Annual Oil Fired Boiler "Tune UP" Question
I'm not a oil burner mechanic but have been watching what goes on for the past 60 or so years and note when things get different.
They always come in and:
- disassemble and clean the "gun"
- replace the nozzle
- brush out all the nooks and crannies with a brush and with a vacuum running to catch all the soot
- replace the filter
- remove and clean/vacuum the duct work from the burner back to the chimney base
- replace the sight glass
- fire up the burner and check the flame and with a combustion analyzer
We've had several oil delivery/service companies since these boilers were initially installed in the 1950's. All the previous delivery company mechanics did all of the above each year. However, my current company (unnamed unless you want to know) omitted all the bold items. When I questioned them, their mechanic said:
- I cleaned the nozzle, it's ok
- when we check with a combustion analyzer and find everything ok, no need to brush and vacuum (even when I pointed to a coating of soot plainly visible on the door and inside)
- we cleaned the sight glass
So, my question for you is: "am I being too picky or are they cutting corners?"
thanks
Frank
Comments
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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
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It's a new day and age of hurry up and get er done.
Call them back and tell the service manager you want it done right. If he gives you the same line of BS find a better service provider!
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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.
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On an oil heat maintenance, the first thing I do is remove the eye and cycle the burner into safety. Make sure that works. Then as soon as I remove the nozzle assembly and check its condition as well as the head, I know what I'm in for. N/F/S, complete inspection of burner, chamber, HX, flue and chimney base. Vac if needed. Check boiler pressure with my own gauge. Cycle all zones to limit. Test all safeties like LWCO, High limit, etc. Inspect oil tank if possible. Combustion test. Smoke test. Draft test. The OP mentioned sight glass. On steam, clean them and maybe new gaskets if needed, but the glass doesn't typically get replaced annually.
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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.
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What's the best way to verify these steps are being taken? Ask for an itemized PM/inspection list from the tech? Basically **how do you verify the tech will do the right thing without being a hovering property owner?**
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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.1 -
Is the combustion analyzer the proper way to determine proper air and fuel mixture? Would it be smart to request the reading found during servicing? I understand from above posts that even if the heat exchange area is dirty the combustion results might come back good, but is the combustion analization the true indicator of proper mixture? In other words, if I ask the dispatcher/schedule personnel if the tech will be checking combustion is that kind of the end point of a properly done maintenance routine?
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I know of no other way with the accuracy.
assuming the equipment is calibrated and the tech is properly trained!1 -
I would consider the steps in 1-7 you noted above to be essential to every yearly service with the following conditions:
1, 2. 4 & 7 should be done every year for sure.
3, 5.6 should be done as needed.
Depends on the boiler and burner and how much oil you burn. Modern equipment may only need the boiler and smoke pipe cleaned every 3 years or so. but they need to check every year to see if it needs cleaning.
Sight glass should be cleaned yearly and replaced if needed.
If the oil filter or nozzle screen is dirty the oil pump strainer should be checked and cleaned or replaced.
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Annual Cleaning ; Damned if you do and damned if you dont :)
There was an error rendering this rich post.
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If the strainer is clean, changing it won't help. These things can pass enough fuel for proper combustion even when 80 percent blocked because the pump pulls hard, which is why I pick on Steve Lav on his youtube channel - he opens the bleeder on the pump and checks the flow. If it passes the eye test, he leaves the strainer in place, but I've seen them flow well even when fairly well plugged.
But here's what I've discovered - if the strainer is clear, it might not remain so if the filter at the tank is replaced. On older systems, replacing the filter will often send sludge down the line and into the clean strainer, so the filter is the first thing I replace and the strainer is the LAST thing I check or replace.
EDIT: Let me clarify what I said above in the second paragraph. What I'm saying is that even if the strainer is checked and found clear or even replaced as the first part of a maintenance service, the new or cleaned strainer may end up plugged if the filter is replaced at the tank after the strainer is checked/replaced. I've seen it happen several times that a previously clean strainer will get loaded up a short time after the wool filter is replaced on an older tank because some sludge gets dislodged at the tank filter housing. So I always replace the tank filter first, then pull the strainer to check, clean, or replace after the burner has run at least 10 minutes with a new tank filter. That's what I meant when I said the strainer is the last thing I'd check, but I ALWAYS check/clean/replace the pump strainer.
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If I was at a job for the first time I would pull the fuel filter and clean/replace the strainer. After that I would just change the filter and if it was clean leave the strainer as is.
Steve is kind of a hack IMHO. You can have good flow at the pump with a filter and or strainer that is pretty well plugged.
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The only reason the strainer is there is to protect the gear set in the fuel unit. I agree with @EBEBRATT-Ed that if the filter is clean, don't bother the strainer. Changing it can sometimes result in a gasket leak too.
Here's the last time I found one that was plugged, and as we can see, it did its job:
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Quick one is to check oil pump pressure and pump cut off and nozzle assembly for signs of dripping or noz adp being stripped ,chk blast tube and retention head or turbulator ,chk oil safety relay and cad cell for proper operation and ensure unit does go into lock out . clean burner housing and brush blower wheel for any build up,check burner coupling end play in burner motor , Aside from checking chimney base and also combustion chamber for target wall condition and bottom of the chamber for build up of debris and any sign of flame impingement on cast . Check draft over fire and at the breech perform combustion test . I used to also have a clear glass bottle to bleed burner so to see the condition of the fuel being burned ie water in fuel ect same goes for filter housings empty and look for signs of moisture then spray her w brake cleaner wiper her clean and and re assemble . This is the short quickie all safety and limits should be checked for proper operation as one would except . also check firing rate of the the unit and pump pressure recommended by the burner .
peace and good luck clammy
R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
NJ Master HVAC Lic.
Mahwah, NJ
Specializing in steam and hydronic heating0
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