This is a gas conversion on a Very old boiler that happened decades ago. Started out as coal. I've noticed that the flame, when the boiler is on is blue at bottom, but mostly orange. It has been like this ever since I can remember. In the past a professional heating company had done yearly maintenance calls.
Today I vacuumed out the soot from inside. This didn't change the orange flame. Just for kicks I took the cover off the valve assembly (Roberts-Gordon Appliance Corp. burner no. 302-21X, min/max input btu/hr: 45k, 300k) . There was an air adjustment, large nut to back off, with large flange to back off, allowing more air into burner. this seemed to turn the flame from orange to blue (mostly, a few orange tips). Great!
Then I noticed, when putting the cover back on the assembly, the flame went back to orange. Seems that with the cover on the assembly, there is no way for air to get in. Apparently it has been operating this way for decades.
Shall i just leave the cover off? Is there some reason that it is designed to operate with very incomplete combustion- blue flame at bottom but mostly orange? Will it be creating too much heat now and damaging the boiler?
comments?
Today I vacuumed out the soot from inside. This didn't change the orange flame. Just for kicks I took the cover off the valve assembly (Roberts-Gordon Appliance Corp. burner no. 302-21X, min/max input btu/hr: 45k, 300k) . There was an air adjustment, large nut to back off, with large flange to back off, allowing more air into burner. this seemed to turn the flame from orange to blue (mostly, a few orange tips). Great!
Then I noticed, when putting the cover back on the assembly, the flame went back to orange. Seems that with the cover on the assembly, there is no way for air to get in. Apparently it has been operating this way for decades.
Shall i just leave the cover off? Is there some reason that it is designed to operate with very incomplete combustion- blue flame at bottom but mostly orange? Will it be creating too much heat now and damaging the boiler?
comments?