OIL USE and Burner setting

woodgeek said:

I agree that it is plausible that the previous tech set your unit to be less efficient. That is common practice in the name of 'fewer callbacks' from irate users. Whether that inefficiency was caused by a reduced pressure is impossible to say. As in our prior discussion, the techs do a number of different adjustments, to the oil flow rate (which depends on the oil pressure AND the nozzle used), the air flow rate, the aquastat temps, etc, all of which can impact the efficiency.

Click to expand...

I just had an oil delivery and am now able to compare my "summer oil use" this year and last. Almost identical at one gallon per day from the last spring to September 19th. I was very surprised as the setting from 2015 was so much different, as I mentioned above. So now I'll look at the difference in the circulating pumps as all 3 are now new Grandfos pumps. I got a great deal on 2 of them as there is a rebate back to the distributor through Mass Save, the states energy saving program. Last winter I paid $80 dollars for one and just recently I paid $50 for 2.

Thanks all for your comments and be look out as the winter approaches for more comparisons. My hypothesis is now that the past increase in oil oil use was due to defective circulating pumps. We'll let the numbers do the talking.

There must be something about these water pumps to get the Commonwealth of Mass to subsidize them. They do have Low, medium, high and automatic settings. I assume it means just how fast the water flows.

I was told they will save on oil.

Is it possible that it speeds up the delivery of the hot water to the registers and therefore heats a space faster?

Grundfos Alpha variable speed.

Cannot ask that person as I got them at a plumbing supply house but I will do an internet search.
Just a home owner not a pro. Yes there is an improved electricity use but they also said oil use.

Just a guess but if a zone called for heat and these pumps increase the speed to get the hot water flowing wouldn't a zone get warmer faster?

I found this at a site:

"These variable-speed, ECM circulators make a lot of sense for several reasons. One, they allow you to save pumping energy by varying the flow rate. Two, by reducing the flow they can increase the temperature difference between water leaving the boiler and water returning--which improves efficiency, so you use less heating fuel. (With a condensing boiler, this higher delta-T allows the boiler to truly operate in a condensing mode during swing seasons when less heat is being extracted out of the hydronic loop; often during those seasons, boilers stop operating in the condensing mode and their efficiency drops about 8%.) And three, these pumps compensate for the fact that circulator pumps are almost always significantly oversized."

It also mentions savings on electricity also. They are expensive but it cost me just $25 because of the Mass Save program and I didn't need to do anything like paperwork associated with a mail in rebate.

What do you think?

I have a "typical" oil burner and a Turnham Boiler. I couldn't tell you what a condensing boiler is. I thought the reference to the savings in the snippet I copied would apply. Hey don't get me wrong I'm not working for any company here.

A broken pump has to affect oil use ! as the area needing the heat isn't getting it and the thermostat isn't rising and therefore the burner runs longer...right?