- Chimney drafts are regulated by the swing damper on the vent connector. Too high a draft means that hot flue gases are passing too quickly through the heat exchanger, sending heat up the chimney. When it's time for your yearly maintenance check on your oil furnace, ask the service technician to perform a draft test. If excessive heat lost through the chimney, have a barometric flue damper installed. Installation usually costs less than $100, and you may notice up to 5 percent savings on your fuel bill.
- If you have an older burner that is not working efficiently, a retrofit of a flame retention burner will produce a hotter flame, and can reduce emission levels to almost zero. By maintaining a more efficient airflow pattern, fuel and air are mixed more completely. As a result, you'll also save money on fuel costs.
- Your oil furnace may be too large, especially if you've upgraded the energy efficiency of your home. "Reducing the heating capacity of your furnace can be accomplished by having a service technician install a smaller nozzle," according to the United States Department of Energy. This retrofit will result in a more efficient oil furnace, and can reduce your fuel bill by as much as 10 percent.
- Located inside the oil burner tube, a cadmium cell sensor is a flame sensing cell that is wired to a relay switch located either on top or at the side of the oil burner assembly. If the flame doesn't light, or is lost inside the combustion chamber of the oil furnace, the cad cell sensor causes the relay to turn the burner off. By turning the burner off, the oil burner assembly stops pumping oil into the combustion chamber. Call a qualified service technician to install this retrofit option.
Flue Damper
Retention Burner
Downsizing
Flame Sensor
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