John Levey Oilheat Associates NORA, Director of Education Olheat Service The Preventive Maintenance Tune-Up The Preventive Maintenance Tune-Up The preventive maintenance tune-up is the most important service this industry offers. A properly performed tune-up assures the customer that their heating system is operating at peak safety, reliability, efficiency and cleanliness. Safety During the tune-up, you will check the systems’ controls to be sure they work properly and shut the burner off if a problem develops. You will also adjust the burner to reduce the chances of a carbon monoxide build-up. Efficiency When you use your combustion analysis kit to adjust the system for maximum efficiency, you’re actually helping your customer to conserve oil and save money. The tune-up also gives you the opportunity to recommend new equipment to those customers whose systems are not as reliable or as efficient as today’s modern Oilheat equipment. Reliability Typically, you may replace certain failed parts (nozzles and filters); look for and correct potential problems; lubricate motors and check controls. Cleanliness Unfortunately, most of the work you do during a tune-up is not visible to the customer. An important part of every tune-up is to make sure that what the customer does see— the outside of the unit and the area around it—is neat and clean when you’ve finished. By focusing on these four factors during the tune-up, you will save your customer money by minimizing their fuel consumption and help to avoid the inconvenience of an oil burner breakdown during the heating season. Tools of the Trade To successfully perform a tune-up, your truck must have certain tools, instruments, parts and supplies. You need to have at least the following: A complete set of hand tools including: Standard Wrenches: depending on the type of burners you service these can be standard, metric or both. At a minimum, you will want to have a set of 1/4" through 3/4" standard open and box wrenches. Adjustable Wrenches: An eight-inch and a ten-inch adjustable wrench. Socket Wrench kit: 1/4" to 3/4" Pliers: Groove joint pliers (commonly called waterpumps or channel locks), linesman pliers, locking pliers (vise grips) and needle nose pliers Allen wrenches (hex keys): a standard set Screwdrivers: an assortment of slotted & Phillips The following excerpt from the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) Oilheat Technicians Manual provides valuable guidance regarding tune-ups of oil-fired heating systems. Individual companies often develop tune-up procedures that differ from these and technicians should always follow company guidelines. It’s important to note that appliance and component manufacturer’s instructions regarding tune-up procedures may include additional steps and procedures to be performed. For example, the following are taken from various component manufacturer maintenance instructions: • A relief valve manufacturer: Valve lever must be tripped at least once a year to ensure that waterways are clear. • Oil filter manufacturers: Filter must be replaced annually and the filter bowl replaced a minimum of every 10 years. Oil filters should be changed or cleaned at the start of the heating season and about midway through the season. • An oil de-aerator manufacturer: A reliable service life of 8 years is considered maximum. • A low water cutoff manufacturer Annually disassemble and inspect/clean strainer screen. Replace if screen is torn or not able to be cleaned. Remove and inspect/clean cartridge. Replace if poppet does not move freely or debris cannot be removed. Remove lower float chamber and inspect internal parts. Clean out all mud, silt, sediment and debris from chamber, float mechanism and other waterside components. Inspect equalizing piping. Clean/replace as required. Check all wires for brittle or worn insulation. Check for leaks at gasket surfaces and solder joints Replace entire unit including equalizing piping every 10 years As you can see, manufacturers of everything from oil filters to low water cut-offs provide important information regarding maintenance and life spans. There are significant revenue-generating opportunities that can be realized by making customers aware of the manufacturer’s guidelines. 4 ICM/May/June 2017
ICM May-June 2017
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