Annual Oil Fired Boiler "Tune UP" Question

Your previous oil burner servicemen did the right annual service. Unfortunately, you need to check in with alot of these guys today while they are doing the service. Mad Dog

No…Yes
Many companies have modified their annual tune up contracts to say, ‘vacuum clean as necessary’. But that being said, there are a few things being done differently.
For example, a tech may open up the boiler, remove the flue pipe, check the chimney base to see if it needs to be vacuum cleaned. If they see soot, clean it.
Not everyone is replacing the nozzle every year. Over the past couple of years there’s been a complaint about nozzle quality. There seems to be the philosophy if it ain’t broke you can’t fix it, but you can make it worse.
Even if they checked with an analyzer, and it’s the same as last year, doesn’t mean it’s clean.
For sight glass, do you mean for a steam boiler? If so you shouldn’t have to replace it unless it’s cracked. If the water is dirty, that needs to be addressed.
Set up properly, with no oil quality issues, proper combustion, draft and clean adequate combustion air, modern oil burners don’t need to be cleaned every year.
If you pull the filter and there’s no sign of microbes/water/sludge, nothing on the pump strainer, nozzle assembly is clean with nothing on the end of the nozzle, no soot and no change in combustion, there’s really nothing to do.
For a tune up/service, the order should be:
Change filter, inspect for fuel issues.
I hook up my bleed pot, turn on burner to bleed filter (good time to check primary time-out, and igniter).
Remove pump strainer, inspect for fuel issues. Re-assemble, fully bleed filter/strainer/pump.
Remove nozzle assembly. Inspect, replace nozzle. Now everything fuel side is done. I usually bring ell the ‘oily stuff’ back to the truck and grab the vacuum and needed brushes.
Look down air tube to see if it or the end cone need to be cleaned. Inspect/clean blower wheel if necessary.
Replace nozzle assembly.
Open up appliance to get access to heat exchanger. Remove flue pipe, inspect, clean as needed. Check chimney base, use mirror to see if clear access to thru chimney (if possible).
Re-assemble everything, fire up, at steady state, check combustion.
First time/new customer, if furnace, check blower wheel, airflow, heat rise, static pressure.
If boiler, every time, check temperatures/delta T, test relief valve, Check boiler pressure, fill/purge if needed.
On all appliances, check operating/safety controls.
Depending on the type of equipment and ease of getting to the heat exchanger and other logistics, all of this should take an 1.5 to 2 hours. Under ideal conditions I can do this in about an hour, but that’s rare. With new customers, all the above plus fixing things that have been neglected, longer.

I agree with much of what is being said above. One thing I haven't seen much of is replacing the fuel unit/pump strainer. That should be done annually, along with the in-line fuel filter.

That could be tricky. I really don’t mind if a customer wants to watch me. I charge more than others because I do more work than others. I also don’t mind if they ask questions.
If they get in the way, or start trying to tell me what to do, then that could be an issue.
But in reality, if you don’t trust them or think they aren’t doing what they say they are, you may have to move onto someone else.

I know of no other way with the accuracy.
assuming the equipment is calibrated and the tech is properly trained!