Clean Burn Maintenance – Hotsy of Oklahoma

clean burn Maintenance Tips.

Maintenance Tips
Clean Burn Maintenance

Understanding Maintenance of your Clean Burn
Servicing your Clean Burn furnace in a timely manner is very important to keep your furnace running in peak condition. Just as an automobile requires periodic maintenance such as oil changes, engine tuneups, etc. your Clean Burn furnace also requires regularly scheduled service.

WARNING: Failure to maintain and/or improper servicing by unqualified personnel may adversely affect the proper, safe operation of your furnace, may reduce the service life of your furnace, and may void your warranty.

The following chart summarizes all the service intervals which are required to maintain your furnace. Service instructions/procedures for these activities are included in this chapter.

Maintenance Activity
Periodic Burner Inspection
Cleaning the canister filter
Servicing the metering pump
Cleaning the check valve/screen
Cleaning water/sludge out of tank
Cleaning out ash
Annual burner tune-up

Interval
Monthly
Before vacuum gauge reads 10″ HG of vacuum
At least once a year
At least once a year
At least once a year
Approx. 700 hours as indicated on the burner hour meter*
At least once a year

*It is very important to clean ash from the furnace on schedule. Normal use of the furnace requires clean-out at least twice during the heating season. Heavy, around-the-clock usage requires more frequent clean-out. For instance, one month of continual running of the furnace is 720 hours (24 hours x 30 days = 720 hours).

Cleaning Ash from the Furnace
The maintenance interval for cleaning ash from the furnace is approximately 700 hours of operation as indicated on the hour meter on the burner (refer to the servicing intervals at the beginning of this chapter). Be sure to clean the ash from your furnace at least twice during the heating season. Your furnace may require more frequent clean out of the ash due to contaminants in the oil or heavy use. As ash accumulates, furnace heat output declines, and the stack temperature rises. 1/8″ of ash has the insulating capacity of one inch of fiberglass insulation and reduces heat transfer significantly. Never allow more than 1/4″ of ash to accumulate in the combustion chamber, heat exchanger flues, or stack.

CAUTION: Be aware that used oils may contain heavy metallic compounds or foreign materials. When burned, these compounds are deposited within the furnace, necessitating careful cleaning.

The following protective gear should be worn when cleaning the ash:

Respirator for fine particles (a dust mask is not acceptable)
Rubber gloves
Safety goggles
Protective clothing

CAUTION: Make sure you use a sturdy ladder or scaffolding for safe access to ceiling-hung furnaces. When cleaning the furnace, static electricity may build up in the shop vac hose. If this occurs, use #12 copper wire wrapped around the hose with the other end connected to the furnace (or other ground source) to eliminate the static.

Ensure that power has been turned OFF, and all “hot” components have been allowed to cool sufficiently. (Allow at least one hour for the Energy Retention Disc to cool.)
Clean the ash from the stack components:
1. Brush accumulated ash from the stack cap.
2. Lightly tap the stack components to loosen the ash.
3. Allow ash and dust to settle in the elbow on the stack.
  1. NOTE: It is not necessary to remove the stack to clean it. You will vacuum ash from the stack elbow as you clean out the back of the furnace as described below.
4. Remove the clean-out cap from the unused furnace breach.
5. Thoroughly vacuum out the back of the furnace, including the stack elbow, through the clean-out breach. A long wand on the hose of your shop vac is helpful in reaching all the way through the back of the furnace to the stack elbow.
Clean the ash from the combustion chamber (see Figure):
1. Bleed down pressure on the air and oil lines by slightly loosening the fittings at the bottom of the connector block.
  1. NOTE: Turn off the shut-off on the air pressure line.
2. With air and oil pressure completely bled off, disconnect the air and oil pressure lines from the bottom of the connector block.
  1. NOTE: Cover the lines to keep dirt from entering the air / oil supply.
3. Remove the lock-down nuts on the clean-out door.
4. Carefully swing open the clean-out door to expose the heat exchanger flues and the combustion chamber. Carefully remove the Energy Retention Disc with a long handle or pipe. Lightly vacuum the Energy Retention Disc.
5. Check the color of the ash–it should be light gray or tan.
  1. ATTENTION: White ash indicates excessive air pressure. Black ash or soot indicates lack of combustion air. If these conditions exist, call your Clean Burn dealer. DO NOT overfire your furnace by turning up the compressed air. Overfiring will damage the combustion chamber and heat exchanger and will void your warranty.
6. Vacuum the ash from the combustion chamber and the flues.
  1. ATTENTION: When cleaning the combustion chamber, ensure that you do not gouge or damage the refractory material on the inside of the clean-out door.
  2. NOTE: Avoid “packing” the ash in the tubes by first vacuuming the flues before pushing the flue brush down the flues. DO NOT bump or bend burner components while cleaning the combustion chamber.
7. Use a flue brush to thoroughly clean the flues.
8. Thoroughly vacuum any remaining ash residue from the flues. Make sure the back (at the breach) is still clean.
9. Check the flues for rust.
  1. ATTENTION: The presence of rust in the flues indicates that chlorinated materials are being burned. Burning chlorinated materials will severely damage your heat exchanger and void your warranty. Contact your Clean Burn dealer for instructions to test your oil for chlorine contamination before firing your furnace.
10. Inspect the inside of the clean-out door. Make sure the refractory material on the inside of the clean-out door is in good condition and the clean-out door seals tightly when closed. If the door does not seal tightly, replace any damaged components.
11. Re-install the furnace components: Swing the clean-out door shut; install and tighten the
  lock-down nuts so that the door seals properly. Re-install the air and oil lines on the bottom
  of the connector block.
  1. NOTE: You may need to bleed air from the oil line before starting the burner. See Section 5
    for the pertinent instructions.

Annual Burner Tune-up
Your Clean Burn furnace requires annual periodic maintenance. The burner requires an annual tune-up — similar to an automotive tune-up — to keep it running in peak condition. The burner tune-up should be performed by a qualified Clean Burn service technician who has the necessary parts and expertise.

Contact Hotsy of Oklahoma to schedule the annual periodic maintenance which is usually (preferably) performed during warm weather to prepare the furnace for the next heating season. Various levels of service are provided to fit your particular need.

End of Season Maintenance
ATTENTION: Turn main power to your furnace OFF at the end of the heating season. EPA regulations allow your used oil to be burned only for “heat recovery.” DO NOT operate your furnace during warm weather just to burn oil, or severe damage to the combustion chamber/heat exchanger may occur.

Contact Hotsy of Oklahoma to schedule your annual burner tune-up.