A. Water in the oil will produce popping or kicking with the fire in the
fire-box and at times the fire will die down entirely and then flash up
as the water disappears and the oil reaches the burner. The most
noticeable result of water in the oil is the fact that the fire will get
very low. It will almost go out entirely and then will suddenly flash up
again as the oil appears. Water in the oil produces a very dangerous
condition and should be prevented immediately by draining the water from
the fuel oil tank.
34. Q. Do you consider it advisable to keep the burners clean, and how
often?
A. When equipped with steam blow-out pipes, they should be blown out
before commencing trip so that burners will distribute oil evenly to
each side of fire-box.
35. Q. What position should burner be with reference to level and in
line with center of fire-box?
A. It is very essential that burners be level and throw flames just to
clear floor of arch in order to derive full benefit of heating surface,
as the draft has a great tendency to elevate flames, at opposite end of
the fire-box.
36. Q. Are you aware that in course of time the atomizer port will
become worn too large and will discharge too large a volume of steam to
properly atomize, and the remedy?
A. Yes; the lip or bushing should be closed to proper opening so that
steam will be restricted at the nozzle and escape with a bursting effect
to properly atomize the oil instead of flowing out in quantities against
flash walls before it has time to ignite.
37. Q. What is the real object of having the fire-box lined with bricks,
and will engine steam without them?
A. Not so well as with the brick, the sheets being in contact with water
are too cool to flash the oil readily and hence the use of what is
called a "flash wall" built of fire brick and heated to a very high
temperature aids combustion very materially.
38. Q. Do you consider it your duty to keep close inspection of brick
work as to need of repairs, such as air entering between brick and side
sheets?
A. Yes. To see that plaster is kept between the walls and sheets to keep
cold air from being drawn in.
39. Q. Will engine steam if brick falls in front of burners or in path
of flame and what may be done?
A. No. Remove them with the brick hook or rod by pulling them out
through damper of draft pan.
40. Q. Where engine is equipped with an oil-reheater or oil line, do you
consider it a help to engine's steaming qualities when used?
A. Yes; at all times this heater should be used.
41. Q. Why use second heater? Why not heat it to a high temperature in
oil tank with oil heater?
A. Too much gas generating and boiling the oil continually destroys the
higher qualities besides being hard to control the flow through
regulation valve.