any oil techs around?

[yknotcarpentry]

so I have a burnham oil burner v-14a installed 19 yrs ago. Two years ago I was told it was in rough shape and had to be rebuilt including the fire box. Over the last weekend I went to clean it for the season (a first by myself) Cleaned out the flues with a brush and vacumm. removed the burner and the mounting plate insulation crumbled apart. There was so much build up in the fire box that it was right up to the fire tube. I vacummed out carefully as I read the note to be care full of the chamber liner, well there wasn't any liner left in the system as it was all rust bits and junk. It has some major issues and I was told it was best to replace it by an oil tech that I think I would trust. Heres what it will need if it could be repaired:

Chamber liner.... completely gone and inside of chamber is rusted up fairly well, does the system need to be cracked open to fit this in? from the measurements and blown out diagram it doesn't look like this is something that "fits"in??? would it even be possible to crack a unit this old that is rusty/ has seen some water...

Burner mounting plate insulation

target wall insualtion is preety much all cracked up but is still standing.

air tube gasket

It is fairly rusty and beat looking and I am recieving a qoute from the tech that looked at it for a new system (he said roughly $6500+) Ineed the chimney lined too
I also got a qoute from a friend that is a plumber for abot $5800

Just wondering is there a repair that can be made? and roughly a ball park figure? I know it may not last long but I also know there is no way I can come up with that kind of $

I have two pellet stoves so I am considering running both those in the house

thanks

 

[rowerwet]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago, I ended up getting the OPB, and keeping my furnace for a back up. Now I am looking for a used oil burner from my neighbor who does heating for a living, last I heard he thinks 2-3k or so installed depending on how much the used one costs. I plan on lining my own chimney when it comes down to that point. You can get DIY chimney liner kits on ebay and other places for much less than an installer would charge you. Depends on how much you want to do yourself.

 

[yknotcarpentry]

ye the 5k price was from my friend, $800 was the liner in which I would install, I have since then found cheaper liners, even priced out a 6"x35' kit with cap plate tee and then 1/2" insulation (if I want to put a wood stove there temporarily) for $850. Wonder if we are close to one another? Im in one berwick how about yourself? So was your price for a used boiler installed?

 

[tbsdolmar]

The target wall will fit through the hole behind the burner plate. It stands in the back with tabs that go between the back section. There's a blanket that lays on the floor of the chamber and a piece with a hole that goes behind the burner plate. Everything is a tight fit.

 

[yknotcarpentry]

tbs,
thanks for your response, I see where they go and understand the wall and burner insulation but does the unit need to be opened to get the u shaped liner "blanket" in or can it just fit throught the small opening?

 

[BenW]

Has the boiler been checked for leaks? If it has no leaks and the flue passages are still ok, then I would repair it for now it should last. The combustion chamber liner kit will fit through that opening, there is no need to split the boiler. The target wall will go in then the kaowool blanket goes in and you unfold it. They usually give you waterglass that you put down to help seal it up and harden when it is first fired. Then the front section of refractory goes in, then the burner plate with a bead of high temp silicone. Then the burner flange gasket which is not usually in the kit. It not too hard to do just make sure you clean off all loose soot/rust and vacume good before installing. Note that kaowool and ceramic board is very bad for your lungs make sure you wear a dust mask.

 

[yknotcarpentry]

Thanks Ben!

I like to hear that. It wasn't checked for leaks, the service guy just kind of looked it over and said it looks like it may be leaking and if it isn't now it will be soon, and to sink the monet may not be worth it if its possibly going to fail this yr or next. I am totally confident I could do these items as long as the furnace doesn't have to be split, the one problem is when I call fw webb (plumbing heating supply store) they told me they wouldn't sell it to me because I wasn't a licenced contractor... know of any places online etc I could get part with out this detail?

 

[pybyr]

Thanks Ben!

the service guy just kind of looked it over and said it looks like it may be leaking and if it isn't now it will be soon, and to sink the monet may not be worth it if its possibly going to fail this yr or next. I am totally confident I could do these items as long as the furnace doesn't have to be split, the one problem is when I call fw webb (plumbing heating supply store) they told me they wouldn't sell it to me because I wasn't a licenced contractor... know of any places online etc I could get part with out this detail?

sounds like your diagnosis was done by
someone who is focused on making their boat payment!

