On Sun, 3 Oct 2010 03:26:12 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:

On Oct 2, 5:40*pm, wrote:
I have oil heat, and last year the furnace put out some soot, that got
on the tv screens and the wall near the air outputs.

This was true on the second floor, but I have all the ducts closed on
the first floor. *I've heard that it's bad to run with too many ducts
closed. *Do you think that could have caused my soot problem?

Thanks

Since you heard its bad to run with ducts closed why are you doing it,

One person said it, but people say all sorts of silly things. I was
looking for confirmation or contradiction of what he said.

And, now things are piled on the vents, so it will be a lot of work to
move them.

not enough airflow can overheat and crack the exchanger, and you havnt
thought of calling a pro with all this crap comming out your ducts? Do
you have a Co meter,

I have a Co alarm, and it went off once a couple years ago, but the
furnace was serviced right after that. Since then, it's quiet. The
service guy said the exchanger was all right.

do you smell any oil.

Yes, sometimes, just for a few seconds when the furnace starts. But
there must be more than it seems or the wall by the ducts woudln't be
so dirty, I think.

I say call a pro before you
mess things up more or kill yourself from possible Co poisoning.

No money. Above you said not enough airflow can overheat and crack
the exchanger. But you didnt' say it would cause soot. (The
exchanger wasn't cracked at the end of last winter - at least it past
the cloves in the fire test.)

I thought the firebox was separate from the recirculating air, so that
even if the combustion was incomplete and their was unburned oil in
the exhaust gas, the gas would go up the chimney, not into the heating
ducts.