I enjoy learning about my new pellet boiler, so I check on it often. At work, I can hear a MESys 6000 all day as it heats a substantial part of our office/warehouse building. Because of that exposure, I’ve come to know by sound when things are different than they should be.
A couple of weeks ago, my boiler didn’t sound right, but I ignored it. A day later, it failed with a “flameguard overheat error.” When I opened it, I found that I hadn’t put the baffles in properly when I cleaned the boiler and the baffles had fallen over the burner. I took out the ash, replaced the baffles and was back in business shortly.
This morning, I heard the oil boiler come on, which shouldn’t happen, even with my purposefully undersized boiler, until outdoor temperatures are well sub-zero, and this morning’s temperature was approximately 10F. I went to look at the boiler and it was “working,” but it didn’t sound right. I looked through the inspection port and, sure enough, a baffle was standing edgewise next to the pellet burner. Again, I hadn’t done well replacing the baffles after cleaning.
I opened the boiler, took out a few shovels full of ash and carefully put the baffles back in place. I find the balance of the baffles a delicate one, particularly as the baffles become a bit heavier due to combustion product deposit build up.
During the next cleaning I’ll remove some of that build-up on the baffles to see if it makes it easier for me to get them properly installed. I’ll also attend to the shortening of the baffles that has been recommended for the four-section boiler; both of those steps should help make the possibility of misaligning the baffles after cleaning less likely.
Dutch Dresser