OIL BOILER FULL OF BLACK SOOT SUNDAY SERVICE CALL
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- OIL BOILER FULL OF BLACK SOOT SUNDAY SERVICE CALL
merch = teespring.com/...
/ stevenlavimoniere
lavimoniere productions llc
subscribe to my channel
/ @stevenlavimoniere
lavimoniereplum...
Hadn't seen a good boiler cleaning in a while ... Just like old times ... Good job and good vid ... Thx ...
Thank-you for the memories. My father was an oil serviceman from the early 60's thru the 90's before retiring in Ottawa Canada. Spent my teen summers working with him doing cleanings and installs. As a kid, went on many no heat calls in the cold winter months. My dad is gone now, but there is not a day that goes by where I wish he was still here and we could go out on a service call together. Love the industry enough that I went and got my oil and gas tickets. Nothing but respect for oil serviceman and the HVAC industry. 👍🇨🇦
Sounds like your ole man was one heck of a dad. One lil bit of advice is, " try your best to rember all the good times and things and not so much focus on the end. Almost sounds like it could be a movie I would love to watch. Thanks for sharing that nice story man.
I grew up in the fifties and sixties and can almost see you and your Dad out there in the snow getting people warm again! My Grandfather was my hero.
I had a furnace that look that filthy once. It wasn't from anything on my part because the company I bought oil from for over 10 years also did the annual service cleaning on it. Can't remember but something pissed me off about them and I started getting oil and service from a different company and the 1st time they came to clean it, it looked like this. He told me that other company were "servicing" it to slow kill. He clean it right for the next 8 years I owned that place.
Had a similar issue with the HVAC company at an old job. AC never worked right. They were out multiple times a year "servicing" the equipment, said they were just barely making it get by and always recommending replacement of almost a dozen units. Boss finally got wise to them and called in someone new. Good lord the crap they blew out of the coils outside was mind boggling, and the air handlers inside were rigged to keep a pool of water in the bottom helping them rust away too. Ran like new after the new guy left.
@@jblyon2 Why is it so hard to find good honest workers?
@@kfl611 It's a combination of things. Some are just shady businesses who do things to milk more money out of unsuspecting customers. Those tend to attract and retain like minded people working for them.
Other times it's an employee who just doesn't care because they're paid and treated like crap, so that gets reflected in their work. We've had some real gems show up at my current office. The landlord is apparently so bad at paying his bills that all the reputable HVAC vendors nearby won't do work for him anymore. We get the large service companies paying unskilled workers minimum wage and good lord does it show in their work...
Thank you posting this video. My boiler got choked up over the weekend and your video gave me enough info to clean it myself. Plan to call in a company to do a service on it and check the settings. Too bad I am not in your service area, bought a coffee mug from your merch store in appreciation!!
I cleaned one out on gas steam boiler. Partially clogged limit wires melted. Came out black from there. Good work👍👍👍
No regular cleaning, running kerosene, wrong size nozzle, no firomatic, no tiger loop on overhead line, running the tank low on fuel. Defers maintenance then calls on a Sunday and wants the job done right away. Makes for a good video that’s for sure! Gotta add a fuel surcharge and I would rather be fishin surcharge too.
Kerosene is cleaner burning than no. 2 burner fuel
Didn't he say diesel fuel first? Then he said kerosene.
Tape on the venting
Nothing wrong with running kerosene if he’s got an outdoor tank
He meant to say pump diesel, diesel fuel and heating oil are exactly the same kerosene is more refined and cleaner for torpedo heaters that you run in a garage, k1 kerosene is super clean and refined and for the wick style heaters and oil lamps that get run in your house.
Amazing quality of work… wish you were my boiler tech.
Hi Steve and Ms molly! really enjoy the videos especially the sooty boiler clean up ones more please ! 😀
I am a chimney sweep, I love your videos because I pick up a little bit of important info from your videos like @26:20 there abouts when the tool strikes the metal and his fuel tank sounds like it's doing a bad job on the gong show :) sounds like he needs a lil oil in there. . . . I mean I didn't read the gauge but my ears are usually more accurate than my eyes
I just had that same problem after doing annual cleaning. I hadn't opened the oil feed valve to the pump all the way. It was nearly all the way - not good enough. Boiler had been rumbling. All set after I turned it open a little more. It was starved for oil.
Great video Steve! Kerosine cost $13.80 a gallon here in W.Texas and we are the energy caption of the US FYI. Thanks for having us on your “SHIT SHOW”. Bullet Bob From Texas!
