Can;t get burner flame blue

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fishman777

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I have a AO smith conservationalist Gold Series 50gal NG water tank.
Got it NOS, in anyevent, the adjustment for the air intake to the burner consists of a screw and a rotateable metal cover that either covers up or opens up the airway.
The issue is that it says in the manual to adjust till the flame burns blue, well I can;t get the flame to burn blue...at least not all blue like on my gas stove.
The actual flame from the cast iron burner when its on is pretty impressive as far as size goes.
As I cover the air intake the flame is more blue but not all...wide open air causes more yellow and red...
Even with the air control closed off, there is an opening that is always open so it is impossible to cut off all the air to the appliance.
My question is I think , is it acceptable to adjust it till its as much blue as possible and leave it at that, or are there other adjustments that can be made to increase the efficency of the flame....
This tank is from the series Conversationist with a Gold Label on the front..40000BTU burner, multiple settings on the hot-hotter-hottest settings..
R16 insulation, etc etc..I believe the current model that cross references for this is the XGV50.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
 
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Bill Arden

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1. Is this a new install or did some thing happen over the years.

Some possibility's
1. Old units can corrode some leaving the holes too small.
2. Used units may be configured for LP instead of NG
3. It's the way it's supposed to be.
 

fishman777

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blue

I am sorry, I did have it backwards....What I ment was is there a way to increase the air flow to the burner?
I will check the burner closer as well...
this was installed by a professional installer..
I will also make sure there are no obstructions that were missed..
 

hj

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burner

Usually the only heaters with cast iron burners are LP versions. There is no way to increase the air once the shutter is completely open. You have to reduce the amount of gas. Are you in Denver or some other high altitude area?
 

fishman777

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Blue

I am in UpState NY...20 miles from the canadian border.
Adirondack Mts...roughly 1500 feet above sea level where I live.
It is definatly a cast Iron burner, double checked it this am.
I also opened the air way as much as possible and I will see what the does.
It may be just clearing out some debris?
it appears to be getting better(smoother?)
 

fishman777

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This is a new install, however the tank is a 2002 brand new in the box.
It does not have a sealed combustion chamber, basicly if you get down on the floor you can take the cover thats there off and look right at the flame.
there is a door that can be opened as well that gives you more access.
I would think to service the burner or removal etc.
I currently have it with the air intake wide open and it seems to be alright.
thanks,
fishman777
 

fishman777

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As I do, I checked and rechecked the heater...I am not as sure as Iwas in a previous post that the burner is cast iron.
Its metal of some sort but I am not sure and it does not say in the manual.
However, I adjusted the air intake, essentially open, and also adjusted the temp setting. Once I got those two settled it seems to be much better now.
The flame is 85-90% blue which I can live with.
No soot buildup on chimney or inside the combustion chamber, granted its only 2 days in but if it were to be an issue I assume that you could see the beginngs even at this early stage.
I think its going to work out fine, am I safe to proceed along this line?>
thanks,
mike
 
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