How Oil Systems Makes Heat
Your thermostat (1) has a sensor which measures room temperature. When the temperature drops below your thermostat setting (or you raise the level above the room temperature), it sends a signal to the controls (2) on your oil burner (3) to begin combustion.
A fuel pump (4) draws oil through a filter (5) to feed your oil burner (3). The burner nozzle turns this oil into a fine spray. Air is mixed in simultaneously as an ignition system ignites the mixture in the combustion chamber (6), heating the chamber.
In a Hot Water (Hydronic) System, water circulates around your boiler's (10) flue passages. A circulator (11) pumps (or circulates) the hot water through radiators and/or baseboards. An expansion tank (12) provides an "air cushion" for varying system pressures.
Eventually the water returns to the unit as the cycle continues, until your thermostat is satisfied.
Steam systems work similarly, except that steam is generated and rises to the radiators (no circulators are needed). A low water cutoff prevents damage to the boiler by shutting it down in the event water levels drop too low.
In all systems, the combustion emissions go up the flue (13), never mixing with either the air or water going through your home. |
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