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ignition control on an oil burner

ilya980
ilya980 Member Posts: 15
in Oil Heating

I was doing some maintenance on a Burhnam V74t oil boiler with a Beckett AFG burner, and I noticed that there is no pre-purge or post-purge time (i.e. 0 sec). The ignition control is Honeywell R8184G4009. I looked at the specs and realized that there is no option for pre-purge or post-purge. I don't know who and when installed this control unit. Is it a bad idea to run a boiler like this? Isn't it a good practice to have at least 15 sec of pre-purge and post-purge? Thanks.

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,977
    edited October 2

    You're right. But that V-74 was made before we had 15-second primary controls with purge periods.

    Any of the current electronic primaries is better than that R8184G. They all cut the ignition off after the flame is stable. But to use the purge periods, you need an oil delay valve. This can be part of a new fuel unit, like the Beckett CleanCut, or can be added on like this one:

    https://www.supplyhouse.com/Beckett-2182602U-Beckett-F84-Valve-Kit-w-Precision-Delay-Timer

    There's nothing wrong with bringing these older burners into the 21st Century. The pre-purge, also called valve-on delay, goes a long way toward cleaning up the startups. The post-purge, a.k.a. motor-off delay, cleans up the shutdowns. That means less brushing and vacuuming at the next service, and increased efficiency for the customer.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    EBEBRATT-Ed
  • ilya980
    ilya980 Member Posts: 15

    Thanks for the reply.

    Would this kit allow only pre-purge but no post-purge? I looked at the wiring diagram. It only has 2 wires: motor and neutral. If ignition control (Honeywell) cuts out motor power, this kit would not be able to run the motor since it does not have always on positive connection.

    Would this kit cause excessive wear on ignition rods and coil? Since it is not wired into ignition, the ignition would be trying to light-up the fuel during pre-purge. That is 4 seconds of ignition clicking.

    Thanks.

  • HydronicMike
    HydronicMike Member Posts: 145

    You need to run constant power to the primary if you want post purge. Check the wiring diagram that came with the control.
    Your wire on B1 on the aquastat goes to limit on the primary. You'll need another wire, from L1 or wire nutted to L1 on the aquastat to go directly to L1 on the primary.
    Modern equipment has a 3 wire whip for this purpose where 1 hot would go thru the aquastat and the other directly to the primary.

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