Blichmann Burner Burnout??

[StLouBrew]

I've had a Blichmann Floor Standing Burner for about a year and half. I've done several cooks on it with no problems. On my last cook I fired it up and no matter what I did with the damper setting, all I got was a nasty yellow, sooty flame. I had a spare propane tank on hand, swapped it out - no help.

Contacted Blichmann, talked it out and thought maybe I needed a new regulator. Got that, tried it - same result. Read some threads here that suggested could be spider webs or something in the inlet port. Today, I used pipe cleaners, canned compressed air, leaf blower. I can't imagine there could possibly be any obstruction after all that. Fired it up - same result.

I've never dropped this or dinged the burner with anything. There are no visible signs of stress or damage. Before I send this back to Blichmann to see if they can figure out (I'm sure shipping is NOT going to be cheap) any other suggestions??

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

Just in case this applies (and 'cuz others have been bit before)...

Like most adjustable regulators the Blichmann regulator uses an ACME "nut" to attach to the gas cylinder.
Inside the plastic body is a brass valve with a spring-loaded metal ball within, the purpose of which is to greatly reduce the gas flow if something dramatically wrong happens down-stream. Fwiw, the rating for this Excess Flow Check valve varies with the color of the ACME nut.

If you open the regulator before opening the cylinder valve, you can inadvertently trigger the EFC. With the resulting weak gas flow the classic result is enough gas to make fire, but not much more than that. Yellow flames that can't be cleared by adjusting the regulator or the air damper are symptomatic.

To reset a triggered EFC, usually fully closing the cylinder valve followed by the regulator will suffice. Cranky units may require physically loosening the ACME nut to relieve gas pressure.

fwiw, I run a pair of the original Floor Burners built into my current single tier rig. There's not much that can go wrong with them. The most frequent issue I've seen posted over the years were the result of boil-overs plugging the top-side flame ports...

Cheers

 

[jmcquesten]

Try turning everything off (tank, burner valves), and back the regulator all the way off so there is no pressure at all.

Then start by slightly opening your burner needle valve (if you have them). With that needle valve cracked open, next open the propane tank valve JUST A 1/4 TURN.

Then start cranking the pressure on the propane regulator open until you hear gas flowing from the burner or hold a lighter near the burner and open regulator until the burner lights.

If this works, LEAVE THE PROPANE TANK ALONE (open only 1/4 turn), and adjust the pressure with the regulator and turn flame on/off with needle valves.

This is how I have to light mine due to the safety feature that @day_trippr is referring to.

 

[StLouBrew]

day tripper - I always have the regulator closed and turn on the tanks first. And I now have two regulators so I don't think my problem is a faulty component within one of them. But I do appreciated your input.

jmcqqesten - I'll give that a try, but I never had to be that picky with regulating the flow directly from the propane tank before. At this point I'll try anything. This problem is so frustrating because the setup is so simple, yet nothing seems to work.

 

[jmcquesten]

The 1/4 turn open on the propane tank really does make a difference. Not that it's your problem, but it matters.

 

[kh54s10]

I have 2 different propane tanks. One turns about one and a half revolutions to fully open, the other turns 3 - 5 revolutions. So 1/4 turn on one would be extremely different than 1/4 turn on the other......

 

[jmcquesten]

I have 2 different propane tanks. One turns about one and a half revolutions to fully open, the other turns 3 - 5 revolutions. So 1/4 turn on one would be extremely different than 1/4 turn on the other......

Ok. Maybe 1/4 of the way open would apply in your situation.

 

[jmcquesten]

I have 2 different propane tanks. One turns about one and a half revolutions to fully open, the other turns 3 - 5 revolutions. So 1/4 turn on one would be extremely different than 1/4 turn on the other......

Ok. Maybe 1/4 of the way open would apply in your situation.