The Importance Of Service For Your Boiler Or Oil-Fired Furnace
The burner in your furnace is critical, and keeping it running correctly involves proper maintenance and burner services. Whether your burner is a commercial unit that heats a large amount of water or a residential system used for heating and hot water, the burner service is essentially that same, but on a different scale.
Cleaning Your Burner
The most crucial part of burner service on any boiler or furnace is cleaning the system. Soot can build up inside the system and clog the heat exchanger, reducing air movement around it. The heated air from the burner needs to pass through the fins, or the water inside the coil will not get hot.
The tech working on your burner will brush the soot and scale off the heat exchanger, then vacuum the firebox out to remove the debris from the system. While the system is open, the fuel nozzle should be inspected and cleaned to determine if it needs to be replaced.
A dirty fuel nozzle may not be flowing enough fuel, and the flame that heats the air in the system will not be effective. Most burner techs recommend changing the nozzle yearly to avoid any issues with it when you least expect it.
Filter Changes
The fuel filter on the fuel line that feeds the burner needs to be replaced during your burner service. The filter uses a paper element inside a glass or metal housing, so it is very easy to pull the element out and replace it with a clean one. This is also a good time to flush the fuel line to ensure no blockages in the line could reduce the amount of fuel getting to the burner.
The burner tech should also replace the air filter in the system during the burner service to ensure that plenty of air is getting into the system. If the air filter is blocked, the amount of air available for circulating around the heat exchanger will be significantly reduced, and the system may fail to produce the hot water that is needed.
The fan motor, belts, and controls should also be checked to ensure they are functioning correctly. Any worn or damaged belts should be replaced to ensure that they do not fail while the system is running.
Final Steps
Once all the maintenance on the system is complete, the burner service tech will check all the electrical components on the outside of the burner or boiler to ensure they are working. The burner can then be started to ensure it is running correctly and make any final adjustments to the system.