.

Good stuff,
Bob

Joe.G

How much does it cost to have a liner installed? What will happen if I don't?

JeffD_2

Costs vary by region. If you don't have a liner installed your chimney will eventually rot away and collapse, then you will need a new chimney. New chimney's are a lot more expensive than a liner.

Joe.G

Thanks a lot