six weeks, six visits, still no working boiler

[Terrywookfit]

If oil pipe is open with elements removed using a foot or styrup pump will do no damage.

I have used various methods to blow the $hit through or clear air locks INCLUDING Propane cylinder with h/p reg.
A lorry wheel with 100psi. A scuba tank (very carefully.)
A small lidl compressor. My E/V pump.... in fact any thing that is capable of clearing it.
Secret is to give it a squirt and make sure no excessive pressure build up occurs. due to some tosser fitting a NRV
Also blow FROM the boiler end.

 

[Tomswan]

If you disconnect the oil line at the filter and tank you won't damage it....but you'll need a jolly blast of compressed air to clear it if it's any great length.
I've used my oil syphon pump with some degree of success - at least you can see what is being displaced from the pipeline.
John

Thanks for that, John. I am not sure it is necessary now. I am getting good flow (although I have no frame of reference) at the boiler end and the liquid is mostly clear except for flakes of what I take to be algae. I thought at first that there was going to be a mass in the pipe that was releasing flakes as the oil flowed over it, but I would have thought the suction from the pump would tend to clear such a deposit on its own.

I have drawn off several more litres at the boiler end and there is a fairly consistent amount of flakes in each sample. It is not much, but is enough to clog a filter fairly quickly I would have thought. The new crosland filter does take nearly all of that out but there appears to still be a few very fine particles in suspension in the oil, so perhaps algae in single cell form is fine enough to pass through such a filter. The particles look fine enough to me to be able to pass through the pump strainer and that means they will end up in the burner nozzle filter. In any case, I have a suspicion that even though the Crosland filter takes the algae out when it is in flake form and only under the pressure of a gravity feed, when the pump starts the suction will be applied and will pull the algae through the filter. I would have thought that if algae in its single cell form is small enough to pass through this filter then that is going to happen over time.

The biocide additive may well take care of the problem. In any case, even if I end up having the contaminated oil taken away I will be using the additive with any new deliveries.

 

[Tomswan]

If oil pipe is open with elements removed using a foot or styrup pump will do no damage.

I have used various methods to blow the $hit through or clear air locks INCLUDING Propane cylinder with h/p reg.
A lorry wheel with 100psi. A scuba tank (very carefully.)
A small lidl compressor. My E/V pump.... in fact any thing that is capable of clearing it.
Secret is to give it a squirt and make sure no excessive pressure build up occurs. due to some tosser fitting a NRV
Also blow FROM the boiler end.

Thanks for that. Especially the bit about blowing from the boiler end. Like I just posted I don't know if it is necessary because I've got what looks to be reasonable flow. It is definitely not a trickle. Thinking about it, if the pipe was partially blocked and reducing flow I would have thought at least one of the chaps who came out would have picked up on it. That said, I was the only one who checked the pump strainer, so who knows.

Well, I should ask the question: do you know if it is possible to have a deposit of algae in the pipeline that sticks to the copper pipe?

 

[Burnerman]

If you are getting a good flow of oil at the boiler end, then the pipe seems fine.
I can’t comment on the quality of your fuel though - I’ve never come across a bacteria problem before.....I was under the impression it was only an issue that occurred when the oil had been stored for years.
John

 

[sxturbo]

only if there is water in the oil/fuel.

here is a blocked fuel filter we had at work, all 3x engines have a pair of primary fuel water separators (10 micron) and 2x of these secondary filters, and all have only run for 50 ish hours (1 hour run per week).

the fuel pump suction caused the blocked filter to collapse and tear away from the metal end caps.

 

[Tomswan]

Just been reading about fuel degradation, and apparently it can happen fairly quickly nowadays. Something to do with the processing. Solids separate out and clogs the filters. It was an article on diesel but I guess the same is true for heating oil. Anyhow, next step is to add the additive when it arrives and see what happens. At least, thanks to you and others, I have a handle on it now.

 

[Tomswan]

only if there is water in the oil/fuel.

here is a blocked fuel filter we had at work, all 3x engines have a pair of primary fuel water separators (10 micron) and 2x of these secondary filters, and all have only run for 50 ish hours (1 hour run per week).

the fuel pump suction caused the blocked filter to collapse and tear away from the metal end caps.


View attachment 223236

Blimey. I am assuming my pump wouldn't have the power to cause that. Also the boiler seems to be fairly efficient at cutting out when there is a problem. I've gone from cursing it for cutting out to thanking it (or the engineers who built in the safety features).

The good thing is that now I will be monitoring the build up.

 

[sxturbo]

lol, yeah this wont happen on yours as you say it has a safety cut out. the above was from a lorry engine.

 

[oilhead]

When your neighbour had his delivery at the same time as you, was he first, or were you, and had he been anywhere else before you? Did the tanker have both 28 sec and 35 sec oil?
You wouldn't be the first person to suffer a delivery of kero through a hose previously used for diesel, and whilst the mix doesn't cause too much of a problem in a pressure jet, it's conceivable that it could cause this problem. As I said earlier, I've seen similar in diesel tanks, but never in kerosene.
At least you now know where you are, but just a warning on biocide. Whilst the dosage looks meagre, do not overdose just for the sake of finishing a bottle. Overdosing can cause the same problems as you have.

 

[Tomswan]

When your neighbour had his delivery at the same time as you, was he first, or were you, and had he been anywhere else before you? Did the tanker have both 28 sec and 35 sec oil?
You wouldn't be the first person to suffer a delivery of kero through a hose previously used for diesel, and whilst the mix doesn't cause too much of a problem in a pressure jet, it's conceivable that it could cause this problem. As I said earlier, I've seen similar in diesel tanks, but never in kerosene.
At least you now know where you are, but just a warning on biocide. Whilst the dosage looks meagre, do not overdose just for the sake of finishing a bottle. Overdosing can cause the same problems as you have.

Thanks. I have no idea what was on the tanker because I wasn't here for the delivery. I think the neighbour had his delivery first but not certain.

Thanks for the tip on the biocide dosage. Yes, I do know where I am now.