User Guide

30
Questions Asked by
Oil Heating Service Technicians
I have a job on which it is difficult to clean up
the fire. What should I do?
1. Check the fire to see whether it is off center (see discussion of
off center fires next column).
2. Check the fan blades and if they are covered with lint and
dirt, clean them.
3. If this is a conventional oil burner, check for a burned-off end
cone.
4. Check the oil pressure to be sure that it is at least 100 psi.
5. Check for a plugged line filter or pump strainer.
6. If the smoke is at the outside edges of the fire, try a narrow
angle nozzle.
7. If the smoke occurs at the end of the fire, it might be well to
try a wider spray angle.
8. The burner may have insufficient air capacity for this firing
rate.
9. The burner may have too high air capacity for this firing rate.
This would mean that the burner head couldn’t handle a low
firing rate.
10. It might just be a very inefficient burner, which cannot be
made to burn clean.
11. The nozzle may be partially plugged, resulting in poor
atomization.
12. The oil may have a high viscosity or it might be cold,
resulting in a collapsing spray.
13. Get sufficient air into the boiler room. If necessary, put in an
air intake pipe with a screen and storm cover.