Retrofiting an old Beckett burner with a Cleancut selenoid valve
#1
10-09-12, 10:50 PM
Retrofiting an old Beckett burner with a Cleancut selenoid valve
Hi there.
Does anybody know how difficult it is to retrofit an old Beckett burner with a Cleancut selenoid valve?
I have an old Burnham oil burner w/ an old Becket burner. When the burner shuts off, fuel pees into the combustion chamber producing a dull yellow flame that lasts about a minute until the fuel runs out and extinguishes itself. This of course causes sooting throughout the boiler.
I wonder what would it take to install a Cleancut selenoid valve to prevent this from happening.
Moses
Does anybody know how difficult it is to retrofit an old Beckett burner with a Cleancut selenoid valve?
I have an old Burnham oil burner w/ an old Becket burner. When the burner shuts off, fuel pees into the combustion chamber producing a dull yellow flame that lasts about a minute until the fuel runs out and extinguishes itself. This of course causes sooting throughout the boiler.
I wonder what would it take to install a Cleancut selenoid valve to prevent this from happening.
Moses
#2
10-10-12, 11:58 AM
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Utterly impossible because there is no such thing as a selenoid valve. The word is solenoid.
If your pump does not cut off cleanly then you have a problem with the pressure regulating valve in the pump.
If your pump does not cut off cleanly then you have a problem with the pressure regulating valve in the pump.
#3
10-10-12, 02:28 PM
Thank you Furd (especially for correcting my spelling 
).
The pump was replaced in Jan 2012. How can it go bad so quickly?
I will test the pump and replace it if bad. How difficult is to clean it ? is it worthy?
Even after replacing the pump, does it make sense to install a Solenoid valve between the pump and the nozzle assembly to improve clean firing?
Moses
).The pump was replaced in Jan 2012. How can it go bad so quickly?
I will test the pump and replace it if bad. How difficult is to clean it ? is it worthy?
Even after replacing the pump, does it make sense to install a Solenoid valve between the pump and the nozzle assembly to improve clean firing?
Moses
#4
10-10-12, 05:55 PM
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Don't feel bad about misspelling solenoid, if I had a nickel for every time I have seen that misspelling I could retire. Wait, I AM retired so forget that.
I haven't "monkeyed with" domestic sized oil burners for over thirty years but I personally would not have one that didn't have an oil solenoid valve. Whether or not you can retrofit the Clean Cut valve I don't know. Hopefully Grady will respond as he works with this stuff every day.
I haven't "monkeyed with" domestic sized oil burners for over thirty years but I personally would not have one that didn't have an oil solenoid valve. Whether or not you can retrofit the Clean Cut valve I don't know. Hopefully Grady will respond as he works with this stuff every day.
#5
10-10-12, 07:30 PM
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Yep, Grady's here.
I wouldn't give you ten cents for a truckload of Beckett's clean cut pumps unless I could find a sucker to buy 'em. If you want a pump with a solenoid, get a Suntec A2VA-3006. As far as wiring the valve, connect the white to the white of the primary & the colored (purple?) wire to the primary's orange.
I wouldn't give you ten cents for a truckload of Beckett's clean cut pumps unless I could find a sucker to buy 'em. If you want a pump with a solenoid, get a Suntec A2VA-3006. As far as wiring the valve, connect the white to the white of the primary & the colored (purple?) wire to the primary's orange.
#6
10-15-12, 01:48 PM
solenoid valve
Thanks much Grady for the suggestions and honest advice !
I ended up installing a stand-alone Carlin valve between the pump and the nozzle assembly (the armature that fits inside the burner). I wired it the way you explained. The burner has been working fine and fuel is not flowing into the combustion chamber anymore
I'm still puzzled why there was a problem in the first place. The pump was replaced this year.
Could it be that the reason is the above ground storage tank?? The fuel level is higher than the pump. Could oil be draining from the tank through the RETURN line through the pump and into the nozzle assembly?
Moses
I ended up installing a stand-alone Carlin valve between the pump and the nozzle assembly (the armature that fits inside the burner). I wired it the way you explained. The burner has been working fine and fuel is not flowing into the combustion chamber anymore
I'm still puzzled why there was a problem in the first place. The pump was replaced this year.
Could it be that the reason is the above ground storage tank?? The fuel level is higher than the pump. Could oil be draining from the tank through the RETURN line through the pump and into the nozzle assembly?
