Keeping The Burner In Your Boiler Or Furnace Running Efficently

The burner in your boiler or furnace is responsible for producing the heat to boil the water in the system or heat the heat exchanger in a hot air system so that the air moving through it gets hot. If the burner is not running correctly, the system will not run efficiently, and you may need to have a burner service technician take a look at it. 

Cleaning The Burner

One of the most common burner problems is residue build-up from the fuel being burned in the unit. Heating oil is often the fuel of choice, but it does not burn clean, so the system can become laden with creosote and other carbons that are left behind during combustion. The solution is to clean the system and ensure the firebox and heat exchanger are free of debris and coatings that can lower the system's efficiency. 

The tech will need to take the burner apart to get a brush inside the fins of the heat exchanger and brush all the material out during the burner service, then scoop all the material out of the firebox as well. Once the heat exchanger is clean, the tech can check it for damage like cracks that could allow combustion gases to leak from the burner into the air passing through the heat exchanger. 

The water boiler works the same way, but instead of an air heat exchanger, the water runs through pipes inside the systems and picks up the heat there before being circulated through the house for heat. If the boiler also produces domestic hot water, a second coil is wound in with the first, and the second loop uses water from the water line and feeds the hot water line in the house to produce hot water at the taps. 

Cleaning The Nozzle

The tech will pull the fuel nozzle out during the burner service and clean the nozzle and the fitting where it is attached. Once the fuel nozzle is clean, the tech can check the orifice for distortions or damage that may allow too much fuel to pass through the nozzle and flood the burner. 

If the nozzle is damaged, the tech can install a new on the burner to ensure that the proper amount of fuel is getting into the system. If the nozzle allows too much fuel into the system, the air/fuel mix will be off and the burner will not run properly. The balance needs to be maintained to get the most out of the burner and ensure that the entire system produces heat or hot water at the home's level. 

To learn more, contact a resource that offers a burner service.

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