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THE FIELD REPORT
Combustion Air Tee - CAT
USING THE COMBUSTION AIR TEE TO SOLVE
COMBUSTION AIR PROBLEMS
Ten years ago, combustion air was rarely a concern to the heating contractor. Within the last five years, however, combustion air has
become a very hot topic. Several states, Massachusetts among them, now require combustion air in new construction and new oil burn-
ing installations. The problems range from minor inefficiencies to major sooting and can all be traced to tight construction and confined
space installations, causing a lack of combustion air. Here are three cases where combustion air problems were solved with a new product,
the Combustion Air Tee from Field Controls.
CASE ONE: Electric to Oil Conversion
(Highland, NY) Tony Prizzia lives in upstate New York, in a home built in 1988 with electric heat, R-38 insulation and very tight construc-
tion. In 1992, I replaced the electric forced air system with an oil furnace vented through the sidewall. I immediately began to have
sooting problems, says Prizzia. The conversion was made by Taylor Plumbing of Modina, NY and included a Weil McLain system with a
Beckett burner and an SWG Sidewall Power Venter.
The furnace was located in his garage. Local codes required that it be enclosed, so a furnace room was built within the garage.
Sooting problems began almost immediately. I keep a classic sports car in the garage and from day one, Ive had to keep it covered
because of black soot that came out of the furnace room. In the past seven years my contractor has been here at least a dozen times
measuring, adjusting, changing nozzles all to no avail. The contractor concluded it was a combustion air problem and decided the only
solution was to cut another hole in the wall to allow the infiltration of fresh combustion air. Tony didnt like that idea, so he called the
manufacturer of the power venter, Field Controls, for other options.
His problem caught the attention of Frank Kata, Fields Product Manager. Actually, Tony had two problems, says Kata. First,
his system was starved for fresh air, causing inefficient oil burning and soot buildup in his combustion chamber. Second, because his
home is so tight, negative pressure built up inside the building during vent cycles. The pressure was so great that when the furnace shut
off, air was pulled back in through the power venter to equalize the pressure. This air flow caused the soot in the combustion chamber to
blow back into his furnace room and garage. It was quite a mess. Kata recommended the Field Combustion Air Tee (CAT) and sent a CAT
and a CAS-2 Combustion Air Kit to Tonys contractor with installation instructions.
The unique triple-pipe configuration of the Combustion Air Tee is the innovation that makes this solution possible without a
second hole in the wall, according to Kata. The CAT carries exhaust air out through the Power Venter while simultaneously bringing fresh
combustion air in all through the same hole. The CAT connects directly to the SWG Power Venter. A second length of galvanized piping
is added to connect the CAT to the furnace burner via the Field AirBoot
®
. The AirBoot is calibrated to provide the correct amount of air for
the burner. A VRV (Vacuum Relief Valve) acts as a safety valve in case the fresh air intake is blocked.
Its been installed since late September, with no signs of soot, says Prizzia. Im impressed.
Field AirBoot
®
T H E F I E L D C O N T R O L S C O M P A N Y
Printed in USA (KP) ©2000
Form No. 4285
THE FIELD REPORT
SWG Power Venter
SWG SEALED COMBUSTION SYSTEM
The Ultimate Combustion Air & Vent System for Oil Burning Equipment
How the Sealed Combustion System works:
RC Draft Control
Field AirBoot
®
VRV - Vacuum Relief Valve
SWG Power Venter
CK - Control Kit
Combustion Air Tee (CAT)
SWG Power Vent System: The patented design
provides 100% negative pressure to prevent CO
leakage and maintain consistent air flow through
the system.
CK-Control Kit: Operates the venter and burner
motor simultaneously for shorter post purge times,
cooling the nozzle and reducing oil drips
and odors.
Combustion Air Tee: Provides a middle pipe to
insulate between hot exhaust gases and cooler
combustion air, reducing potential for condensation
formation and allowing for connection to standard
SWG series power venters.
RC Draft Control: Maintains manufacturers
overfire draft specifications for standard oil burning
equipment.
AirBoot
®
: Allows for direct connection and quick
setup on standard oil burners. Patented design
provides accurate combustion airflow control
for optimal operation of the burner.
VRV: Ensures safe operation in case combustion
air inlet becomes blocked for any reason, and can
be used to temper intake air.
1
2
3
4
5
6 100%N
EGATIVEPRESSURE the safest waytovent SWG
Furnace, Boiler, or
Water Heater
SWG Power Venter
CK-Control Kit
Combustion Air
Tee (CAT)
Oil Burner
4
RC-Draft
Control
Field AirBoot
®
Vacuum
Relief Valve
Airflow
Adjustment
Damper
Vent Gases
Combustion Air
SWG Combustion Air Tee (CAT)
Inner pipe carries exhaust
Middle pipe insulates
Outer pipe carries combustion air
Combustion Air Tee Cross Section
SYSTEM
Listed T H E F I E L D C O N T R O L S C O M P A N Y
3
T H E F I E L D C O N T R O L S C O M P A N Y
2
CASE TWO: Basement Installation
(Suffield, CT) Gordon Lumas is Service Manager for Krupa Oil in Suffield, Connecticut. The new homes here are extremely tight, air
changes are minimal, and no one wants a second hole in their wall for combustion air, says Lumas. When I first heard about the CAT, I
called and ordered one immediately. Just about every one of my customers has a combustion air problem, to some degree, says Lumas.
I frequently run into a problem where the burner is operating... but at much less than 100% efficiency... and its all due to a lack of
combustion air. Sometimes theres a sooting problem, but primarily were just trying to get the system operating at peak efficiency.
Lumas first installation was on a system that was built in the mid 90s with an oil furnace located in the basement, vented through
the sidewall.
Gordon connected the CAT between the exhaust vent and the SWG Power Venter. He then connected the Field AirBoot
®
to the
Beckett burner and added enough pipe to connect the fresh air from the CAT to the burner. The entire process took about ninety
minutes, according to Lumas. The system is running great and the homeowner is very satisfied with the operation and that it took so
little space.
CASE THREE: Code Requirement
(New Bedford, MA) Harvey Reid is an independent contractor in Lakeville, Massachusetts and has been venting oil burners through the
sidewall for over ten years. For him, additional combustion air is not an option. Its virtually mandated by code. Code now requires 5,000
cubic feet of space for every 100,000 Btus of input. Very few basements have that kind of space, so some source of outside air is a neces-
sity, says Reid. I think the CAT is the ideal solution to this problem.
This fall, Reid installed an oil furnace in New Bedford with very limited space. At first I didnt think it would work because it was
a real tight fit between the vent pipe and the sidewall. I had to orient the CAT in a vertical position to meet my clearances. Once I made
that decision, it was pretty easy, says Reid. The system is running smoothly and my customer is very happy. The CAT was connected to
an SWGII4-HD and a Beckett burner via the Field AirBoot
®
. This is the best idea yet for combustion air, says Reid. Only one hole, very
easy to install, and very safe. Reid says he now makes the CAT a standard part of any furnace installation.
For more information on the Combustion Air Tee (CAT) or the complete SWG Sealed Combustion System, ask your wholesaler
or contact Field Controls at 252.522.3031. Information is also available on the internet at www.fieldcontrols.com
End view of CAT.
CAT attaches to SWG Power Venter.
Vacuum Relief Valve and Field AirBoot
®
regulate fresh air intake.
Complete SWG Sealed Combustion System Fresh air enters through pipe F.
Vent gases exit through pipe V.
V
F