Oil Burner Guide

If you want to increase the efficiency of your oil burner and it powers a boiler type system then you need to read this post.  There is a special device that will dramatically improve its performance no matter if it runs on conventional fuels or waste oil.

Boiler Fuel Economizer

There is a small device you can invest in for your hot water heating system called a fuel economizer.  It is worth its weight in gold.  Literally.  I got one over a year ago and it has reduced my energy needs 10-20%.  I log how much waste oil I used everyday and I saw a different immediately.  I started burning 2-3 less gallons of waste oil in my boiler daily.  My efficiency went way up.

I purchased the Beckett Heat Manager.  It retails for approximately $300.00.  I went to Johnstone Wholesale Supply here in town.  This is a place that sells wholesale plumbing supplies to boiler businesses.  They do not sell to the end user.  I know a guy there and was able to get my fuel economizer for about $185.00.  I love it.

It has several modes on the panel so you know exactly what it is doing.  It has Standby Mode, Economizing Mode, Burner Enabled, Low Temperature Limitm and a Check Sensor Light.  Its very small and does not take up much space.

I would highly recommend anyone with a waste oil boiler to go online a purchase one of these devices.  If you save just two gallons per day of waste oil thats 730 gallons saved over the course of the year.  And I am telling you I have saved more than that.  It has been 3 degrees where I live and my boiler has been burning on average about 19 gallons per day.  If I did not have that fuel economizer than it would most likely be 23-24 gallons per day.

Here is the website description of the fuel economizer.

The Heat Manager fuel economizer is the newest advance in boiler controls for residential boilers. It works with any fuel, and improves hot water home heating systems. And, it’s guaranteed to reduce heating fuel consumption by at least 10%!

Your boiler burns fuel (i.e. natural gas, oil or propane) just like your car burns gasoline. When your boiler runs for long periods of time and creates lots of hot water, it is like a car cruising down the highway. It’s operating at its peak efficiency. However, when less heat is needed, our boiler must turn on and off over and over again to keep you from getting too hot. This is like city stop-and-go driving, and your boiler’s fuel economy decreases dramatically. To make things worse, your boiler only knows two speeds: pedal to the metal, and full brake. Imagine how low your gas mileage would be if you drove around town flooring it and then slamming on the brake! Unfortunately, this is how your boiler operates. Adding a Beckett Heat Manager to your heating system will reduce the number of starts and stops by up to 30% and will give you a boiler that cruises – no matter how much heat is needed! This greatly improves your boiler’s efficiency and best of all, saves you money.

Best of all, lower heating bills are guaranteed! You will experience a savings of 10 to 20% in heating fuel usage with the Beckett Heat Manager boiler control.

Benefits:
• Keeps your boiler running at peak efficiency.
• Saves fuel and money by automatically adjusting boiler output as energy requirements change.
• Far less expensive than alternative upgrades.
• Cost is recoverable in 12 to 24 months. After that, you continue to save money year after year.
• Installation by a qualified technician is fast and easy.
• No programming or follow-up visits are required.
• Provides worry-free, fail-safe operation at all times.
• Works with any heating fuel.
• Can be installed on most new or existing gas, oil, or propane fired boilers.
• No outdoor temperature sensor—no holes in your walls!
• More even comfort level, since the heat being delivered exactly matches what is needed.
• Less wear and tear on your boiler due to fewer on/off cycles.
• Sold by R.W. Beckett Corp., dedicated to the heating industry for more than 65 years.
• Backed by a 5-year replacement warranty.
• Guaranteed to reduce energy consumption at least 10% or we will refund the full purchase price of the product.

Basically from what I can deduce it keeps your waste oil burner from running hot all the time.  Temperature is important when talking about fuel consumption.  I remember when I was selling cars the new models were supposed to get better gas mileage than the older ones.  I asked why and was explained that the newer engines are made with a different type of metal that does not hold heat so the engine does not get as hot.  That alone raised the gas mileage by 1-2MPG.  The same I guess applies here.

Must have for any waste oil boiler owner who wants maximum efficiency!!