Oil problem causing lock out ?

[highlandbob]

Hi all
I have a warm flow boiler with a Riello RDB1 90-120 burner
It started to randomly lockout some time ago and an engineer changed the photocell and solenoid without success
I was told by the local plumbing wholesalers they had been supplying a lot of pumps recently for Riello burners as something about the oil being supplied in our area ( north highlands ) was making them fail prematurely.
I changed the pump with no result still randomly locking out sometimes after a few minutes or an hour or so.
I was advised to add an oil conditioner treatment so got some and added it to the tank and within a short time the lockout problem disappeared.
Anyone know what this is? Could it be just the oil or possibly a nozzle or fire valve problem ?
I have had another fill since and tried it without conditioner in the oil and the lockout problem came back then went away as soon as I added conditioner.

 

[SimonG]

How did you set the oil pump pressure and what co and co2 were you getting.

Sack off the first engineer and get somebody in who knows what they are doing.

PS Won't be the oil

 

[Best]

Agree totally ^^^
Nothing to do with your local type of oil.
Just because the Riello oil pumps are prematurely failing due to their build quality working on kerosine, doesn't mean your boiler will lockout.
The oil pump shouldn't have been replaced without the pressure being set and flue gas analysed and burner set.
The lockout times suggest an easy fix. I wouldn't have changed the solenoid or photocell and anyhow, rarely would these be faulty.
Try an experienced oil engineer.

 

[Gazzt]

All filters should have been cleaned and and the nozzle changed. Also the tank should have been dipped for water content before the pump was replaced.
The inside of the tank should be inspected for sludge and bacteria build up, the fuel treatment your adding suppresses sludge and bacteria build up. Are you using Exocet cleaner

 

[Last Plumber]

How did you set the oil pump pressure and what co and co2 were you getting.

Sack off the first engineer and get somebody in who knows what they are doing.

PS Won't be the oil

Agree totally ^^^
Nothing to do with your local type of oil.
Just because the Riello oil pumps are prematurely failing due to their build quality working on kerosine, doesn't mean your boiler will lockout.
The oil pump shouldn't have been replaced without the pressure being set and flue gas analysed and burner set.
The lockout times suggest an easy fix. I wouldn't have changed the solenoid or photocell and anyhow, rarely would these be faulty.
Try an experienced oil engineer.

Here's a question.
I had a good number of Oil Boiler faults a few years back where the pumps had failed. Some of these were disastrous. The seals failed and oil sprayed or leaked into the motor. The oil took the coating off the Motor winding's and obviously that was the point at which the failure became apparent in some cases as the motor winding shorted. In others it was the stench of oil that brought it to the customers attention.

I was told by Burner manufacturers that the Powers that be had insisted that the Sulphur content of the oil had to be reduced because of the effect on the environment. The result of this was that the lubricating effect of the fuel (in the pump) was reduced and the older pumps were failing as a result. That was why The 'bio green' pumps appeared and also why the additives appeared as an additional lubricant.

The majority of my customers are on Gas and only a small number on Oil so I bow to the superior knowledge and experience of you two.

Is what I was told Correct or was it all Non-sense?

 

[highlandbob]

Oil in tank was checked pump pressure was set I don’t know the details as I didn’t set this
All filters were checked and cleaned
I googled this problem with pump failures and it looks like our local wholesaler was right as OFTEC we’re carrying our an investigation in to the failures here https://www.oftec.org/Media/Default...rd/OFTEC_TechNotice014_Fuel_Pump_Seizures.pdf

The wholesalers told me to use any of the commercial addititives I used NBS Phoenix

 

[Gazzt]

Warm flow engineering had high pump failure of riello pumps, riello put it down to sulphur content as mentioned earlier. That came from warmflow technical.

 

[Best]

Warm flow engineering had high pump failure of riello pumps, riello put it down to sulphur content as mentioned earlier. That came from warmflow technical.

And also didn't help that Riello oil pumps are poor quality, as you know.
Side by side comparison of other oil pumps on same Kerosine shows the Riellos are usually failing prematurely. The Danfoss were barely wearing in 10 years. I know some Danfoss oil pumps have been running for over 20 years.

 

[Gazzt]

I was talking to another local engineer he said riello make the pump key way out of cheese. Lol

 

[Best]

Is what I was told Correct or was it all Non-sense?

I heard same. Been that excuse for many years now, but not totally convinced that Riello can use that to fully explain their large and erratic breakdown volumes. Difficult for Riello to say their pumps are okay when Danfoss have longer lifespans

 

[Gazzt]

Danfoss are better , they take more abuse

 

[Best]

I was talking to another local engineer he said riello make the pump key way out of cheese. Lol

Lol! And the gear must be made of butter, given that the worn key also cuts way into the first gear of pump. 🙂
Riello have a history of dodgy oil pumps going back about 30 years and seems to be in certain periods.
Not fit for purpose IMO and a real shame as it is a weak point on decent burners

 

[Gazzt]

Totally agree best🙂

 

[Best]

Watch out for Riello pumps slightly leaking at spindle. Noticed where motor bearing had gone that very careful inspection at pump spindle shows slight sign of kerosine. I know that also applies to other pumps. This is the disadvantage of motor to pump direct drive.

 

[SimonG]

Always changed more danfoss than riello pumps. Probably down to type boilers round my way. All the newer boilers i have installed or visited are all rdb burners.

 

[Best]

Always changed more danfoss than riello pumps. Probably down to type boilers round my way. All the newer boilers i have installed or visited are all rdb burners.

Also was very common round here to have Electro oil burners or Minor one burners with Danfoss oil pumps. Very reliable usually. Now majority are Riellos burners on newish boilers.