Ok absolutely LOVE when you sing she's a crusty one Mr Grinch !!!! You had diet coke coming out of my nose !!!!!!
Love the convo - great people
We clean cast iron boilers with water down here.
Get it clear enough to get it hot, then spray it with water out of a pump up sprayer. Then steam it clean.
Might take a couple times of doing that.
That boiler was so "sooted up", that when Steve began to vocalize/sing/speak in tongues during what may have been an undeclared exorcism, I was certain that I was viewing a "Disney/Mary Poppins" movie, with a somewhat less subdued version of the Dick Van Dyke character cleaning a bird's cage.
That flame looked great! If the heater technicians around here could do what Steve does, I would have never converted to gas!
I just had a boiler just like this at work today completely plugged. Took me 3 hours to clean
I use a old band saw blade. Cut to right size and tape the one end for a handle. Works really good on those WM boiler.
that's a good idea i was going to use some 3/4 wide stainless banding to make a cleaning tool but i have an old broken saw blade i can try
They have soot swords lol they bend super easy though, those damn brushes always bend on me too during cleaning especially on the weil mcla8n golds
Like cutting grass? I'll give you my address 🤣🤣, another kick ass fix Steve! Keep the video's coming ☝ 💪 👌
Perfect 👌 service boiler
I've been watching videos like this trying to work up the courage to take the burner off my furnace and clean it, wjth the knowledge that since I don't know what I'm doing it would be really easy to mess something up, and it's winter time
What a pain. Takes heaping helpings of perseverance. Good work Steve!
Excellent work
I cleaned mine out and tuned it up new filter nozzle...cleaned electrodes and im still getting some dark smoke coming out chimney not heavy but enough to bother me
I recently had my boiler cleaned. It was not anywhere as near as bad as this one. The guy who cleaned it was great. On the other hand the first company we called said our furnace was trash and needed to be replaced, then today they told me you never clean soot off of a boiler furnace. They wanted 14k to replace it. I don’t know what they are teaching these kids that come out for service calls but it seems to be all they want is money for the replacement and to sell you on something. They even tried scare tactics with me. Anyways our boiler is working as good as the day it was installed in 2008. There needs to be more guys/girls like you in the world that aren’t trying to sell you on the latest and greatest thing to them that will more than likely break in 5 years.
I’d love to see the service tag
I’ve run into this weeks after the oil company serviced the boiler
Customer wanted an opinion on wether the oil company did the job correctly because boiler seemed to be burning more oil
I found a bigger nozzle than needed and the soot caked just like that never been vacuumed
i like the heavy 2 1/2" pipes it's from a time when it was quality. good job 💪
I had my oil boiler act up one day, had the guy come in, do a service (and replace the busted oil gauge and blow the junk out of the lines)
The cost of the service was paid for in the reduction in fuel use!
Steve, good boiler video, enjoy watching them!
Good work as usual, Steave.
Good thing you had your soot suit! :)
Whatever they are burning should be burning a bit more completely I would think. If the fuel/air ratio is off, or the oil is lousy, I would think this could be the result.
Just got the minimum delivery today ( 175 Gal ) and paid 4.86 a Gal here in MN
Hi Steve. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos, they are really great, very informative and helpful. I'm curious of how you bill for time? Do you begin the clock when you leave your house? or when you arrive at the job? I'm also a contractor in Rhode Island and Mass, and i'm trying to get an idea of how other people charge. Thanks a ton!
Nice work
Issue: Did mine last night, it was packed full, even found a possum skull and bones on top of the radiators. But still having the same problem. Runs fine 10-15 minutes, then will start rapid cycling (or firing), On Off On Off On Off On Off, puffing smoke. Let it sit for a while, runs fine again. As long as it doesn't stay on for more then five minutes seems to work fine.
I've replaced the Oil filter, cleaned the flue, pump screen cleaned, cleaned light sensor, and replace thermostat, now what? The lining is falling apart, but I doubt that is the issue. Have not taken the electrodes out, but I did that last season when I replaced the nozzle.
Love you’re videos. “You ever hear that saying cover you’re ass”
Always make me laugh
Some of those well McLean golds came with a Beckett with an F4 end cone on it. It will always run rough unless you fire it up to about one 110 80 B.
Here in the UK fuel has gone up a ton aswell... my home gas and electricity went up from £50 a month to £250 a month
Holy shit! That's a hell of an increase! Damn governments always think all the citizens have endless money to pour into everything!
