My shop furnace is an old Sanberg oil burner. I ran out of fuel last week
and had the oil company fill the tank today. {ouch, but that's another
story}
Problem is that the furnace won't burn. I have the thermo at 60 (it's low
50's in the shop) and when I hit the reset button the burner motor starts
and runs for 60-90 seconds and stops. I can get the blower going by moving
the switch to manual from auto but it just blows cold.
I bled the line by opening two screws, one on top and the other at the
bottom of the oil inlet thing. Lots of bubbles then clear red fuel. closed
the bottom and then the top. Still no change. Thoughts? Does this have a
pilot light? I wouldn't think so but.....
Any help would be appreciated. How can a guy make sawdust at 52 degrees
afterall (ducking).
--
Patrick Fischer
Olalla, WA
pfischer{at}wavecable.com
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion"
--David Brinkley
Patrick Fischer wrote:
> Turned out to be a plugged nozzle.Removed the fuel line and with a
short
> blast of compressed air..HEAT!!
>
> Thanks.
>
For future reference furnaces typically have a flame detector. That
is a basic safety device, either a photocell or a themocouple, that
as the name implies, detects a flame. If a flame is npt detected
within a few seconds after the fuel pump comes on the fuel pump
is shut off. This prevents a dangerous accumulation of unburned
fuel in the furnace.
Each time the reset is pressed and another attempt made to start
the furnace more fuel squirts in.
That's why one should not use the reset more than once or twice
befor trying to find and repair the problem.
I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a photocell.
--
FF
George wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > ...
> >
> > I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a
photocell.
> >
> >
>
> Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers
compared to
> oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil
into a
> large firebox favors the "eye."
I'll defer to your expertise. The orange color is produced when
carbon monoxide combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and
free carbon. It's the atomic carbon that emits the orange photon
and produces soot.
I was only guessing that since gas burns cleaner, which is why the
flame
is blue, it would be less likely to soot up the window.
An optical flame sensor is better than a thermal one because it can
detect a flame immediately, a thermocouple takes time to heat up.
--
FF
"George" <george@least> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> >>
>> I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a photocell.
>>
>>
>
> Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers compared to
> oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil into
> a
> large firebox favors the "eye."
>
>
Oil uses a photocell, pretty much exclusively.
Gas uses ether a thermocouple, (old technology), or "flame rectification",
where a small current is actually run through the flame and a circuit board
measures the current. Yes for the non-believers, flame will conduct
electricity! The current flow it measured in microamps, usually .5-1
microamp is sufficient to satisfy the circuit board. Any less and the gas
valve is closed.
Greg
In article <[email protected]>,
Greg O <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"George" <george@least> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> >>
>>> I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a photocell.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers compared to
>> oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil into
>> a
>> large firebox favors the "eye."
>>
>>
>
>Oil uses a photocell, pretty much exclusively.
>Gas uses ether a thermocouple, (old technology), or "flame rectification",
>where a small current is actually run through the flame and a circuit board
>measures the current. Yes for the non-believers, flame will conduct
>electricity! The current flow it measured in microamps, usually .5-1
>microamp is sufficient to satisfy the circuit board. Any less and the gas
>valve is closed.
>Greg
>
>
Not only will a flame conduct electricity, you can *modulate* the
electricity flow, and use the flame as a _speaker_. The sound
reproduction fidelity is incredible.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Patrick Fischer wrote:
> > Turned out to be a plugged nozzle.Removed the fuel line and with a
> short
> > blast of compressed air..HEAT!!
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
>
> For future reference furnaces typically have a flame detector. That
> is a basic safety device, either a photocell or a themocouple, that
> as the name implies, detects a flame. If a flame is npt detected
> within a few seconds after the fuel pump comes on the fuel pump
> is shut off. This prevents a dangerous accumulation of unburned
> fuel in the furnace.
>
> Each time the reset is pressed and another attempt made to start
> the furnace more fuel squirts in.
>
> That's why one should not use the reset more than once or twice
> befor trying to find and repair the problem.
>
> I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a photocell.
>
>
Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers compared to
oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil into a
large firebox favors the "eye."
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers
> compared to
> > oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil
> into a
> > large firebox favors the "eye."
>
> I'll defer to your expertise. The orange color is produced when
> carbon monoxide combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and
> free carbon. It's the atomic carbon that emits the orange photon
> and produces soot.
>
> I was only guessing that since gas burns cleaner, which is why the
> flame
> is blue, it would be less likely to soot up the window.
>
> An optical flame sensor is better than a thermal one because it can
> detect a flame immediately, a thermocouple takes time to heat up.
>
It may be able to detect immediately, but it has a built-in delay because
the ignition provided by the points doesn't necessarily light the atomized
stream right away. 20 seconds on my burner, for example. You have to set
the air mix carefully, or you won't get the proper color flame, and the
damned thing just won't stay lit.
Soot on the pilot thermocouple was a pretty common fault with gas in the old
days.
On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:07:06 -0800, "Patrick Fischer"
<[email protected]> scribbled:
>I bled the line by opening two screws, one on top and the other at the
>bottom of the oil inlet thing. Lots of bubbles then clear red fuel. closed
>the bottom and then the top. Still no change. Thoughts? Does this have a
>pilot light? I wouldn't think so but.....
>
>Any help would be appreciated. How can a guy make sawdust at 52 degrees
>afterall (ducking).
