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SERVICE Charles Bursey, Sr. Oil Filtration Times Four Bio: Charlie Bursey began his long career in the oil heating industry in 1963. He has delivered coal, kerosene and oil and serviced heating and cooling equipment. He has also managed service departments, worked for a manufacturer and currently works with F.W. Webb, Warwick, R.I. He is a recipient of the Association of Oil & Energy Service Professionals' prestigious Hugh McKee Award for making an outstanding contribution to the fuel oil industry; having had an understanding and cooperation with his/her fellowman; and having unselfishly aided the industry in education and related activities. CONTACT: ChasBursey@aol.com 46 JANUARY 2014 R ecently, I've been asked why there are so many oil nozzle failures, which is most likely due to my past affiliation with a nozzle manufacturer. To begin with, keep in mind that there are no moving parts in a nozzle, and that its purpose is to meter and atomize the oil at a specific angle and pattern based on the pressure applied from the oil pump. Yes, there have been times when a nozzle does not perform the way it should, which can happen due to test instrument issues or simply quality control failures. But, as an FYI, all nozzles have a flow and angle tolerance. For example, a 0.85 GPH nozzle can have a tolerance difference from +5% to -3% and a 60 or 70 deg. nozzle angle will have a tolerance from +5% -0. However, the real reason for nozzle failure is both from the quality of oil, and the condition of the oil that's in the tank. I bet anyone reading this will say they have removed nozzles, filters and pump strainers that have been loaded with that black stuff we call sludge. Keep in mind that the nozzles being installed today are a lot smaller than they were 30 years ago, when the average size nozzle was 1.25 GPH. Today, the average nozzle is 0.85 GPH and under while in Europe 0.30 GPH is very common. The burner pump pressures have increased from what once was 100 PSI to over 200 PSI in order to get better nozzle atomization. The real question is, how do we keep a nozzle performing when the Tangential (metering) slots within the nozzle are sometimes half the size of a human hair? My answer is simply better filtration from the oil tank to the burner. Many of you are still using FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com the old style and inexpensive yarn filter at the tank, and, of course, we all have a choice (not necessarily mine) of what seems best for our needs and price. But many companies have experienced a loss in service profits due to re-calls caused by excessive contamination in the oil tank. Think about tracking how many times you see the words "replaced nozzle, filter and pump strainer" written on a re-call service ticket and convert that number into dollars and cents. If you did this, I bet you would be looking for some answers. FYI, a nozzle with a sintered filter is rated at between 25 and 40 microns, and a mesh strainer on the nozzle is rated at 74 - 125 microns, depending on the nozzle size. A mesh pump strainer is the equivalent of about 149 microns and the smallest visible is about 40 microns. The bottom line is that because of the small micron-size filter, it becomes harder to keep tank contamination from clogging a nozzle and affecting the performance of the oil burner. So, I would suggest the following: 1. On an old tank, with a B-4 or a 1A25 filter at the tank, remove the cartridge completely (this would then create a sludge pot) to catch the larger particles of contamination flowing from the tank. 2. Add another 50-micron complete filter assembly directly after the sludge pot. 3. Install a 10 micron spin-on type filter at the burner with the gauge. The gauge will help the technician determine if there is a possible fuel delivery issue when responding to a no-heat call. You now have a four-part filtration system that will help reduce your no charge and repeat service call issues. l F O N