I have a reset-button problem that I think might be related to
condensate in the fuel. I'll provide as much detail as possible in
hopes that someone can enlighten me on what to do about this problem.
(It's a long post - I appreciate your patience...)

I have a 10-year old boiler that is used for steam heat and for hot
water. I've lived in the house for two years. The house is in
Massachusetts. The oil tank is in an unheated garage and the boiler is
in the basement which stays warm in the winter because of all the steam
pipes. We had no problems the first summer but in the fall, shortly
after our first oil burner service call, we had to start hitting the
reset button about once or twice a week. The pump would pump the oil
but the flame was not catching in the allotted time period (around 10
seconds or so). When this happens, one or two hits of the reset but
will restart the boiler. At first I thought the service guy screwed
something up but the same thing happed this fall as the same time of
the year so I think it's more related to temperature then something
the service guy did.

I have a two-year free service plan and they have been out about 10
times trying one thing or another to fix it. (This company has a
reputation for being very good and but expensive.) The things they do
seem to help a little so that sometimes I only have to hit it once a
month. They have concluded that it is a flow problem because the tank
is in unheated space and have been adding something like dry gas with
every fill. I think they call it Actane. (As a side issue, I watched
the guy fill the tank last time and he didn't add anything so I
don't really know if it is being added or not. Is this something I
can buy and add myself?)

I don't think it is cold flow problem because it once happened on a
day last spring that was 70 degrees and it has happened about 10 times
this fall when the temperature was around 40 degrees. Also, I can see
a mist of something and can usually smell fuel when the thing is trying
to start so I know that something is flowing in there. (Once it sort of
backfired and blew smoke out of the chimney vent)

This year, I starting writing down all the conditions of when the thing
failed to start and I noted a curious thing - about 70% of the times
if failed, it had rained the day before. One day where it rained
heavily the day before, It failed to start three times over the course
of the day. And on one of those times, I had to press the reset button
four times before it finally started.

I'm going to take a guess here and assume that this is related to
condensate in the fuel. Moist air on the rainy day is getting into the
oil tank and when things cool down at night, the water vapor condenses
and I end up with water in the fuel.

Does this sound like the cause of my symptoms? If so, what can I do
about it short of bringing the oil tank into the warm basement? One
thought is tipping the oil tank away from the feed so that the water
settles at the other end of the tank and adding the dry gas stuff and
any anti-corrosive treatments so the tank won't rust from the inside
out.
Is there any kind of water separating filter I can install? I know that
boaters with diesel engines have Racor brand fuel filters with glass
bowls and a drain valve at the bottom for releasing water.

Is that anything else that can be causing this? I once had a car with a
cracked distributor cap and only acted up on rainy days. Could the
sparking system be affected by moisture? (I currently don't have a
rain cap at the top of my chimney.)

Thanks,
Scott

On 10 Dec 2004 09:53:22 -0800, "onoahimahi"
wrote:

I have a reset-button problem that I think might be related to
condensate in the fuel. I'll provide as much detail as possible in
hopes that someone can enlighten me on what to do about this problem.
(It's a long post - I appreciate your patience...)

I have a 10-year old boiler that is used for steam heat and for hot
water. I've lived in the house for two years. The house is in
Massachusetts. The oil tank is in an unheated garage and the boiler is
in the basement which stays warm in the winter because of all the steam
pipes. We had no problems the first summer but in the fall, shortly
after our first oil burner service call, we had to start hitting the
reset button about once or twice a week. The pump would pump the oil
but the flame was not catching in the allotted time period (around 10
seconds or so). When this happens, one or two hits of the reset but
will restart the boiler. At first I thought the service guy screwed
something up but the same thing happed this fall as the same time of
the year so I think it's more related to temperature then something
the service guy did.

I have a two-year free service plan and they have been out about 10
times trying one thing or another to fix it. (This company has a
reputation for being very good and but expensive.) The things they do
seem to help a little so that sometimes I only have to hit it once a
month. They have concluded that it is a flow problem because the tank
is in unheated space and have been adding something like dry gas with
every fill. I think they call it Actane. (As a side issue, I watched
the guy fill the tank last time and he didn't add anything so I
don't really know if it is being added or not. Is this something I
can buy and add myself?)

I don't think it is cold flow problem because it once happened on a
day last spring that was 70 degrees and it has happened about 10 times
this fall when the temperature was around 40 degrees. Also, I can see
a mist of something and can usually smell fuel when the thing is trying
to start so I know that something is flowing in there. (Once it sort of
backfired and blew smoke out of the chimney vent)

This year, I starting writing down all the conditions of when the thing
failed to start and I noted a curious thing - about 70% of the times
if failed, it had rained the day before. One day where it rained
heavily the day before, It failed to start three times over the course
of the day. And on one of those times, I had to press the reset button
four times before it finally started.

I'm going to take a guess here and assume that this is related to
condensate in the fuel. Moist air on the rainy day is getting into the
oil tank and when things cool down at night, the water vapor condenses
and I end up with water in the fuel.

Does this sound like the cause of my symptoms? If so, what can I do
about it short of bringing the oil tank into the warm basement? One
thought is tipping the oil tank away from the feed so that the water
settles at the other end of the tank and adding the dry gas stuff and
any anti-corrosive treatments so the tank won't rust from the inside
out.
Is there any kind of water separating filter I can install? I know that
boaters with diesel engines have Racor brand fuel filters with glass
bowls and a drain valve at the bottom for releasing water.

Is that anything else that can be causing this? I once had a car with a
cracked distributor cap and only acted up on rainy days. Could the
sparking system be affected by moisture? (I currently don't have a
rain cap at the top of my chimney.)

Thanks,
Scott

Your post is amusing at best. Here is what you need to do:
1) Leave your oil boiler alone and STOP pushing the reset button
(especially more than once. Keep it up and you will be learning a
lesson the hard expensive way).
2) Ditch your present oil service company IMMEDIATELY. They dont have
a freaking clue what they are doing.
3) Now comes the hard part. Find a good reputable oil hvac contractor.
Here is a clue. If they dont come out with a digital combustion
efficiency analyzer, smoke pump, draft gauge (and the knowledge how to
use them) immediately show them the door too.
4) They should analyze everything. Boiler, proper nozzle and settings,
flue length/size, etc. Look at the whole picture.
Its not rocket science but it is a science.
Bubba

replying to Bubba, Vik wrote:
Bubba u bite... rain is causing same problem with mine....after three days no
rain...the stumble stops..


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