52 degrees is quite warm by my standards. But when it happened to me,
I sucked some gunk from the bottom of the tank and it clogged up the
jet. The service call is a good idea.
Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html
Thanks Tom. I had a feeling I was squirting oil into the pot with no
ignition source. Guess I'll call the service guy...
--
Patrick Fischer
Olalla, WA
pfischer{at}wavecable.com
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion"
--David Brinkley
"Tom" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:_oL2e.37435$oa6.31148@trnddc07...
>
> "Patrick Fischer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> My shop furnace is an old Sanberg oil burner. I ran out of fuel last week
>> and had the oil company fill the tank today. {ouch, but that's another
>> story}
>> Problem is that the furnace won't burn. I have the thermo at 60 (it's low
>> 50's in the shop) and when I hit the reset button the burner motor starts
>> and runs for 60-90 seconds and stops. I can get the blower going by
>> moving
>> the switch to manual from auto but it just blows cold.
>>
>> I bled the line by opening two screws, one on top and the other at the
>> bottom of the oil inlet thing. Lots of bubbles then clear red fuel.
>> closed
>> the bottom and then the top. Still no change. Thoughts? Does this have a
>> pilot light? I wouldn't think so but.....
>
> My brother in law services oil burners and he really chewed my A_S last
> year for pushing the red reset button several times when my furnace in the
> garage wouldn't start. When he finally got there to fix it, it damned
> near blew because of all the oil that had accumulated in the burner pot
> from my repeated pushing of the reset button. Now, as for ideas on the
> problem..first time I had a problem, it needed a new burner nozzle and the
> ignitor gap adjusted. A few months later, it wouldn't restart after
> burning for awhile. Problem this time was the control box for the ignitor
> that sits on the motor/pump.
> Tom.
>>
>
>
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
bonomi.com says...
>
> Not only will a flame conduct electricity, you can *modulate* the
> electricity flow, and use the flame as a _speaker_. The sound
> reproduction fidelity is incredible.
>
>
>
--
BTDT. Made a flame speaker for an engineering open house 35 years ago.
Something kinda odd about hearing Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction"
coming out of a propane torch flame.
--
Jerry Maple
General Dynamics C4 Systems
Scottsdale, AZ
--
"Patrick Fischer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My shop furnace is an old Sanberg oil burner. I ran out of fuel last week
> and had the oil company fill the tank today. {ouch, but that's another
> story}
> Problem is that the furnace won't burn. I have the thermo at 60 (it's low
> 50's in the shop) and when I hit the reset button the burner motor starts
> and runs for 60-90 seconds and stops. I can get the blower going by moving
> the switch to manual from auto but it just blows cold.
>
> I bled the line by opening two screws, one on top and the other at the
> bottom of the oil inlet thing. Lots of bubbles then clear red fuel. closed
> the bottom and then the top. Still no change. Thoughts? Does this have a
> pilot light? I wouldn't think so but.....
My brother in law services oil burners and he really chewed my A_S last
year for pushing the red reset button several times when my furnace in the
garage wouldn't start. When he finally got there to fix it, it damned near
blew because of all the oil that had accumulated in the burner pot from my
repeated pushing of the reset button. Now, as for ideas on the
problem..first time I had a problem, it needed a new burner nozzle and the
ignitor gap adjusted. A few months later, it wouldn't restart after burning
for awhile. Problem this time was the control box for the ignitor that sits
on the motor/pump.
Tom.
>
Turned out to be a plugged nozzle.Removed the fuel line and with a short
blast of compressed air..HEAT!!
Thanks.
--
Patrick Fischer
Olalla, WA
pfischer{at}wavecable.com
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion"
--David Brinkley
"Patrick Fischer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My shop furnace is an old Sanberg oil burner. I ran out of fuel last week
> and had the oil company fill the tank today. {ouch, but that's another
> story}
> Problem is that the furnace won't burn. I have the thermo at 60 (it's low
> 50's in the shop) and when I hit the reset button the burner motor starts
> and runs for 60-90 seconds and stops. I can get the blower going by moving
> the switch to manual from auto but it just blows cold.
>
> I bled the line by opening two screws, one on top and the other at the
> bottom of the oil inlet thing. Lots of bubbles then clear red fuel. closed
> the bottom and then the top. Still no change. Thoughts? Does this have a
> pilot light? I wouldn't think so but.....
>
> Any help would be appreciated. How can a guy make sawdust at 52 degrees
> afterall (ducking).
>
> --
> Patrick Fischer
> Olalla, WA
> pfischer{at}wavecable.com
>
> "Everyone is entitled to my opinion"
> --David Brinkley
>
>
>
Greg O wrote:
>
> "George" <george@least> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> >>
>>> I think oil burners use a thermocouple and gas burners use a photocell.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Think it's the opposite. Gas use confined combustion chambers compared
>> to
>> oil, and the flame is more blue. Big orange flames from atomized oil
>> into a
>> large firebox favors the "eye."
>>
>>
>
> Oil uses a photocell, pretty much exclusively.
> Gas uses ether a thermocouple, (old technology), or "flame rectification",
> where a small current is actually run through the flame and a circuit
> board measures the current. Yes for the non-believers, flame will conduct
> electricity! The current flow it measured in microamps, usually .5-1
> microamp is sufficient to satisfy the circuit board. Any less and the gas
> valve is closed.
Not only will it conduct, you can use a flame as a speaker. At one time it
was a fairly popular science-fair project.
> Greg
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)