Kerosun Monitor 30 help

[IamDave0887]

Hello everyone,

I'm Dave and I just installed a second hand Kerosun Monitor 30 heater in my house last week. The heater seems to function normally as far as i can tell, however i've noticed a few issues.

The flame window was all covered in soot, so i removed the cover over the burn chamber and cleaned it and the chamber. i also cleaned the rear exhaust port/pipe and the flue pipe out before install. That was a few days ago and there has been no soot buildup yet and its been cycling on and off for a few days now keeping the house warm.

I noticed the flame is yellow in color regardless of blower/burner setting. The edges of the flame where the air holes are in the burner pot are blue though. The exhaust is clear with zero smoke, but it does stink. The fuel is a few years old and yellowish in color. The smell of the fuel doesn't smell the same as the 5 gallon container of clear K-1 that i have for another indoor kerosun omni 105 heater. It was stored in 2 55 gallon steel drums and was sold to me with the heater when i bought a few weeks back. Could the fuel be my issue?

I know this model doesn't use a burn mat, and i've had the burn chamber apart, but not removed, to clean it as best as i could. I'm curious if the center insert goes in a certain way? i'm wondering if it was put in upside down somehow. I made sure to install it as i removed it, but i'm still curious. If the fuel and air don't mix right i can see it not burning properly. There's a taper in the metal ring that's attached to the burn tube in the center of the burn pot. I"m not sure which was it sits, if the taper faces up or down. Here's a generic photo of the center chamber piece. That taper in the center of the ring, does it face upwards towards the heater exchange or down towards the ignitor? There's also another metal ring in there that i'm guessing also directs airflow somehow. it looks like it would sit on that notched seat on the 3 center supports.

Also the "E" baffle was installed on the air intake location of the flue pipe, but its a standard installation, not an installation with extension kits. the home it came from didnt have extension kits either. I do not have the "S" baffle. I removed the "E" baffle to test and see if it was restricting airflow and i do notice a change in flame intensity and i can tell its getting more air, but its still yellow-ish. Does the "S" baffle has a larger/smaller opening than the "E" baffle?

I'm curious as to what i'm missing here. From what i've read the flame should be a nice blue flame. Does this model burn differently seeing as it doesn't use a burn mat?

I have an owners manual for the unit, but it doesn't state anything on flame color.

The combustion motor seems to run ok. I checked the bearings best i could and i noticed the motor spins down for almost a minute after power is removed. This would tell me the bearings appear to be ok but when the motor spins up i can hear it. its not deafening, but i definitely know when its running on any setting. the sound doesn't sound like a bad bearing it's not a rumbling or screeching sound.

I can get video of it and post it if that'll help.

Any help you guys can give me is greatly appreciated without this heater all this house has is electric baseboard, and after seeing my electric bill that was all i needed to find another heat source, which is where this heater came into play.

Thanks,

- Dave

[hawkins111]

The combustion ring is installed so that the tube with all the holes in it is upward. The flame spreader ring goes on to the tube with the holes.

I would be very concerned with the fuel in those drums. If it is yellow it has either deteriorated to a point of being unserviceable or you may have #2 fuel oil. I don’t think it is #2, as you would already know that. The stove would be sooted up bad. If you could get a hydrometer you could check the SG to be sure.

The S damper has a smaller hole in it than the E damper.

If you can hear the bearings they need to be changed at some point. If the motor runs up to speed you are OK for the time being.

Tom

[OnTheEdge]

yup I agree with Tom. Sounds like you got some old Kero that has started to go south, or is already gone beyond what you should use for your heater.

[IamDave0887]

Can i run the heater with the "E" damper installed? I've tried to find a "S" damper online but have had no luck. Seeing as how old this unit is I'm not surprised that i couldn't find one.

I'll take pictures of the burn chamber i'm worried that the combustion ring assembly isn't in right. There's a second ring in there that sits on the edges of the supports attached to the center tube portion, for a total of two rings. does this sound right?

There are 4 round holes in both the top and bottom of that perforated center tube, as well as square holes all the way around the sides of the tube.

Thanks,

- Dave

[IamDave0887]

Here are photos of what was in my burn chamber.