You should blame Biden like steve does.
@@jayclark5912 I bet you blame Putin and Trump for all your issues don’t you.
I use heating oil in the UK, last summer it was 42p a litre now it’s £1.07 a litre. I don’t know how some will afford to heat their homes and eat.
@@trone32 At 1.07 Euro a liter, which is slightly less than a quart here in the US. You would be paying about what we pay a gallon of Fuel oil for heating. $4.72 a gallon (which probably has gone up since the last time I got a tankful , 275 gallons to fill mine. Way too much for oil IMO. The oil companies here will not lower the prices because their stock holders lost money during high Covid numbers when no one was driving. This is right from the companies on a press interview. Total BS.
Press the red button on the control once while running and it’ll give you a cad reading. 1 blink 0-400 ohms, 2 =400-800, 3 = 800-1200, 4 = 1200+.
Two things about you Steve that are true, 1 your not afraid to work, 2 your entertaining when you work and the conversations you have with your costumers is classic. My bad, 3 things. Good job Steve. Let me guess, Miss Molly doesn't do weekends. Bad hair day?
Great job loved the dialogue with the tenant
I had a Boiler that was Eight times the Size of that one sooted up. Two of us had to go in the sides with a Soot Saw. The fairly new boiler had a G/O Burner on it. The Building “Engineer” decided to add some #2 Oil to the #4 oil that was in the oil tank and burn it. After explaining why you couldn’t do that, he went back to burning the oil. Had to go back and repeat the cleaning. He got fired shortly after that.
Why can't you add #2 oil to the #4 oil and burn it?
Don't ya just love when someone posts an interesting story, then people ask questions and the original poster ignores everyone?
@@OGSnoberry Don't ya just love when someone posts an interesting story, then people ask questions and the original poster ignores everyone?
Tell me this, u are adjusting combustion old school just by experience and visually looking the flame?
You could use a hacksaw to cut a shallow grove in that stem valve (it doesn't matter if you catch the knurled nut with the blade). Then use a screwdriver to hold the stem while you loosen the nut.
Coming from a night service guy, from the tankless or actual zone water ,either way so temp is the same then you punch wet it down and repair as necessary. Steam cleaned.
Double time baby!!!! lets do it...
Been a long time since the boiler saw came out... nice stuff.. glad i'm off oil...
How do I determine what electrodes mine uses? Repair place the ones I have are too short from cleanings and don't make contact, but part is so old they couldn't find a number
I learned a lot from you. Thank you
Steven's in his element here mama! Thanks Steven. Love the dirty clean up vids.
Hilarious, “it was working just fine before you touched it “
I don’t miss working on oil burners at all . The smell was always nauseating to me . Homeowners rarely have annual maintenance , and inspections . Then you get that emergency weekend call because of it , and might need a special part and everything is closed.
Is getting an oil burner serviced and filter change every other year ok or should it be annually?
When I heard you singing make me laugh 😂😂
I am 39 and disabled living on a fixed income and live in California. Last time I got gas my truck took 19 gal and a $100 bill. This shit has to stop.
But yet you Californication liberals love to tree hug and scream about climate change.. deserve what you get go get another jab to add to your vax card
Where did you buy this oil pan from? Could you please send me one, because we don't have here in Greece!!!
That's why I love Natural gas. Way cleaner and easier to maintain
@@davidmann4533 Thank heating oil? lol
But it goes 💥
That vacuum deserves a raise
you aint whistlin Dixie!
It’s a troopa! 😂🤣😅
aaaa .... the ol' nickle and dime home owners .... there's nothing like the small of a plugged boiler .... often you can smell it outside the house .... sometimes you can see the lil black dust on the snow outside.... I've been retired 15 - 16 years now ... can't say I miss this stuff .... I DO miss most of the work though
You have a beautiful singing voice >.>
Sounds like Curly cleaning the soot.😂😂😂
The Commonwealth is actively looking to drive the natural gas utilities out. I work for one. Its becoming pretty clear. They now demand that our sales force must try to convince a potential customer that they should go with renewables first ( geo or solar, etc ) before they can even speak to them about going gas.
A unit looking this bad makes you want to take a power washer to it,!🤣
Generally if it is full of soot it is set to run to rich (not enough air). If the air is set right it will never soot.
Steven lavimonier I like your utube videos
The man , knows his shit
That’s exactly how my Weil McLean looked after about 6 months after I had someone do a clean out (he forgot to tighten the fuel tip) after replacing it
What's that sawblade thing you used to clean out the inside called?
