[nhmarie]

Help! I have a burnham oil burner in my house of 2 1/2 years. Since my first heating season I've had a strong smell of burning oil in my basement and first floor. In 2 years the boiler has been cleaned 4 times. The boiler will randomly just shut down on its own and then a few hours later I can reset it and it works. Plumbers come in and replace parts, the boiler runs okay for about 2 weeks then it gets very loud and the smell gets strong. Last heating season I just couldn't take it any longer after my new house had soot from the basement up to the top floor of the house. I then contacted the builder and he hired a plumber to come in and the first thing this plumber did was replace the ventilator (exhaust system) and nozzle on the boiler, the ventilator that was originally put in was too small and not working properly and he said the wrong size nozzle was put in. They put in a larger ventilator (Field Controls) and a new nozzle and still the smell was very strong. The plumber talked to Field Controls and Burnham and they suggested a fan in a can. The plumber installed the fan in a can and everything seemed to be running okay, then after a few days of running the boiler the strong smell was back and the boiler was loud. I shut the boiler down and used space heaters as I knew it was only a couple weeks and the boiler would be shutdown for the summer. I don't know what to do, the plumber who did the work last won't come back, he said he just doesn't know what else to do. Burnham says I should put in a chimney, which we all know is costly, even though they say the boiler should be fine with the ventilator. Has anyone any ideas as to why the boiler doesn't run properly? I'm afraid if I put in a chimney that the problem is still going to be there. I strongly feel that the boiler is faulty. Please help as it is almost heating season and I'm scared to turn on the heat.

[acetc]

Do you have adequet combustion air to the boiler? You may also look at the venting of the boiler, if the combustion gases do not stay hot the gases will not vent properly and fall back out of the vent or cause inproper combustion. You are smelling these gases so that tells me it may not be venting properly.
Good luck , Mike

[hvac1000]

Go with a chimney.