When a gas-fired burner is operating properly, what color will the flame primarily be?

When a gas-fired burner operates properly, the flame should primarily be blue with short yellow tips. This blue coloration indicates that the gas is being burned efficiently and completely, which means that the air-to-fuel ratio is optimal. The blue color is a result of complete combustion, where the fuel is burned cleanly and produces minimal soot or incomplete combustion byproducts.

The presence of short yellow tips may suggest that there is some minor turbulence or slight variations in the airflow, which can cause the flame to have small, localized areas of incomplete combustion. However, if the flame were predominantly yellow or had other colors like green or red, that would typically indicate inefficient combustion, which could lead to increased emissions and potentially dangerous operating conditions.

In summary, the blue flame with short yellow tips represents a properly adjusted burner that is functioning efficiently while providing a small indication of airflow variations.