The barometric damper needs to be in place for a proper draft for the oil burner combustible. Is a pleasure Mr Grayfurnace. I learn a lot from your videos and share the information to newbies on the trade.
OK, Thanks to GFM my oil furnace heat exchanger is clean,(more that 1/4" of lined soot) I got the inside heat exchanger clean and the combustion chamber area clean. What I did was use an old 6.5hp shop vac, (Used the vac without the filter) and attached a hose to the exhaust, put the hose in a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/3 of the way with water, covered the bucket with a wet towel and taped the towel tight around the bucket, and tape the towel around the hose too. Blow everywhere into 2 cleanouts, inspection hole, clean the elbow & flue pipe. JUST DO NOT BLOW DIRECT AIR onto combustion chamber wet pack, It took me about an hour until I see no soot dust being blown around. Whatever holes (that are open to the heat exchanger, including the inspection hole, must be filled with a damp towel or you will blow soot all over) except the hole that your using to vacuum and blow air. When doing this you still need to wear a mask as some soot will go into your basement, after done hose the basement down. A better way would be to use a long hose through a window and actually have the shop vac outside, and still use something on the exhaust side. Make sure to tape the hoses with foil tape so they don't accidentally come out of the vacuum. Make sure you cover your heater vents as soot will find a way into the ductwork, I taped old furnace filters onto my registers, also run the unit for a few minutes with the filters taped on because there will be loose soot and will go into your house.
If you have enough suction hose for your vac, you could always put the vacuum outside while doing this? Figured that way if you have any breakthrough on your vac's filter, it won't blow soot all over the inside of your house? Just a suggestion for anybody doing this on their own? Love your channel and vids Grayfurnaceman ! Incredibly helpful! -Jim
recommend putting tarp or rag under cleanout doors on inside cabinet as soot can fall down into blower and then blown up into house. internal cleanout doors are flawed and a lot of newer units come with external cleanouts
On some of the old Lennox furnaces, you have to remove the front vestibule panel to get to the heat exchanger clean out covers. Be careful as some of the old clean out covers are made of asbestos. Anyone doing this type of cleaning should be wearing protective clothing and a good respirator with cartridges rated for asbestos.
Could a dirty heat exchanger cause an oil furnace to blow lukewarm air from the vents? I have been troubleshooting for about a week now. My furnace is firing good and the heat from the vent attached directly to the furnace blows good heat. Also, the flue pipe is very hot to the touch. However, the heat from the vents to the rooms is just lukewarm. I did have a lot of soot and a blowback a couple of weeks ago due to my flue being blocked up. Thanks.
for Do it yourselves can be dangerous and fire hazardous. A proper Training is a must before putting yourself and others in dangerous situations that can be out of control. I speak of years of experience doing oil fire equipment repairs. Safety is first!
Was thinking about cleaning mine just for the sake of it being clean. The very last statement of this video makes it seem so much more important. Insulation on your heat exchanger equals decreased efficiency.
I agree, your videos are excellent, very helpful for a first-time homeowner like myself with a very old oil furnace. I have an old International furnace, and I can't see any access ports to the heat exchanger, how do I clean this kind?
First, I want to thank you for posting your videos. I had a blowback last year and cleaned out as much of the soot as I could in the furnace and my chimney. This year my furnace quit running and while troubleshooting I pulled the burner and saw a carbon buildup where the burner goes into the chamber. It had nearly blocked the entire opening. I removed the carbon buildup. I also reached into the combustion chamber and removed a handful of stuff that looked like burnt charcoal. I replaced everything and my furnace has been running fine for a about three days now. Here is my question, I noticed there was more debris in the combustion chamber but I could only remove so much by sticking my had through the opening. Is it OK to use a shop vac to remove the debris or should I just leave matters as is? My furnace is an oil/air furnace with a Beckett motor. It is at least 20 years old. Thanks.
Why did it take so long to figure out what these two ports were for!? Is it normal to see a small amount of sparks in these clean put ports while the furnace is running? I assume just carbon combusting due to heat?
