A burner meters fuel, supplies and shapes combustion air, ignites the mix and keeps the flame anchored at the right size and shape for the furnace. Gas burners mix gas and air in a head or premix chamber; oil burners atomize oil through a nozzle; dual-fuel burners can switch between them. Burner setup, called tuning, decides efficiency, emissions and how cleanly the boiler runs.
Burner needs a full tune-up before heating season, last fall's combustion report had CO all over the place.
Also heard as
- burner assembly
Related terms
Power burner
A burner with its own fan that forces combustion air into the furnace, rather than relying on natural draft.
Pilot
A small flame that lights the main burner and is often used to prove ignition before main fuel flows.
Turndown
The ratio of a burner's highest to lowest firing rate, such as 4 to 1 or 10 to 1.
Gas train
The string of valves, regulator and switches that controls and safeguards gas on its way to the burner.
Nozzle
The precision tip on an oil burner that atomizes oil into a fine cone-shaped spray, rated in gallons per hour.