Question 4 QMED03 - Oiler

The Correct Answer is A **Explanation for A (Steel tools):** Steel tools (such as awls, wire brushes, or scrapers) should **NEVER** be used to clean boiler fuel oil atomizer parts. Atomizers rely on extremely precise clearances and finely machined surfaces to properly atomize the fuel oil. Steel is significantly harder than the brass or bronze alloys typically used for atomizer tips and spray plates. Using steel tools will scratch, gouge, or distort the delicate orifices and mating surfaces, permanently damaging the tip and leading to poor fuel spray patterns, inefficient combustion, and potential burner failure. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **B) Wood tools:** Wood tools (like toothpicks or specialized wooden dowels) are often acceptable and sometimes preferred for gently poking debris out of orifices because wood is softer than the atomizer material and will not cause damage. * **C) Copper tools:** Copper is a relatively soft metal, softer than the brass or bronze typically used in atomizer tips. While care must still be taken, specialized cleaning tools made of soft copper are often used in marine and power plant environments because they minimize the risk of scratching the critical surfaces. * **D) Brass tools:** Brass is the most commonly recommended material for cleaning tools used on atomizers, especially for clearing blocked orifices. Brass is softer than the as-machined brass/bronze alloy of the tip and will not scratch or damage the critical spray surfaces.