The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/251536
34 FEBRUARY 2014 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com By GeorGe Lanthier* Questions A few follow-ups to my articles on combustion testing and True CO 2 . Please keep the com- ments (good and bad) and those great ques- tions coming. Every writer likes to know someone is reading their stuff besides him and his editors, and it makes for more writing ideas. I have had a bunch of questions on test hole location and a few about analyzer sensors, but we'll start with the hole issue first. Again and in reference to Figure 1, I said, "…it is advised that two holes be made in the stack to speed up testing which is especially important with today's smaller units, Figure 1. Location of these holes is very important. They should be at least one flue pipe diameter from the draft regulator, dimension A and they should also both be located one to two smoke pipe diameters from the breech, dimension B, excluding all elbows, but always between the breech and draft regulator. By inserting the stack thermometer in one hole, steady state conditions will be proved as soon as possible and leave the other hole for other tests. Another test hole must be located prefer- ably within 12 inches over the fire or in the door closest to the fire." First things first and mea culpa for not making myself clearer, I keep thinking most technicians know what I know, assume nothing, right? The locations called out in Figure 1 are generic locations that go back to the 1970s when the US DOE stuck its nose in oilburner testing and decided we didn't know where to stick our stuff. But, and for the record to those of you that responded, where a manufacturer wants the test done always takes prece- dence over any generic specification and that includes any requirement mandated by a Code or Standard. How and where an OEM wants anything done is always the "sacred scripture" and "final word." If a manufacturer wants the testing done at the breech- ing or outlet of the appliance whether coal, gas, oil or wood—that's where you do it! These locations are for when they don't call out a specific location and that gives me the right to now bitch a little. Why is it that a lot of OEMs, including producers of high-tech gas and oil units, including the state-of-the art modulating-condensing types, don't call out a test location? Why do even fewer actually provide a test hole and plug? Some OEMs do, you know. Why don't more OEMs actually provide a test hole location, and even better, an easy, accessible way to do it? I hear a lot of screaming from OEMs and reps about people not commissioning and setting units up right, but what do they do to make it easier? If you're not part of the solution you end up being a part of the problem. And who thought up that stupid word "commissioning?" No wonder there's so much confusion, KISS! As to sensors and analyzers, people constantly ask me why their oxygen sensor never lasts as long as their CO sensor? Let me try to make this really simple. First of all, O 2 sensors sense oxygen and CO sensors sense carbon monoxide. If your sensors are failing at about the same time, good for you, you're my kind of serviceman. You're making good use of your analyzer, using it a lot and get- ting the best bang for the buck. When an analyzer is built the sensors come out of air-free seals and get installed. The O 2 sensor immediately starts to die because it's sens- ing oxygen all around it. The CO sensor only starts to die as it senses CO and that only happens when the sampling HVAC/ HYDRONICS Figure 1