Moses
#7
10-15-12, 06:36 PM
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I really can't explain why your pump was allowing oil to trickle thru the nozzle other than the spring valve inside must be shot or crapped up. In any case, the solenoid operated valve is a good idea.
Glad you mentioned you have a return line. Now do yourself & your burner a favor by getting rid of it & installing a Tiger Loop in the line between the filter & the burner. Having a 2 pipe system means you are blowing oil thru that filter at aprox. 34 times as fast as you are burning the oil. Slow down that flow & the filter will do a much better job.
Glad you mentioned you have a return line. Now do yourself & your burner a favor by getting rid of it & installing a Tiger Loop in the line between the filter & the burner. Having a 2 pipe system means you are blowing oil thru that filter at aprox. 34 times as fast as you are burning the oil. Slow down that flow & the filter will do a much better job.
#8
10-16-12, 09:09 AM
Getting rid of return line w/ Tigerloop
Roger that Grady,
I ordered a Tigerloop kit online and will install it when it arrives. The local store had one but wanted $240 for it (bio model). I got the basic model online for about $90 and free S&H. I burn Diesel No 1.
34x as fast?? no wonder last year the lines and filter and pump and even some part into the nozzle assembly were covered with about 1 inch of ice !!! The pump was pulling -20F oil so fast.
THanks for the advice. I'll report as soon as I get and install the tigerloop.
Moses
I ordered a Tigerloop kit online and will install it when it arrives. The local store had one but wanted $240 for it (bio model). I got the basic model online for about $90 and free S&H. I burn Diesel No 1.
34x as fast?? no wonder last year the lines and filter and pump and even some part into the nozzle assembly were covered with about 1 inch of ice !!! The pump was pulling -20F oil so fast.
THanks for the advice. I'll report as soon as I get and install the tigerloop.
Moses
#9
10-16-12, 02:42 PM
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In your case 34x is about right. When using a 2 pipe, you pump oil at the full capacity of the pump's gear set, which in the case of a Suntec A2VA-7116 is about 17 gallons/hour.
#10
11-04-14, 03:22 PM
Tigerloop metric ports
Hello,
Does anybody know what size thread are the Tigerloop ports. They look like 3/8 standard thread but they aren't. They look metric.
Moses
Does anybody know what size thread are the Tigerloop ports. They look like 3/8 standard thread but they aren't. They look metric.
Moses
#12
11-05-14, 02:45 PM
Tigerloop threads
Grady,
I know that Tigerloop specifies 1/4" pipe thread but using a normal 1/4" male fitting I can only turn a couple of turns by hand. However, the fitting that comes w/ the the Tigerloop hoses goes in about 5 turns freely.
So I compared the threads of the Tigerloop hose fitting w/ a normal 1/4" male pipe fitting and noticed that the threads begin to offset slightly after 4'th thread or so, which makes me think that it's really metric even if advertised as 1/4" female pipe thread.
Is it alright to just a 1/4" male pipe fitting and tighten the connection as much as possible (maybe 3 or 4 turns)? It just doesn't seem right to do this.
I know that Tigerloop specifies 1/4" pipe thread but using a normal 1/4" male fitting I can only turn a couple of turns by hand. However, the fitting that comes w/ the the Tigerloop hoses goes in about 5 turns freely.
So I compared the threads of the Tigerloop hose fitting w/ a normal 1/4" male pipe fitting and noticed that the threads begin to offset slightly after 4'th thread or so, which makes me think that it's really metric even if advertised as 1/4" female pipe thread.
Is it alright to just a 1/4" male pipe fitting and tighten the connection as much as possible (maybe 3 or 4 turns)? It just doesn't seem right to do this.
#13
11-05-14, 02:58 PM
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The threads could be BPT (British Parallel Thread). When I've hard piped or used copper on a Tigerloop, I've never had any problems with leaks using ordinary NPT fittings.
#14
11-05-14, 03:47 PM
Tigerloop port fittings
Thanks Grady,
Do you think it'll be OK to use brass (instead of copper) fittings a sealant compound to connect fittings to the tigerloop and tighten the connections as much as possible (3 turns or so)?
Do you think it'll be OK to use brass (instead of copper) fittings a sealant compound to connect fittings to the tigerloop and tighten the connections as much as possible (3 turns or so)?
#15
11-05-14, 04:21 PM
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If you are using copper tubing, the fittings will be brass. Just remember to use a back up wrench on the Tigerloop. Also remember you are going into aluminum.