What is a tiger loop. And what is a hartford loop.
look it up on google
Electricity also has gone through the roof here in Maine.
They raised it to .24 a kwh in NH. Absolutely ridiculous rates.
We're $0.16 per KWH. I'll see if it goes up next month. Natural gas is over $8 per CCF. It's gone up $2 per CCF.
I remember when kerosene was .23 to .40 cen a gl... i would mix it in my des car... it would keep my fuel system clean.. injector's would be clean along with the heads and pistons...
Here on the gulf coast we don't see the brutal cold that would warrant a oil boiler, I have never seen one. But watching Steven saw away at the soot while singing a little diddy, much like curly from the 3 stooges would do, while preforming a mundane task made me laugh.
Since I started in HVAC when I see boilers like this, especially on emergency calls, I get pissed and charge the customer extra to clean it. This issue can be caught in 99% of annual servicing and often homeowners are either to cheap or lazy to take get it done. Not always, I understand sometimes homeowners are ignorant to the idea of annual service or another company doesn't do its job. But more often than not they homeowner waited 4-5 years to have it serviced since the last cleaning.
What a chit-show! All sooted up, low on oil, leaky relief valve, etc. That McLain is a PITA to clean!
born and still living in RI. I can confirm we talk like this.
I also put a tiger loop system, because my feed and return run overhead to my tank in the garage
yeah that needed to be cleaned... you are right though even if you're not posting to youtube you pretty much need to coveryourass and record everything... whenever i do something important I record everything
who sits around doing nothing when they retire? I'm retired, I do whatever I want.
Exactly thank you! So much to do I'm only 32 but dammnnn. Travel, Hobbie like bowling/ crafting/fishing ect, cleaning/fixing, kindle, learning. Like wtf. I could do so much I work with people who could have retire 5 years ago! And they want to work til they die?!??! There so much more out there.
Boy did that need a flossing - thanks for the vid - ❤️ to Miss Molly
At least who piped the boiler offset the return so you could open the door with ease. I had one that looked like that and was leaking water from the middle section. The home owner accused me of trying to rip him off by selling him a new boiler. I told him I wouldn't even give him a price with an attitude like that and told him to have a nice day.
You did the right thing. I have no patience for people like that
Great videos keep it up
I’m surprised these fuel tanks don’t have sloped bottom so sludge will settle at low point and can be drained off.
His asking too much questions boss HAHAHA.
I lost it at "master of the shit show" lmaoooo
I'd be singing too if I were getting $560 for a Sunday service call.....😊
Wife calls husband. Husband the plumber is singing to our pipes. Husband says no big deal , that's just Steve letting off some steam. 😜
kerosen is not fuel oil. fuel oil is heavier dasicly desial. either 1 or 2. tho kero can be used for home heating. usally isent due to cost.
Hi there i enjoyed your video on service of a Grant condensing oil Boiler one thing i noticed
was that you didnt check the readings on the analizer when you replaced the door panell
on the unit as the air mixture can change when the door panell is replaced, I am based
in Ireland have been servicing and installing oil Boilers for many years.I used to be
OFTEC registered but round 4 or 5 years ago i told them i was not going to bother being
registered with them because of the poor quality of work being done by OFTEC registered
people here in ireland i dont want to be associated with them any more and i have to say
quality of OFTEC REGISTERED LADS HERE has gotten much worse .What i cant under stand
is why there are no Spot checks carried out on their work i have complained but was a
waste of my time...
With all that carbon you should have found at least one diamond.
Those that like to scam people will prob say u need a whole new boiler its burned to a crisp would prob be their reason
Oil touches EVERYTHING!!!!
I knew Somebody that tried to Pour Oil in the tank with a 5 gallon can and thought it would run like that.
Must be a big ass house! 2 oil fired mains!
That’s the same boiler in my house, it’s a bitch to clean, and I do clean every year. I found that a 1 gallon 80 degree W nozzle does the best burn and no noise on start up.
They make a brush specifically for this boiler/ boiler’s and steam were my specialty
They Told Me that Kersene is High Tech Fuel. People Used to mix it here to keep the fuel from Jelling up.
What type of pipe dope do you use for fuel oil?
3/8” copper usually where I’m from
ahh yes once you touch it it has to be up to the code. if only more places would understand that.
19:57 Geez... That 1 gallon is blowing heat past that single-pass boiler like a Mo-Fo!! Def go smaller.
Canada where I live $8.18gal for diesel.