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Weil-McLain P-466 Conversion Burner

IBS_Guy
IBS_Guy Member Posts: 19
Over the winter and spring I have been asking questions about the feasibility of installing a conversion burner on this boiler. "Weil-McLain P-466 Gas Retrofit" and "Yet Another Conversion Question"

The responses have all been professional and helpful and I thank all who have taken the time write.

Well, the job is now done, inspected, approved and functioning and I have learned a lot.

Thanks again.

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Glad to help

    What combustion numbers did they get on the initial test? 
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • IBS_Guy
    IBS_Guy Member Posts: 19
    No Energy Saving Awards!

    CO2 = 9.3%, O2 = 4.4%, CO = 5ppm, Draft = -0.03", Flue Temp = 497.

    So not great numbers but a victory of principles for yours truly; this project started when I tried to get the gas company to connect to my house so I could give my wife her thirtieth anniversary present: a gas range that I had been promising her for about fifteen years.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Actually those numbers aren't bad

    for that boiler- you won't get the same CO2 on gas as on oil. At those levels your excess air should be around 22-23% or so.



    Since the 66 is a pin-type boiler, it's rather difficult to clean it out thoroughly. You may find the stack temp goes down as any left-over deposits burn off.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    Those figures

    are in the ball park for that burner in that boiler. There are things you could do to get the numbers up. The stack could be lowered down to around 400 but I will not discuss how here on this forum. The draft could be also reduced down to -.02 . I could not tell from the photos but was the flue size reduced and was a double swing barometric used?



    Was this a burner sent from Carlin all set up for you?



    For what it is worth by some adjustments you should be able to get this unit to above 80% efficiency. With the figures you gave you are around 78% not that efficiency numbers are what we talk about as the most important thing. What we want is to fire the boiler to its maximum design firing rate which is the real efficiency. What is the gas pressure at the outlet of the gas valve with the unit running? What was the burner clocked at using the test dial on the meter?
  • IBS_Guy
    IBS_Guy Member Posts: 19
    edited July 2011
    The burner came with a small orifice

    but I drilled it for 160,000 which is slightly more than 10% below the boiler's rated input of 175,000. According to the Carlin literature, that is acceptable. The old oil burner had a 1.0 nozzle which gave me plenty of heat, and now I'm about 20,000 above that. The meter clocked right around 2.7 ft3/min. The manifold pressure is 3.5".

    There is a new double swing damper with a spill switch and just for fun, I changed the firebox liners and gave everything a real good cleaning couple days before the conversion.



    Once safety and reliability are assured, let's discuss some numbers. I have been in this house for 28 years and the boiler was here when I got here, so it really owes me exactly 0.

    My wife has been asking for a gas stove for about 20 years and I have been promising it for the last 15. About 5 years ago I tried to get propane but my town has an ordinance forbidding propane at any house that has gas on the street. The gas company wanted $3200 to install the lateral if I only hooked up the stove but would rebate it if I hooked up the heat. I gave them the $3200 for the hook up which left me with $0 for a new boiler and oil prices around $3.50/gal. After about  12 months of saving and research I came across the Carlin burner which I bought and had installed for $1054. So now when I finally get my $3200 back, I will have $2146 to start saving for the new boiler and maybe a 6-pack.
This discussion has been closed.