Christ - it’s a wonder anything got through that!
six weeks, six visits, still no working boiler
- Thread starter Tomswan
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Well ,in the end it didn't. I'm glad the burner cut out and refused to start again. Well, it did for a minute or so once, and when I sniffed the exhaust plume it was acrid. Unburned fuel, blocked nozzle, repeating problem, got to be algae. I doubt I am lucky enough for it to just be in the pipework, so I will treat the whole system including storage tank. No point firing it up until then. At least it is no longer so damned cold.
Thing is, it was tested for water in the storage tank a few weeks ago, and the guy said there was no water in there.
But yes, if it is anything organic like diesel bug it would need water. Whether condensation in the feed pipe is enough to cause that amount of organic contamination I do not know. It seems like a lot of gunk for a length of 10mm pipe. Apparently there is always water in suspension in fuel oils, but the bacteria etc need water that has condensed out to thrive.
I am wondering now whether the cold has acted somehow to dislodge crap in the supply line. Come to think of it the pump strainer looks about the same mesh diameter as the filter in the Atkinson valve at the tank, and while the filter in the Atkinson valve was clear, the filter in the pump was clogged solid, as you can see.
Which would strongly suggest all the crap is in the supply line.
Still, it won't hurt to treat the fuel with a biocide even if there isn't build up in the tank.
I suppose, having cleaned off the pump filter once I can pull the oil through and keep cleaning it off until it clears. Might cost me quite a few nozzles though.
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Best to get it pulled through with a proper oil suction pump rather than relying on your oil pump to do it. Apart from anything else, if the contamination is getting through to your nozzle, it's going to kill your pump in reasonably short order
I will get on that, thanks very much. It has already killed one pump, which was swapped out after Christmas, so I would rather not lose another.
Lets just recap for a moment, Tom.....you have an Atkinson filter at the tank outlet (a nylon gauze, that one) and another Crosland bowl filter somewhere else on the oil line - is that correct?
As the pump filter is so blocked, hows the Crosland one just now?
John
As the pump filter is so blocked, hows the Crosland one just now?
John
Lets just recap for a moment, Tom.....you have an Atkinson filter at the tank outlet (a nylon gauze, that one) and another Crosland bowl filter somewhere else on the oil line - is that correct?
As the pump filter is so blocked, hows the Crosland one just now?
John
Ok, recap:
Yes, Atkinson filter at the tank and Crossland filter in line near the boiler.
It is the time line that is important.
The last thing I did (before today) was take a look at the Crossland filter and found it be completely clogged. That was a few days ago. Last Friday the chap came out, replaced the filter with the new one that I had bought, and restarted the boiler. When he started it the nozzle had not yet been used, so it was pristine.
However, I do not think he cleaned out the pump strainer (see image). So what I had last Friday was a new nozzle, a new filter, but a clogged pump strainer.
The boiler ran for a little under 48 hours then cut out. The nozzle was clogged as you see in the image (that is the new nozzle from Friday) and the pump strainer had been in there since the pump was changed for a new one, so at least a couple of weeks.
The only thing clogged last Friday was the pump strainer. At least I assume it was clogged. As far as I know nobody had checked it until today, when I did.
When I looked at the Crossland filter today it seemed to have accumulated some of this stuff, but it was not black like the nozzle and strainer.
What is your tank? Steel or Plastic? I've seen bug in boat diesel tanks, but never with kero in my day job. I think I'd be having a moan at my oil supplier, and keep some of that crap to show them.
My oil supplier was not all that interested in my moan. The problem is that my neighbour had a delivery of the same oil from the same lorry, and their boiler has been running fine. Which closes off the possibility of a contaminated batch, unless I was really unlucky and just got the bad bit. Doubtful though, surely.
Yes, bunded plastic, and pretty much new.
I've had a think and I reckon I am going to have to bite the bullet and get a chap in to blast the crap out of that line and test for leaks after he has done it.
Worst case scenario I need a new line, but I would rather that than the alternatives.
Worst case scenario I need a new line, but I would rather that than the alternatives.
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FFS. Disconnect oil line at boiler and tank.
Remove any filter elements and using compressed air blow the line back to the tank catching all the $hite in a cloth inside a plastic sack.
Personally I would fit a new large crossland near boiler. in addition to existing filters
Bleed oil line into a clear container until half a gallon has passed before reconnecting burner, and clean pump strainer. plus replace /clean existing filter elements. ( For sake of a couple of quid)
Save this oil to check for any water settlement.
Remove any filter elements and using compressed air blow the line back to the tank catching all the $hite in a cloth inside a plastic sack.
Personally I would fit a new large crossland near boiler. in addition to existing filters
Bleed oil line into a clear container until half a gallon has passed before reconnecting burner, and clean pump strainer. plus replace /clean existing filter elements. ( For sake of a couple of quid)
Save this oil to check for any water settlement.
Cheers. If I seem hesitant it is because I would rather not do anything without first fully understanding everything I am doing. It's not that I can't work it out, it's that there may well be something I overlook that is obvious to someone familiar with the set up.
The internet is both a help and a hindrance in that regard. For example, I have read that excess pressure can damage a fuel line, and since it is buried, and since by the time a leak was detected a fair bit of oil would have escaped, I want to avoid that risk if possible, or at least be certain that the risk is negligible.
That was my reason for getting someone in to do it who has done it a bunch of times before.
If you disconnect the oil line at the filter and tank you won't damage it....but you'll need a jolly blast of compressed air to clear it if it's any great length.
I've used my oil syphon pump with some degree of success - at least you can see what is being displaced from the pipeline.
John
I've used my oil syphon pump with some degree of success - at least you can see what is being displaced from the pipeline.
John
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