[in fairness, people in the trades of work can't try to patch things together for customers who expect everything to be cheap, easy, and hands off]

Don't _call_ FW Webb, just take a weekday afternoon off from the day job and walk in to the nearest FW Webb location wearing a pocket t-shirt and some form of plain and very slightly grimy Carhart or Dickies pants. Say that you are a "builder" (and aren't we all builders of something or other) and that you have this one rennovation project (do not mention that it is your own) where there is an X make Y model boiler that you can tell needs some work but has a lot of possible life left in it. If you can even begin to talk about such things as "targets" you will have street cred that will give them the sense that you are not a dopey homeowner, and, in this economy, they will probably be glad at the possibility of a new "trade" customer who they have not seen come in before- and will try to steer you in the right direction.

... I m not an oil tech... I just play one on TV, or at least on my own evenings and weekends, and only for myself (if you want it done right...)

 

[yknotcarpentry]

pybyr,

lol yes I agree and well, I am a contractor, just not a licenced oil contractor, so I fit the role perfectly and wouldn't have any problems dressing for it. you know i have just walked in there before and went shopping and all was fine, I suppose I will try it and see what happens...

 

[rowerwet]

ye the 5k price was from my friend, $800 was the liner in which I would install, I have since then found cheaper liners, even priced out a 6"x35' kit with cap plate tee and then 1/2" insulation (if I want to put a wood stove there temporarily) for $850. Wonder if we are close to one another? Im in one berwick how about yourself? So was your price for a used boiler installed?

yeah that was his rough estimate for installing a used boiler, didn't pull the trigger this year and now he is already in his busy season with the first frost and end of summer. So far the oil beast is still running and heating on cool mornings and if it fails I have the OPB so I'm gonna wait. I live in Lebanon, so we are close, I find it interesting to drive around the area and notice how many OWBs there are around here, then wonder if they are on the hearth or even know about it. I just found out last week two guys at church burn pellets and neither knows about the hearth forum, now they do.

 

[BenW]

I used to be an oil/hvac tech for 4 years and never got my oil license so I still get turned down on the sale of some parts once in a while. I understand the frustration, but theres always somebody willing to sell if you can find them. I found this place here that has the chamber kit for about 60 bucks. Just make sure you buy the burner flange gasket and plenty of black or red high temp silicone. You will need the silicone for the burner plate and flue passage covers unless you get or make new gaskets for those. Good luck!

 

[pybyr]

Check out this fellow's informational offerings-- he will never be recruited by Hollywood, but there is a lot of depth on substance that counts- (I am a happy buyer of some of his DVDs)

(broken link removed)

At least in my experience, he is also willing to spend a bit of time on the phone with you after you buy a DVD.

He is good at pointing people to sources for things.

Then-

Google or call Burnham for a pdf copy of the service manual for your unit.

Then, walk in the right door with a very clear idea of exactly what you are and are not looking to buy, and who in their right mind will ask you for your credentials?

Believe me, it works- although at that point, the only one you can look to for warranty/ follow-up service is yourself; that's not entirely bad.

I once bought a house with a red-tagged central heat unit nd moved in a the beginning of the heating season (indeed, it's my first/ only house, and it's not a dive)(thank heavens that the banks sweated such details less then); you can do a lot with a little IF but only IF you really take sole personal responsibility for your own outcomes.

 

[yknotcarpentry]

thanks for everyones great input! I think it has really helped

I have the original service manual that came with my boiler if you can believe that, it was left by someboy in the rafters of the basement. That was one of the reasons I felt secure in performing the cleaning myself (plus I have watched the techs do it year after year) So I have all the names and part # etc of what I will need, so I can go in with a list drawn up stating the exact part #'s. Last night I found a burnham boiler on craigslist (appears to be same moel from pic) that I am going to try and look at today if he still has it, the post was 7 days old. Possibly the unit is in better shape then mine. I feel relatively comfortable installing it myself; I have plumbed before, wired my intire 2nd floor, heck I put in the new oil tank 5 years ago, so its just a matter of putting all those skills together really. Was thinking I could install it and then have a tech come out to service it(ie fine tune burner etc)and look it over. if only money grew on trees