Noisy oil heat burner chimney

sams wrote: (clip) Iam thinking of adding some sound insulation (rock wool) covering the the chimeny pipe.(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ That will certainly do some good, but I understand that the best way to reduce noise is with mass. So,how about wrapping the pipe with chicken wire, and then applying a layer of stucco?

You could first see if the fan is dirty throwing the fan out of balance.

Then I would try balancing the fan.

If this fails it's time to throw metal at the duct.

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No. Don't add insulation and it won't do anything to reduce the sound. Others suggested that you add mass. You could also add stress. Assuming that it is just resonance, easiest way to reduce the sound is to get some lead weights (1 pound pieces such as used for bullet making) and attach them to the pipe (hang them with simple iron wire). Position may be critical for maximum sound damping so make you attachments easy to move, (just a wire loop or two around the pipe). You could also put stress on the pipe by using thin but sturdy metal to push against the pipe. I reduced the noise of my gas furnace by a tremendous by inserting a can between the chimney and the wall to introduce pressure. The chimney doesn't get real hot (probably a 1 inch free space requirement) but a 3 inch diameter can eliminated any transfer of heat from the flue to the wall.

However, I would go with the first suggestion (weights on wire) as it is simple to do, easy to adjust, and cheap. If it doesn't work, look for other solutions.

There is a special type of breeching insulation that has to be used if you go that route. Knauf and others make it, it is a type of rock wool or mineral fiber insulation which has replaced the traditional calcium silicate breeching insulation on most commercial jobs. It is typically covered with a fabric and a lagging paste is brushed on. All that extra junk will complicate burner service, though. You could also buy double wall insulated stovepipe, which might be simpler. It is likely that something is rattling that could be secured or dampened, however. Another option is to switch to a

I think first you need to determine if the source of the vibration is the pump/burner unit or the fan unit moving the heated air.

The burner uses a highspeed fan to compress the air going into the furnace where the attached high pressure pump sprays the oil into the burner where it is atomized and then an electric arc ignites it. There is potential fan out-of-balance here, but the fan is usually pretty well protected.

Most likely the problem is a belt driven fan that has problems. Check the belt. Check the fan for dirt,trash, small toys, etc.

Paul in Redmond, OR

What is vibrating? the smoke pipe or the chimmney liner?

I would ask your burner tech what the draft over the fire and draft at the breech is. It seems to me your burner is out of adjustement. As previously sugested it sounds like an excess air condition, which will make the burner roar or rumble. Also a high fuel vacuum can cause problems too, so what are the vacuum and pump pressure readings?

When you say it has an exhaust fan at the end, are you referring to an induced draft fan?