There is no way to get these parts for this age furnace. You can get general replacement parts. You will need a combustion chamber sized for the nozzle size you are using. GFM
The vac truck is usually used to clean ductwork. It has an engine powered vacuum. They have an 8 inch vacuum hose from the truck and can clean oil furnaces, chimneys or ductwork. Most of the newer ones are smaller but still commercial vacs. The 1/8" thing came from the Beckett burner book. GFM
It didn't seem like you took the burner out when you did this. Wouldn't it make sense to do this so that none of the soot or debris gets in it? How about the draft diverter box too? It just seems to me you would have more access to cleaning and would be able to see in there better with those things removed?
We never take burners out for heat exchanger cleaning. The only access you will get is to the combustion chamber. These chambers are made of an easily damaged material and there is really nothing there to clean. As to the smoke pipe attachment, it could be removed to get somewhat better access. Thanks for the thoughts GFM
Richard Fossani That's one of the reasons I don't really recommend using a shop vac. This video gives an option that you can use but is not the best. The best way is always a vac truck and an operator that knows what he is doing. GFM
Grayfurnaceman, how often would you recommend opening up the heat exchanger to inspect? I know when I was having a yearly tune up/cleaning, it was just filter, nozzle and combustion tests. I've been doing my own for the past 18 years or do but I supplement heat with a wood stove so I only burn about a tank of oil/year. I've got good draft so I don't suspect plugging but do you use a high stack temp as a trigger to inspect? Thanks, Jim
grayfurnaceman vacuumed it out. Man did it need to be done! Not much soot just that dry granular grey stuff. All better now. Thanks so much for your vids, very helpful!
Hi dear Grafurnaceman , first I would like to thank you so much for all the videos you made these are very helpful.👍👍👍👍👍 I hade problem with my furnace reset many times to work only for 40 seconds so after I watch your excellent video step by step , I cleaned the vaporizer oil valve withe electrodes ignition from south and dirt with the carburetor cleaner and adjust the electrodes & cleaned the flame sensor eye ,problem resolve 100% cause of your help , appreciated so much to save money & time & headache 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹***** happy new year & wish you all the best I will subscribe to your wonderful Chanel.
my oil furnace has been working good....but after 5min. the fan only comes on for 1min ...new filter...same......15 years old ..is the soot doing that ?Never been cleaned
question not all the time but now and then I have to reset the burner it don't time out or anything like that I set ones and that's it runs fine. I'm at a loss
There could be a number of problems. plugged oil filter or line, dirty flame sensor or defective sensor, partially plugged nozzle are some. I would do a complete service to start. GFM
Hi i have watched some of your videos, i have question please, my oil fired furnace( Beckett) gets dirty faster then should ( i Service my own furnace), i used to clean it once a year, now 3 times a year, i checked the pipes, cleaned the pipes, i cleaned the chimney( the house chimney ), i cleaned and check the chamber, so why this way.I do not have any gauge of any-kind, but i do have all kind of tools for it, and know how they work, i have been working on them for over 20 years.
If you are getting soot, your combustion is not complete. You could have impingement of the flame, wrong nozzle or not enough air. Slight possibility of low oil pressure. GFM
Thank you, just let you know the nozzle that i use is ( 1.10/80W ) and my Burner is old Beckett Model: series A,AF series oil burner, and my boiler is New Yorker, do i use right Nozzle? i check my notes last time i change it was one year ago, i will change it again. Where/how can i adjust the air...Thanks again.
Love your videos. I've been servicing various oil furnaces since I was a kid when I learned from the oil guy. Simple stuff but it's invaluable info to know. The only issue I have is getting parts because the local F$@@&tard places will ONLY sell to contractors. So I usually order spares of things online and keep them for when stuff breaks. :-)
I just cleaned my unit and boy was it a mess the dog is even black LOL but I'm having trouble signing where to buy a new combustion chamber I'm going down and nozzle size and nobody seems to know what a combustion chamber or fire box is where can I find one
Oh crap...I'm supposed to clean the oil furnace? My useless ex never did. We (I now) have lived here 8 years 😕 I was wondering why there is soot on my freaking walls. Calling someone tomorrow...ugh.
