Flue Damper
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There is like to be a fault in the controls- a defective limit switch or something, but without even so much as a model number to go by it's hard to be more specific.
If it's closed while the burner is active it is a safety hazard. See if you can't disconnect a wire when it's in the open postition so that it stays open.
If it's closed while the burner is active it is a safety hazard. See if you can't disconnect a wire when it's in the open postition so that it stays open.
four pics: http://imgur.com/a/HbmEw
That is a barometric damper, commonly used for exhaust dilution air on oil burners such as the Bryant 369A. It opens up when the flue is drawing strongly (as during a burn) to allow room air in to dilute the exhaust, important for preventing flue condensation, since the condensate is acidic and will destroy the chimney over time if allowed to condense. Properly adjusted a barometric damper may swing a bit during a burn but shouldn't be banging all the way open and closed. If the flue has been obstructed by bird nests or a dead squirrel carcass or spalling flue liner or something it can change the affect of the draw, leading to erratic damper behavior. Wind direction and speed can also change it up a bit.
If this is a change in behavior it's worth inspecting the flue to make sure it's clear of obstructions. If an obstruction is something that has fallen into the chimney you may be able to see it with a strong flashlight and a small mirror via the damper port itself. As long as the thing isn't actively back-drafting (which it might be) it's not particularly dangerous.
The bent tab with the hole in it is where weights would have been attached to adjust it's balance/performance. If it used to have a small weight there that became unscrewed and fell on the floor (or inside the pipe) it could be the proximate cause of changing to a full-swing banging open & closed:
For a quickie explanation of how to adjust it (and a really lousy explanation of why
), see this vidi. You may or may not want to buy your own manometer (something with at least 0.01 water inches resolution) for making the adjustment, or you can have the burner tech adjust it as-necessary the next time you get it tuned up, which SHOULD be part of the deal any time they're swapping in a fresh nozzle and making burner adjustments.
If this is a change in behavior it's worth inspecting the flue to make sure it's clear of obstructions. If an obstruction is something that has fallen into the chimney you may be able to see it with a strong flashlight and a small mirror via the damper port itself. As long as the thing isn't actively back-drafting (which it might be) it's not particularly dangerous.
The bent tab with the hole in it is where weights would have been attached to adjust it's balance/performance. If it used to have a small weight there that became unscrewed and fell on the floor (or inside the pipe) it could be the proximate cause of changing to a full-swing banging open & closed:
For a quickie explanation of how to adjust it (and a really lousy explanation of why
), see this vidi. You may or may not want to buy your own manometer (something with at least 0.01 water inches resolution) for making the adjustment, or you can have the burner tech adjust it as-necessary the next time you get it tuned up, which SHOULD be part of the deal any time they're swapping in a fresh nozzle and making burner adjustments.looking for a way to adj damper w/o purchased gauge. maybe here https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/barometric-damper.32086/
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