The center combustion ring assembly. depending on which way its installed the center tube either touches the bottom of the burn pot or it doesn't.

something tells me its not supposed to touch the bottom of the burn chamber, but i'm not 100% sure either way.

[IamDave0887]

My burn pot. I need to clean and vacuum it out before assembling it again.




The bottom and top of this center portion is the same with 4 holes in each side.



larger section of center tube facing up. are the notches in the supports for the first ring supposed to be for the second loose ring?


larger section facing down. if installed this way into the burn pot the center tube touches the bottom of the burn pot. i'm not sure if the attached ring touches the little pins in the burn pot or not if installed this way.

if installed this way does the second ring sit in the top of the supports?

[hawkins111]

The larger section goes up and the brackets are for the flame spreader circle.

[IamDave0887]

cleaned out and reinstalled. it is fuel related as there was a little bit of soot in there, and i cleaned it only a few days ago. i'm going to burn through what i have for this fuel while diluting it with fresh crystal clear K1 from the fuel station.

Will the "E" damper be an issue even though there's no extension kits installed?

Does anyone know where i might be able to find a "S" damper?

They've got to be rarer than hen's teeth by now i'd figure.

Thanks,

- Dave

[hawkins111]

Don't use that fuel for any reason. Mixing it won't do you any good. Get some clean #1 fuel.

Look on EBAY or contact Hickory Home and Gardens in NC. They have lots of Monitor stuff

Tom

[IamDave0887]

Don't use that fuel for any reason. Mixing it won't do you any good. Get some clean #1 fuel.

Look on EBAY or contact Hickory Home and Gardens in NC. They have lots of Monitor stuff

Tom

I'm stuck with roughly 80 gallons of this stuff then. Ugh...

I've got to find somewhere that delivers bulk kerosene.

Are bulk deliveries still Crystal clear K1?

I can get it at the fuel station near my work, but it's $3.759 a gallon.

Thanks,

- Dave

[hawkins111]

Nobody delivers bulk kerosene. You get #1 home heating oil. It is almost as light as kerosene and approved for Monitor and Toyo heaters. Using that old fuel will soot up your heater and cause more maintenance. You can also use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel which you can get at the pump. Kerosene can be found at some stations but it is very expensive. Tom

[IamDave0887]

I'm guessing this heater was stated to use only crystal clear K1 at the time because diesel was still really dirty compared to kero? They didn't have low sulfur or ultra low sulfur diesel back then, which is 500ppm and 15ppm respectively.

Diesel back in the 80s when this heater was built was a much dirtier fuel.

what would be better? #1 home heating oil fuel or pump ULSD? i know pump ULSD has road taxes so it would be more expensive overall, but i won't need to buy a minimum of 100+ gallons like i would with #1 home heating oil.

[hawkins111]

You can burn ULSD. If you have to buy large blocks of #1, ULSD would be your answer. Be aware that if you are heating you whole house you will use about two gallons a day in the winter.

Tom

[IamDave0887]

You can burn ULSD. If you have to buy large blocks of #1, ULSD would be your answer. Be aware that if you are heating you whole house you will use about two gallons a day in the winter.

Tom

Tom,

My house is small, coming in just under 750 sq ft. The Heater is oversized for the house honestly.

[OnTheEdge]

Not may places deliver kero anymore. I know of one in my area but not close enough to me. I have a place in town that still caries it but does not deliver.. Clear Kero you get at a gas station will be more expensive because it is taxed for road use.

Some heating oil companies still carry Kero in my area because contractors and such still use it for space heaters on construction sites. If you can find a heating oil company that sells kero that is dyed red it will be less money then clear kero. They are the same exact product, but one is died and one is not, the dye is to tell which is taxed for road use and which is not..

I can get both in my area.. Just not delivered.. Red dyed kero right now in my area is $3.20 a gallon. I think the clear is approx. .50 more. I burn about 130 gallons a season.. At the end of every hating season I make 4 or 5 trips with a 30 gallon barrel in my pickup and top off my 275 tank. It burns up most of a sat afternoon but to heat a 1500 Sq Ft ranch in MA for an entire heating season for under 500 bucks, it is worth it..