Power Burners Vs. Atmospheric Burners

The first use of an atmospheric burner in an appliance dates back to the 1820s. While they remain a widely trusted and utilized burner technology yet today, an increasing number of appliance manufacturers are using power burners to achieve gains in performance and efficiency.

The most common reason for using a power burner is driven simply by the Btu/hr needs of the application. The greater the necessary Btu/hr range, the more likely a power burner is to be considered. While differing opinions exist, atmospheric burners are suitable up to approximately 100,000 Btu/h.

What's the Difference?

An atmospheric burner uses the natural process of gas escaping from the orifice to mix with primary air. In other words, the air needed for combustion is simply provided from the atmosphere, without the need for a mechanical blower.

A power burner forces air in with a mechanical blower and is therefore able to mix with greater amounts of gas while sustaining the required gas: air mix ratio. In total, greater efficiencies and performance are obtained, as the amount of air can always be controlled by regulating excess air that’s known to drive down burner efficiency.