Black smoke from oil boiler

hairyslug · 23-03-2013 3:24pm #1

We ran out of oil last week, only got a refil yesterday and only fired it up today, in total about a week without it being turned on.

It fired up fine after I bled it (didnt touch the pressure screw) but after 1/2 hour black smoke was comming out of the chimney, its still working ok just a bit worried about the black smoke.

Is it a diy job to fix it, or do i start looking for a weeekend plumber.

Cheers

Binge101 · 23-03-2013 3:28pm

hairyslug wrote: »

We ran out of oil last week, only got a refil yesterday and only fired it up today, in total about a week without it being turned on.

It fired up fine after I bled it (didnt touch the pressure screw) but after 1/2 hour black smoke was comming out of the chimney, its still working ok just a bit worried about the black smoke.

Is it a diy job to fix it, or do i start looking for a weeekend plumber.

Cheers

Could be a new pope!

Billy Bunting · 23-03-2013 4:44pm

hairyslug wrote: »

We ran out of oil last week, only got a refil yesterday and only fired it up today, in total about a week without it being turned on.

It fired up fine after I bled it (didnt touch the pressure screw) but after 1/2 hour black smoke was comming out of the chimney, its still working ok just a bit worried about the black smoke.

Is it a diy job to fix it, or do i start looking for a weeekend plumber.

Cheers

You need a oil pressure gauge and a flue gas anyliser, you need an Oftec Man, or someone with the equipment to set it up for you.
Are you sure you bled it in the right place :cool:
The black smoke is a good indication that you should STOP using it till its sorted. Where are you ????

hairyslug · 23-03-2013 4:59pm

Billy Bunting wrote: »

You need a oil pressure gauge and a flue gas anyliser, you need an Oftec Man, or someone with the equipment to set it up for you.
Are you sure you bled it in the right place :cool:
The black smoke is a good indication that you should STOP using it till its sorted. Where are you

I think i bled it in the right place, the bolt under the screw?
We are in Arklow but hopefully we have someone comming out to fix it

Billy Bunting · 23-03-2013 5:06pm

hairyslug wrote: »

I think i bled it in the right place, the bolt under the screw?

Thats correct on a Riello Burner.

corkgsxr · 23-03-2013 5:23pm

id it still smoking. or has it stopped?

Wearb · 23-03-2013 5:31pm

Check that you got the correct oil, by taking a sample from the tank or filter at the tank. Also remove the filter carefully -try not to spill too much- and empty it into a clear glass jar and have a look at it to see if you can see if it splits into two layers. If it does it may have water in it. Did you lift the back of the oil tank to get the last from it??? If so you probably have dirty filters at the tank and pump, and maybe water in the pipe line. The above filter check will confirm if its water.

jimf · 23-03-2013 9:46pm

i think your boiler is trying to tell you something along the lines of please please get me a good service asap

smoke from an oil boiler is a common problem and can usually be sorted with a good service

and set up properly by someone using the right equipment namely flugas analyser

shane0007 · 23-03-2013 9:54pm

A good service may not solve this one. Smoking just after a fill of oil is usually bad fuel, incorrect fuel or disturbed tank sludge affecting pump pressure.
The service engineer will, of course, be able to indentify the problem.

jimf · 23-03-2013 10:24pm

had 1 recently out of fuel for about 3 days tank had been tipped up to get as much as possible out of tank result smoking badly sludge build up on tank filter pump filter and nozzle filter effecting the spray pattern at nozzle pressure unsteady on pressure gauge

sludge is a bitch especially if boiler is fired up immediately after delivery and tank is not allowed to settle for a few hours finding this a bit more recently with the number of people reverting to 25litre purchases

as suggested by shane and wearb may also be fuel problem and yes have to agree service only wont solve this

rocoso · 23-03-2013 11:04pm

had this problem with my riello burner turned out the boiler had a lazy air damper (the device that opens the air intake flap) a few adjustments and everything ok again

Billy Bunting · 23-03-2013 11:09pm

rocoso wrote: »

had this problem with my riello burner turned out the boiler had a lazy air damper (the device that opens the air intake flap) a few adjustments and everything ok again

This is interesting, what do you mean by a Lazy air damper ?

rocoso · 23-03-2013 11:33pm

when you start up your boiler an airflap opens on the right side of the burner (riello) if it doesn't open enough you will have a smokey chimney stack because the burner is not inputting the correct air/fuel ratio ...common problem ....there are mechanical adjustments on the flap

shane0007 · 23-03-2013 11:46pm

rocoso wrote: »

....there are mechanical adjustments on the flap

There are no mechanical adjustments on the flap, unless you class the holding screw that holds the flap to the fan housing a mechanical adjustment!

The only adjustable part of the air intake is the air damper itself. The flap is lifted by a hydraulic jack that is hydraulically lifted by the oil pump & fuel within it. There is no adjustment available to this jack either.

rocoso · 23-03-2013 11:49pm

hold the flap more open by hand and see does your smoke go.....is it a riello burner?

