Cleaning Baxi 552 boiler burner/jets

[jirams]

What is the correct way to clean the jets and burner on Baxi 552 back boiler? I have no problem getting the burner out but need advice on cleaning the parts to obtain a clean burning flame. Thanks for any advice.

 

[shorticus]

Baxi's service advice is to never use anything hard or abbrasiive, certainly never try to clean any jet with a needle or piece of wire, just use soft bristle brushes and air, most of the merchants will sell aerosols of compressed air

 

[jirams]

If there is any build up of 'crud' on the jet can this be removed by use of a soft implement such as a wooden cocktail stick or toothpick?

 

[shorticus]

I'd get a new one

 

[jirams]

Thanks shorticus. The basis of my enquiry is that this boiler is burning with quite a lot of bright yellow above the blue flame. The flue above is in good open condition, there is no restriction of air from the room into the boiler. I therefore expect that the next point to check on this old set up is the cleanliness of the jets and burner. The pilot is pure blue. The system is overseen by monoxide alarms and they NEVER have registered any CO. The system has been cleaned out, free of any dust or debris and lint arrestors are immaculate.

 

[shorticus]

Your CO alarms are of course monitoring your room. If ventilation and flueing are good and there's no spillage then the burner could be spewing buckets of CO up the chimney and you'd (thankfully) never know, the yellow flame is as you say indication of less than satisfactory combustion but the only way of knowing for sure is to test with an analyser, this is difficult to do properly on a bbu so I'm told, I've personally never tried.

Did you know that this boiler has a seasonal efficiency of only 65%, you maybe chucking CO up into the atmosphere but you are most definitely chucking money up there. Baxi now make a condensing bbu with over 90% efficiency, might be worth a look

 

[jirams]

Have to admit that this is a very old installation. Has been very reliable but really should be brought up to date. I wonder if the regs allow me to replace this old 552 with a condensing BBU - how does it get rid of the condensate?

What happens to a boiler burner to make it produce yellow when there is no problem with flue or supply of air?

 

[metaldust9]

i always boil the jets in a pan of water bring them to the boil usually does it ,if the flames are yellow there has to be a reason ventalation or lack of gas to jets

 

[jirams]

i always boil the jets in a pan of water bring them to the boil usually does it ,if the flames are yellow there has to be a reason ventalation or lack of gas to jets

Water gauge is at correct pressure for boiler - could crudded up jet cause reduction in gas flow to produce yellow in flame.

 

[tamz]

It will be dust INSIDE the burner. Take it out and wash it.