Have a rental a 4 plex I manage for a friend. Three units have a Williams wall furnace.
One apartment has been vacant, new tenant will be moving in on the first. About 1 1/2 months ago we had gas service turned on, the gas company verified that the unit started up correctly and it did, nice blue flame.
over the weekend I noticed the flame was burning yellow to orange. What does anyone think bad heat exchanger? I brought over my plug in co2 detector got a zero reading for PPM, not that it means much.
Just want to educate myself before calling a heating guy. Just for those that will ask the furnace is probably close to thirty years.
Wallyo
Replies
Yellow flame indicates insufficient oxygen. Check to see if anything is obstructing the air mixer in the gas line just before it enters the burner.
Is the place so tight your running out of air?
What changed from " nice blue flame" to "burning yellow to orange"
I 've got one in a rental and I like em. Actually I replaced it about ? 5 years ago with same.
No it is not that tight, the building was buit in 1920 brick, but leakly at doors and windows. The only thing to change in the period of time is it has gotten colder out. Wallyo
Okay checked it out a bit more the flame is fine at startup but when the fan starts it burns yellow-orange. Soot is also present at the baffle below the fan.Any ideas welcomed.ThanksWallyo
Just some thoughts.
You don't really know if it ever was set up correctly?
When fan draws ? air from surrounding it sounds like it's stealing combustion air. If that's the case then the area that supplies it is ?blocked/undersized/improper.
Vac all the #### off of all louvers and vent space? maybe that's just enough build up to make a minor restriction. Take off the large vent/grill assembly and clean all. If it's not additionally screwed together You lift up on it and it comes off.
Cause it seems to be good without the fan running it seems that's where the air loss is coming from.