Cathy O - Soot on your wall usually means your heat exchanger has a crack or hole in it and is allowing the smoke that should be going up your chimney to leak into the air that gets blown out your heat vents in your house, thus the soot on your walls and carbon monoxide is in that bad leaking smoke.
Hi i have and old house with a central oil furnace in the basement and now it smells like truck exhaust in the house when it comes ON what could be the problem ?
The barometric damper needs to be in place for a proper draft for the oil burner combustible. Is a pleasure Mr Grayfurnace. I learn a lot from your videos and share the information to newbies on the trade.
OK, Thanks to GFM my oil furnace heat exchanger is clean,(more that 1/4" of lined soot) I got the inside heat exchanger clean and the combustion chamber area clean. What I did was use an old 6.5hp shop vac, (Used the vac without the filter) and attached a hose to the exhaust, put the hose in a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/3 of the way with water, covered the bucket with a wet towel and taped the towel tight around the bucket, and tape the towel around the hose too. Blow everywhere into 2 cleanouts, inspection hole, clean the elbow & flue pipe. JUST DO NOT BLOW DIRECT AIR onto combustion chamber wet pack, It took me about an hour until I see no soot dust being blown around. Whatever holes (that are open to the heat exchanger, including the inspection hole, must be filled with a damp towel or you will blow soot all over) except the hole that your using to vacuum and blow air. When doing this you still need to wear a mask as some soot will go into your basement, after done hose the basement down. A better way would be to use a long hose through a window and actually have the shop vac outside, and still use something on the exhaust side. Make sure to tape the hoses with foil tape so they don't accidentally come out of the vacuum. Make sure you cover your heater vents as soot will find a way into the ductwork, I taped old furnace filters onto my registers, also run the unit for a few minutes with the filters taped on because there will be loose soot and will go into your house.
If you have enough suction hose for your vac, you could always put the vacuum outside while doing this? Figured that way if you have any breakthrough on your vac's filter, it won't blow soot all over the inside of your house? Just a suggestion for anybody doing this on their own?
Love your channel and vids Grayfurnaceman ! Incredibly helpful! -Jim
You could. Just not too far.
GFM
That is a great Idea. Soot is such a great insulator.
recommend putting tarp or rag under cleanout doors on inside cabinet as soot can fall down into blower and then blown up into house. internal cleanout doors are flawed and a lot of newer units come with external cleanouts
On some of the old Lennox furnaces, you have to remove the front vestibule panel to get to the heat exchanger clean out covers. Be careful as some of the old clean out covers are made of asbestos. Anyone doing this type of cleaning should be wearing protective clothing and a good respirator with cartridges rated for asbestos.
Good thoughts.
GFM
Could a dirty heat exchanger cause an oil furnace to blow lukewarm air from the vents? I have been troubleshooting for about a week now. My furnace is firing good and the heat from the vent attached directly to the furnace blows good heat. Also, the flue pipe is very hot to the touch. However, the heat from the vents to the rooms is just lukewarm. I did have a lot of soot and a blowback a couple of weeks ago due to my flue being blocked up. Thanks.
for Do it yourselves can be dangerous and fire hazardous. A proper Training is a must before putting yourself and others in dangerous situations that can be out of control. I speak of years of experience doing oil fire equipment repairs. Safety is first!
Was thinking about cleaning mine just for the sake of it being clean. The very last statement of this video makes it seem so much more important. Insulation on your heat exchanger equals decreased efficiency.
I agree, your videos are excellent, very helpful for a first-time homeowner like myself with a very old oil furnace. I have an old International furnace, and I can't see any access ports to the heat exchanger, how do I clean this kind?
