One of the simplest but most important aspects of a properly operating oil heat system is the electrode alignment with regard to the nozzle. New ignitors supply voltage up to 14,000 volts. This spark is what helps to fire the oil being sprayed or atomized from the nozzle. Each nozzle has a specific angle and firing rate specific to your heating equipment. Most full service oilheat dealers have service vans with up to 200 nozzles on board, depending on the firing rate and type of equipment you have in your cellar. When the burner starts, a motor turns the pump, the pump supplies a certain oil pressure, oil spray flows and the ignitor supplies electricity which becomes spark at the correct angle where the spark and oil spray meet. (The spark can be seen and can sometimes look like the image from old Frankenstein movies or even the Museum of Science exhibit, but controlled!).

Bad alignment creates oil spray to coat the electrodes where spark should be clean (bad), or in another instance, delayed ignition (also bad). Not only will this cause poor efficiency but eventually it will cause a service issue (spelled, no heat or no hot water call). Techs with good efficiency equipment (combustion analyzers), if they use them, will see a high CO number (carbon monoxide, unburned oil) and will attempt to find the problem. This brings us to the conundrum. Good techs have gap gauges and use their testing equipment-others do neither.

Good techs gap every nozzle they install. Often they check the gap of the nozzles that come out of the burner they are working on to check a number of issues. Burner manufacturer’s generally supply a gap gauge with each burner they supply for installation and many “technicians” throw out the gap gauge with the instructions for installation.

If you have a full service oil company supplying your service, ask the tech to show you how he gaps a nozzle. If you don’t have a full service company supply oil and service for your home, the point may be useless, but ask the tech who shows up next time, anyway!

The photo supplied shows a poorly gapped electrode/nozzle assembly. Notice the oil “scarring” on the nozzle. One electrode seems a bit “off”. Over the course of many firings this heating system failed to light off causing a “no hot water” service call.

Note: This does not always equate poor electrode alignment. Other ailments could cause this. Service history and knowledge of your tank, delivery history, and heating equipment could have bearing on the resulting no hot water call. That being said, improper electrode alignment can cause inefficient operation, excess oil consumption, and no heat/hot water service calls. Regards…