old lanair bath type burner conversion

[troyhedges]

I would like to ask a question in regards to taking an old bath type oil burner from lanair(circa1972) and converting it to a forced burner like you have, the burner is a L 110 model. it has a cast drum with the bath in the bottom and a pump that would drop oil into the bath, the electronics have failed over the years and I manually turn the pump and blower for the flame on with switches
(hard to maintain a constant fuel level) I will get a pic and try and post it. it is all housed in a cabinet with a swirl cage blower to blow the air out.

what I am lookin at doing is taking the bath out and setting it up for the forced blower unit, but with seeing your burn hole I am not sure if the flame will burn a hole in mine due to the drum is 26 inches in diameter and is 3 ft tall with a locking lid on the top. maybe a burner with a duck plate or flame divertor to keep flame from directly hitting the drum walls?

any help would be great, thanks Troy

 

[Shop Specialties]

You would be just wasting time and money with that old boat anchor.

 

[troyhedges]

so just scrap it and buy another furnace to convert it to an oil burner.
all I want to use is the drum and blower system in the old burner, wouldn't I have more money in the purchase of a different furnace and possibly having to buy new fans and the cost of the conversion and welding of steel, when the burner I have still works and heats just fine, just don't like baby sitting it, adding an atomized fuel burner to it seems like the best way to go.
this old boat anchor has lasted 40 + years, I think I will NOT take your advice and keep moving forward on my project,
thanks for your input and have a great year.

 

[anthony666]

 

[uniballer]

Buy a used oil unit off craigslist for 2-300?

 

[Shop Specialties]

I am very familiar with this heater since I have been doing waste oil heater sales and service for 23 years. You will be money, time, and safety ahead to purchase something made in the last 20-25 years. Used units can be picked up very cheap when compared to the cost of a new one.

 

[troyhedges]

thanks for the help

 

[anthony666]

thanks for the help

much better

 

[troyhedges]

ok..took the advice from everyone and scrapped the burner, the guy at the scrap yard asked if it still worked and i told him yes...he said it was in such good shape that he was going to keep it for himself and use it at his garage....called lanair and purchased a new 300,000 btu furnace for 7,400 and will be here in a week.
so my problems are over and thanks for the help.

 

[Shop Specialties]

Did you happen to check out any other brands ?
How large of an area will you be heating ?
Clean Burn is running a trade-in promotion this month where your old heater could be worth up to $1,500.

 

[troyhedges]

yes I did, since the lanair lasted so long that was my deciding factor on my purchase...my shop is 40 by 60 with 12 foot ceilings, walls and ceiling are insulated with 6 inches and dry walled.

I got 60 dollars at the scrap yard for it and was very happy and so was the gentleman that bought it.

I have it installed and is working great, runs once or twice every few hrs, and our temps have been -5 to -35 with the windchill this last week..

 

[Shop Specialties]

300,000 BTU was way overkill for that size shop. A Clean Burn CB 1750 would have been more than adequate and you could have saved over $2,000. Overkill with a waste oil heater is not a good thing since it will idle more and that will result in doing burner rebuilds more often.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

300,000 BTU was way overkill for that size shop. A Clean Burn CB 1750 would have been more than adequate and you could have saved over $2,000. Overkill with a waste oil heater is not a good thing since it will idle more and that will result in doing burner rebuilds more often.

Way oversized. I have a steel building with typical vinyl backed fiberglass insulation. One end is a aircraft hangar door with no insulation, just translucent fiberglass panels. The building is 60x60x16 and 21 ft at the peak. I installed a 200K btu and it is more than adequate even with these unusually low temps we have been seeing around here.

Charles

 

[troyhedges]

, I feel I made a great decision on my purchase and its been working great, it does heat an auxiliary building that is attached to my building that is 40 by 40this will be opened up to the other shop this summer, I did consult the techs at lanair and explained what I will be doing and this is what they recommended, it is ducted and works great.

I am confused on your statement about it setting and idling too long, my thought is if its not working then there is no wear on parts and so on, your saying that it should run constantly for me not to have to rebuild the burners?

I teach high school and only work in the shop on the weekends and when school is out, from what your saying...turn the furnace on and run it day and night? that seems to be a waste of fuel and use of the burner..


I posted on here after reading some very detailed articles on gentlemen building their own, after posting all I have got is trashed on, and no info on what my question initially was.

anthony666: if I wanted to make friends I would've got on Facebook...not looking for friends, just info.

shop specialties: word of advice, don't trash someone's stuff and expect them to buy what you are trying to sell

 

[anthony666]

troy .. you get free help from your friends, information you pay for

 

[Shop Specialties]

Remember, I have been working on all brands and models for 23 years and know every brand inside and out. I was not trashing anybody and was not trying to sell you anything. I do not make sales out of my territory. If your heater was worth putting a burner on I would have gave you some very detailed info on how to do it. In fact I told you to look at something made in the past 20-25 years first before buying new.

Once again I am going to give you helpful information about your heater and you can use that info or not.

Why is it bad to let a waste oil heater idle ?
All commercial made heaters have a preheat block that is always maintaining 150*+/-. If the oil is not moving through the block it starts to bake faster. The oil turns to carbon then flakes off and plugs nozzles. Burner rebuilds are normal heater maintenance that every manufacturer recommends doing every year. I recommend up to every 2-3 years depending on brand and model.

So why did you ask for advice then trash everybody for giving you advice then say you are happy with the new heater you bought which is the advice people gave you ?

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Remember, I have been working on all brands and models for 23 years and know every brand inside and out. I was not trashing anybody and was not trying to sell you anything. I do not make sales out of my territory. If your heater was worth putting a burner on I would have gave you some very detailed info on how to do it. In fact I told you to look at something made in the past 20-25 years first before buying new.

Once again I am going to give you helpful information about your heater and you can use that info or not.

Why is it bad to let a waste oil heater idle ?
All commercial made heaters have a preheat block that is always maintaining 150*+/-. If the oil is not moving through the block it starts to bake faster. The oil turns to carbon then flakes off and plugs nozzles. Burner rebuilds are normal heater maintenance that every manufacturer recommends doing every year. I recommend up to every 2-3 years depending on brand and model.

So why did you ask for advice then trash everybody for giving you advice then say you are happy with the new heater you bought which is the advice people gave you ?

Good advice here. I turn my Reznor power source off when I'm away for extended periods to help caking in the preheater tubes. I'd be keeping an eye out for moisture and the like, a 300K will be running some pretty short cycles in a small space.