Many of them do not have clean outs. The only way to clean them is to remove the vent and vac from there.
GFM
grayfurnaceman
Is there any chance you could post a video to this end? Thanks.
Randy Stroup I will put it on the list. To be done hopefully soon.
GFM
I used to put half water in my Shop-Vac and coffee filters over the Shop-Vac filters
First, I want to thank you for posting your videos. I had a blowback last year and cleaned out as much of the soot as I could in the furnace and my chimney. This year my furnace quit running and while troubleshooting I pulled the burner and saw a carbon buildup where the burner goes into the chamber. It had nearly blocked the entire opening. I removed the carbon buildup. I also reached into the combustion chamber and removed a handful of stuff that looked like burnt charcoal. I replaced everything and my furnace has been running fine for a about three days now. Here is my question, I noticed there was more debris in the combustion chamber but I could only remove so much by sticking my had through the opening. Is it OK to use a shop vac to remove the debris or should I just leave matters as is? My furnace is an oil/air furnace with a Beckett motor. It is at least 20 years old. Thanks.
Who else hates oil furnaceS? I worked on one yesterday.. what a mess!
Why did it take so long to figure out what these two ports were for!? Is it normal to see a small amount of sparks in these clean put ports while the furnace is running? I assume just carbon combusting due to heat?
I have a lowboy that does not have those 2 access spots. How do I get in there to clean the heat exchanger ?? THX
The only way is to remove the smoke pipe at the heat exchanger connection and use a flexible tube to get as far as you can.
GFM
hey instead of a soot vac, which is pretty pricy, can I use a wet vac instead.
I don't see why not.
GFM
thanks.
QueEnsBorn89 just go rent a soot vac DA
Since this has clean outs why not use a brush in addition to what you're doing?
You can use a brush, but you can't get very far into the heat exchanger.
GFM
My oil heater look like this ,
Can you help me , what is your model number of combustion chamber liner .
Because I don’t see any tag on my burner .
There is no way to get these parts for this age furnace.
You can get general replacement parts. You will need a combustion chamber sized for the nozzle size you are using.
GFM
I did not know that about 1/8 inch of soot equaling 1 inch. Nice to know. What is a vac truck? Another great informative video. Thanks
The vac truck is usually used to clean ductwork. It has an engine powered vacuum. They have an 8 inch vacuum hose from the truck and can clean oil furnaces, chimneys or ductwork. Most of the newer ones are smaller but still commercial vacs. The 1/8" thing came from the Beckett burner book.
GFM
It didn't seem like you took the burner out when you did this. Wouldn't it make sense to do this so that none of the soot or debris gets in it? How about the draft diverter box too? It just seems to me you would have more access to cleaning and would be able to see in there better with those things removed?
We never take burners out for heat exchanger cleaning. The only access you will get is to the combustion chamber. These chambers are made of an easily damaged material and there is really nothing there to clean. As to the smoke pipe attachment, it could be removed to get somewhat better access. Thanks for the thoughts
GFM
Thanks for the response. I thought that some of the debris that you are loosening up might get pass the vacuum and down into the combustion chamber.
Richard Fossani That's one of the reasons I don't really recommend using a shop vac. This video gives an option that you can use but is not the best. The best way is always a vac truck and an operator that knows what he is doing.
GFM
Grayfurnaceman, how often would you recommend opening up the heat exchanger to inspect? I know when I was having a yearly tune up/cleaning, it was just filter, nozzle and combustion tests. I've been doing my own for the past 18 years or do but I supplement heat with a wood stove so I only burn about a tank of oil/year. I've got good draft so I don't suspect plugging but do you use a high stack temp as a trigger to inspect? Thanks, Jim
Best way is to do it every heating season. Not hard to do.
GFM
grayfurnaceman vacuumed it out. Man did it need to be done! Not much soot just that dry granular grey stuff. All better now. Thanks so much for your vids, very helpful!
grayfurnaceman Yeah mine has not been done in 12years. 2years prior to me buying the house. Thanks for the help!
