DF520 Oil Burner Specifications

I have a DF520 that I burn rice in. I want to install an oil burner gun in for when I'm not here. I have a whole bunch of Beckett AF and AFG burners and a few other makes. What is the best burner for it? What tube length? What kind of retention head? Anything else you might know would be appreciated.

I would start with the area available to install a combustion chamber. Tube length would need to be enough to reach that chamber. Firing rate and nozzle specs would be available from the manufacturer. Select the burner with a firing rate commensurate to the needs of the boiler. Go by your actual coal firing rate, converted to BTU, with a safety margin, rather than the boiler makers inflated specs. Probably .85 or one GPH.

Combustion chamber would be sized to the firing rate. A chamber would always give cleanest and best results.

The instructions talk about an AFG... And to use the separate air tube sent with the AFG burner.

franco b wrote: ↑

Sun. Jan. 12, 2020 4:38 pm

I would start with the area available to install a combustion chamber. Tube length would need to be enough to reach that chamber. Firing rate and nozzle specs would be available from the manufacturer. Select the burner with a firing rate commensurate to the needs of the boiler. Go by your actual coal firing rate, converted to BTU, with a safety margin, rather than the boiler makers inflated specs. Probably .85 or one GPH.

Combustion chamber would be sized to the firing rate. A chamber would always give cleanest and best results.

Really no way to install a combustion chamber without interfering with the coal firepot. I was worried at first about the lack of a combustion chamber, but where the port for the oil burner goes it's firing into a waterjacket. All I can see from the EFM manual is insulation for the walls of the ash chamber where there is no water.

I wish I could run at 0.85 GPH. When it's really cold and I'm heating the garage I'm running 10 clicks. I've got over 8,000 square feet of garage with 18 foot ceilings

nepacoal wrote: ↑

Sun. Jan. 12, 2020 5:27 pm

The instructions talk about an AFG... And to use the separate air tube sent with the AFG burner.

Thanks I downloaded it and read it.
Do you know of anything with Beckett part numbers or even pictures of what it's supposed to be? EFM is crazy on their prices for the kit, and there isn't much to it other than a burner, door switch, and ash-pit insulation. I've got quite a few burners and 3 or 4 variations of the AF/AFG. Mostly different tube lengths and different flame retention heads. I've even got a burner that is dual fuel gas/oil with an air atomizing nozzle in it including the fancy controls that run it

You want at least a target wall of refractory. Preferably of insulating firebrick.

Determine firing rate from how much coal you need to heat adequately on coldest days. Convert to BTU and multiply by .80 to get GPH. 140,000 BTU for oil per gallon. I like 11 pounds of coal for one gallon of oil. That comes out to 264 pounds of coal equivalent in 24 hours if the oil burner were to run steadily for 24 hours..

franco b wrote: ↑

Sun. Jan. 12, 2020 9:43 pm

You want at least a target wall of refractory. Preferably of insulating firebrick.

Determine firing rate from how much coal you need to heat adequately on coldest days. Convert to BTU and multiply by .80 to get GPH. 140,000 BTU for oil per gallon. I like 11 pounds of coal for one gallon of oil. That comes out to 264 pounds of coal equivalent in 24 hours if the oil burner were to run steadily for 24 hours..

The other day when it was about 20 ish degrees outside and I was only heating the garage to a little over 40 I went through three and one half 5 gallon buckets of rice. The buckets hold roughly 40 pounds of rice each. Not sure what I burn on colder days and heating the shop more, but it's a lot. I only know that because my coal bin ran out and I was dumping buckets in. Normally I feed from a 6 ton bin.

I really thought a target might be a good idea, but I talked to EFM and they said no target or combustion chamber. I know the kit comes with an 80 degree 1.50 GPM hollow nozzle, but I couldn't seem to get much info on tubes, baffles, and flame retention heads. There are a lot of variations of the Beckett AFG burners, I probably have the parts to put one together that is right for the boiler. No way I'm spending like 1200 bucks for EFM's kit that is nothing but a burner, some refractory for the ash pit, a safety switch for the door, and a SPDT switch when I have the parts laying around

The burners are all designed with fan, head, and tube end as a unit. Find out from Beckett the recommended firing rate for each model you have and go with the one most suitable. You could fire it in the open air to see how well it retains the flame and fine tune the air and placement in or out slightly of the head to get an idea of placement in the boiler. The flame can not impinge on any part of the boiler.

If you service cars or trucks you might consider a waste oil heater as well.

joethemechanic wrote: ↑

Sun. Jan. 12, 2020 10:58 pm

I really thought a target might be a good idea, but I talked to EFM and they said no target or combustion chamber. I know the kit comes with an 80 degree 1.50 GPM hollow nozzle, but I couldn't seem to get much info on tubes, baffles, and flame retention heads.

I hope you mean GPH, not GPM.

Don't most burner tubes have an adjustable mounting flange? If you have one that's close, you could just adjust the flange to mount the tube just outside the burner door, couldn't you?

Well according to Beckett it should be the following part numbers.

Burner afg b2007
Air tube af72
Retention head f12
Nozzle 1.5GPH 80Degree A

Carlin said their burner for that application is
Burner 99frd
Air tube 20313s
Retention head 23150s
Nozzle 1.5GPH 80Degree A

But the Carlin sounded like it needed a little adapting as it only has a 3 inch diameter air tube

nepacoal wrote: ↑

Mon. Jan. 13, 2020 7:35 am

Don't most burner tubes have an adjustable mounting flange? If you have one that's close, you could just adjust the flange to mount the tube just outside the burner door, couldn't you?

Yeah the Beckett and Carlin burners I just listed have adjustable flanges on the air tubes. Basically you need 7 inches or more of air tube length. I'm not sure if those part numbers included the flange.
Now I just have to look around and see what I have and what I have to buy. Probably just the retention head and nozzle.

Funny I was looking for an air tube last night and I was sure I had an adjustable, but kept coming up with welded on flanges. Although I can cut and re weld if necessary

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Mon. Jan. 13, 2020 10:51 am

You will need the EFM mount/door assembly that mounts in the side of the boiler, and a gasket to go with it. The old ones had a mercury switch so you could not operate the burner unless the door was open. I am not sure how the new ones work.

Yeah I have to cut the blank out of the cover to see what I'm dealing with on the outside of the boiler. That is as soon as I put a new cord on my angle grinder. I dropped my backhoe bucket on it. Everything's a project

What do you guys think of using a Gordon-Platt S4-GO-03 Burner Gun in this 520? It's dual fuel oil/gas. Tube and flange work without modifications. Seems to be a serious quality piece of equipment