Billy Bunting · 23-03-2013 11:52pm

rocoso wrote: »

when you start up your boiler an airflap opens on the right side of the burner (riello) if it doesn't open enough you will have a smokey chimney stack because the burner is not inputting the correct air/fuel ratio ...common problem ....there are mechanical adjustments on the flap

This sounds like an early Riello. Is it not hydraulic pressure that opens the flap and the mechanical adjustment on the ram for adjusting the air setting.

rocoso · 23-03-2013 11:55pm

also make sure theres no grunge in the fan.....if all that doesn't work you should replace the jet and reset the pump pressure and if that all doesn't work I would get the fuel checked ....have you cleaned the boilers insides make sure none of the baffle plates inside are blocked ...if you have black smoke and have corrected all off above you still need to give this boiler a cleaning inside as it was running rich a will have deposited a lot of unburn carbons.....

shane0007 · 23-03-2013 11:56pm

You could not be further from the problem.
Fills of oil do not cause "lazy air shutter" opening.

Kat1170 · 23-03-2013 11:57pm

Almost certainly a blocked jet caused by dirt being stirred up by new fuel. New jet and and give your magic eye a clean should take care of it.

rocoso · 24-03-2013 12:01am

fills of oil do not cause lazy air damper problems but If you get a bad fill of oil???

jimf · 24-03-2013 12:01am

if the sludge has got as far as the jet/nozzle then you are likely to find tank filter and pump filter wont be in a healthy state either

Billy Bunting · 24-03-2013 12:02am

This is what we're up against, roll on regulation.

Kat1170 · 24-03-2013 12:13am

Billy Bunting wrote: »

This is what we're up against, roll on regulation.

Regulation for what ? Dirt/sludge builds up in the bottom of every tank

Billy Bunting · 24-03-2013 12:46am

rocoso wrote: »

fills of oil do not cause lazy air damper problems but If you get a bad fill of oil???

Still fasinated to know what you adjusted to fix your "lazy air damper"

shane0007 · 24-03-2013 12:51am

Billy Bunting wrote: »

Still fasinated to know what you adjusted to fix your "lazy air damper"

The lazy air damper adjusterer, of course!

Wearb · 24-03-2013 12:57am

Billy Bunting wrote: »

Still fasinated to know what you adjusted to fix your "lazy air damper"

You remove the Jack, pinch off the pipe with a vicegrip and jam the flap open with an old paint roller. Do you never read the manual

Billy Bunting · 24-03-2013 1:00am

Maybe he's the phantom paint roller engineer.

Dtp79 · 24-03-2013 9:13am

Billy Bunting wrote: »

This is what we're up against, roll on regulation.

+ Thanks (50)

corkgsxr · 24-03-2013 12:08pm

Billy Bunting wrote: »

Still fasinated to know what you adjusted to fix your "lazy air damper"

You have to give it a spirited and uplifting talk. Convince it that it does a important job and simply cant afford to be lazy.

Worked many times for me

jimf · 24-03-2013 1:01pm

Wearb wrote: »

You remove the Jack, pinch off the pipe with a vicegrip and jam the flap open with an old paint roller. Do you never read the manual

it has to be a quality paint roller the cheapies dont work

Wearb · 24-03-2013 1:15pm

jimf wrote: »

it has to be a quality paint roller the cheapies dont work

Thanks for that Jim, Yes I forgot to mention that for best results it must be a Varian roller. Also washing it in petrol just before use helps.
Read further down....

I had better add that I am only joking. Petrol is like a bomb aroung an oil burner.

jimf · 24-03-2013 1:22pm

Wearb wrote: »

Thanks for that Jim, Yes I forgot to mention that for best results it must be a Varian roller. Also washing it in petrol just before use helps.
Read further down....

I had better add that I am only joking. Petrol is like a bomb aroung an oil burner.

i think we better be careful here from now on too many trade secrets being given out

shane0007 · 24-03-2013 2:02pm

jimf wrote: »

i think we better be careful here from now on too many trade secrets being given out

I don't see much love here anymore being given to boilers! Can we please revert back to a more loving environment? It's the new me, I'm afraid!

Robbie.G · 24-03-2013 2:28pm

shane0007 wrote: »

I don't see much love here anymore being given to boilers! Can we please revert back to a more loving environment? It's the new me, I'm afraid!

It's the feckin trip to Florida that has him in such a loving and forgiving mood

Dtp79 · 24-03-2013 2:31pm

Robbie.G wrote: »

It's the feckin trip to Florida that has him in such a loving and forgiving mood

Mickey Mouse will do that to ya

corkgsxr · 24-03-2013 2:50pm

jimf wrote: »

it has to be a quality paint roller the cheapies dont work

Wheres the details ffs. Heavy or light pile.

Would a behind radiator roller work best as it has roots in plumbing.

Am I overthinking this

jimf · 24-03-2013 5:02pm

corkgsxr wrote: »

Wheres the details ffs. Heavy or light pile.

Would a behind radiator roller work best as it has roots in plumbing.

Am I overthinking this

you need to get out more often your brain is gone into overdrive

jimf · 24-03-2013 5:03pm

shane0007 wrote: »

I don't see much love here anymore being given to boilers! Can we please revert back to a more loving environment? It's the new me, I'm afraid!

how long is this going to last

shane0007 · 24-03-2013 6:15pm

Robbie.G wrote: »

It's the feckin trip to Florida that has him in such a loving and forgiving mood

Aye, only 37 more sleeps to go!

jimf · 24-03-2013 6:52pm

shane0007 wrote: »

Aye, only 37 more sleeps to go!

enjoy

Black smoke from oil boiler

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