Hi dear Grafurnaceman , first I would like to thank you so much for all the videos you made these are very helpful.👍👍👍👍👍
I hade problem with my furnace reset many times to work only for 40 seconds so after I watch your excellent video step by step , I cleaned the vaporizer oil valve withe electrodes ignition from south and dirt with the carburetor cleaner and adjust the electrodes & cleaned the flame sensor eye ,problem resolve 100% cause of your help , appreciated so much to save money & time & headache 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹***** happy new year & wish you all the best I will subscribe to your wonderful Chanel.
get a suit-vac with silk screen filter and a snoot hose, makes the job much easier, and try and keep that suit from getting airborne........
my oil furnace has been working good....but after 5min. the fan only comes on for 1min ...new filter...same......15 years old ..is the soot doing that ?Never been cleaned
Yes. A furnace should be serviced every year to prevent this condition, to save money, to stay warm, and to not burn the house down.
question not all the time but now and then I have to reset the burner it don't time out or anything like that I set ones and that's it runs fine. I'm at a loss
There could be a number of problems. plugged oil filter or line, dirty flame sensor or defective sensor, partially plugged nozzle are some. I would do a complete service to start.
GFM
Hi i have watched some of your videos, i have question please, my oil fired furnace( Beckett) gets dirty faster then should ( i Service my own furnace), i used to clean it once a year, now 3 times a year, i checked the pipes, cleaned the pipes, i cleaned the chimney( the house chimney ), i cleaned and check the chamber, so why this way.I do not have any gauge of any-kind, but i do have all kind of tools for it, and know how they work, i have been working on them for over 20 years.
If you are getting soot, your combustion is not complete. You could have impingement of the flame, wrong nozzle or not enough air. Slight possibility of low oil pressure.
GFM
Thank you, just let you know the nozzle that i use is ( 1.10/80W ) and my Burner is old Beckett Model: series A,AF series oil burner, and my boiler is New Yorker, do i use right Nozzle? i check my notes last time i change it was one year ago, i will change it again. Where/how can i adjust the air...Thanks again.
what a great sight thanks so very much
Love your videos. I've been servicing various oil furnaces since I was a kid when I learned from the oil guy. Simple stuff but it's invaluable info to know. The only issue I have is getting parts because the local F$@@&tard places will ONLY sell to contractors. So I usually order spares of things online and keep them for when stuff breaks. :-)
Get your contractor license. If I could do it anyone can.
I just cleaned my unit and boy was it a mess the dog is even black LOL but I'm having trouble signing where to buy a new combustion chamber I'm going down and nozzle size and nobody seems to know what a combustion chamber or fire box is where can I find one
There are internet sources that have them.
GFM
Gary do you have dozens of each kind of unit laying around? wondering how you make these videos lol
I get the units from a company scrap pile. I usually have a few on site but most are just returned to the scrap pile.
GFM
What about an ash vac like for a pellet stove
That should work.
GFM
I would say that the CO coming out is as bad or worst than a possible fire.
Thanks great info
what vac is that what system are you using
Its just a large shop vac. I don't really recommend this vac as it is smaller than a commercial vac designed for cleaning furnaces.
GFM
get a snake that goes on the end of your vac
Oh crap...I'm supposed to clean the oil furnace? My useless ex never did. We (I now) have lived here 8 years 😕 I was wondering why there is soot on my freaking walls. Calling someone tomorrow...ugh.
Cathy O - Soot on your wall usually means your heat exchanger has a crack or hole in it and is allowing the smoke that should be going up your chimney to leak into the air that gets blown out your heat vents in your house, thus the soot on your walls and carbon monoxide is in that bad leaking smoke.
soot vac
Don't try this at home!
Hi i have and old house with a central oil furnace in the basement and now it smells like truck exhaust in the house when it comes ON what could be the problem ?
I would start with looking at blockages in the chimney or heat exchanger.
GFM
@@grayfurnaceman thank you