How to disassemble basic oil burner parts:

To diagnose and repair the most-common oil burner operating problems some disassembly is often required.

Watch out: oil burner service and repair, to be both safe and effective, requires training and special equipment.

A homeowner can not properly adjust the oil burner combustion air, pressure, nor other features.

However, understanding basic and commonly cleaned or replaced oil burner parts such as the nozzle, nozzle adapter, electrodes, turbulator, can help diagnose and fix oil burner trouble.

The page top sketch is courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education, & report writing tool company.

Signs of Trouble Inside the Oil Burner - Simple Disassembly, Inspection, Testing

We look for obvious trouble signs before making any changes or adjustments to the oil burner assembly by turning off power to the equipment, shutting off the oil supply line at the closest service valve, and opening the oil burner for inspection.

Our sketch (left) shows how an oil burner gun atomizes and sprays heating oil into the combustion chamber

- AUDEL OIL BURNER GUIDE [PDF online copy of this book]

The oil burner parts sketch shown at the top of this page was provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, report writing tool, & home inspection education company. [Click to enlarge any image]

Most oil burners are opened by loosening two screw clamps at the front of the transformer box mounted atop the oil burner tube and folding the hinged transformer back to expose the interior of the tube, the oil burner nozzle assembly, and other parts.

Trouble signs inside the oil burner include

• Cad cell sensor sooty or dirty
  
  (probably from backpressure in the combustion chamber combined with sooty operation - can force an oil burner to remain "off on reset" when the CAD CELL SENSOR that informs the safety control cannot sense that a flame is present.
  
  See CAD CELL RELAY SWITCH for details and also
  
  Alsoi review RESET SWITCH on PRIMARY CONTROL.
• Cracked, damaged ceramic electrode insulators 
  
  on the oil burner assembly - a short here will cause improper ignition
• Dirty turbulator assembly
  
  (if present) mounted on the end of the oil burner nozzle - can interfere with proper air flow around the nozzle and thus with proper heating oil combustion.
  
  The turbulator is a fan-like collection of fins that is mounted, usually on the end of the oil burner nozzle by a bracket, and that provides increased air turbulence to improve heating oil atomization and spray pattern, thus improving combustion efficiency.
  
  Debris and soot can block the air space between the turbulator blades, causing this device to stop working, and leading to dirty sooty oil burner operation.
• Dirty oil burner nozzle,
  
  especially crud build-up that is blocking oil flow or shorting out the oil burner nozzle electrodes -
  
  see OIL BURNER ELECTRODES

• Loose, damaged, misaligned oil burner electrodes 
  
  (use a simple oil burner nozzle gauge or a small steel rule to see that the position of the oil burner electrodes in their gap apart, their distance above the oil burner nozzle orifice, and their distance forward or backwards relative to the face of the oil burner nozzle are according to the manufacturer's specification.
  
  See OIL BURNER ELECTRODES for details.

• Damaged squirrel cage blower assembly -
  
  loose, wobbly bearings, bent fins, dirt and debris; this problem will reduce combustion air input to the oil burner and will result in poor, sooty operation.
• Damaged coupling joining 
  
  the electric motor that drives the oil burner, the combustion air blower squirrel cage fan, and the shaft that turns the fuel pump unit itself.
  
  In our photo, we see tarry goop around the fuel unit drive shaft - a fuel unit drive shaft oil leak discussed
  
  at OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT.
  
  Even a small leak in this location can lead to loss of combustion air and improper burner operation.
• Oil and debris inside the oil burner tube 
  
  possible leaks, incomplete combustion, improperly mounted oil burner gun assembly
• Overheating inside the oil burner tube, tarry goop leaking out of the transformer assembly

Oil Burner Won't Run: Diagnostic Steps - what to check in what order

This topic has moved. Now found

at OIL BURNER WONT RUN we have collected oil burner diagnostic procedures from several texts, ^{[1] - [22]} adapted, expanded, and generally re-ordered steps in order of most likely to be successful and easiest to perform.

Readers needing an approach to heating system inspections that assures thoroughness, should also
see

HEATING SYSTEM INSPECTION PROCEDURE where we explain an organized approach to inspecting the entire heating system, beginning outdoors, continuing indoors, and ultimately in most detail in the boiler or furnace room.

An expert inspection of an oil burner begins either with having made note of building owner/occupant concerns (noises, odors, no heat, high fuel costs), or with having made some basic visual observations outside: a sooty chimney top, for example.

The oil burner inspection continues indoors, even before entering the utility room where the oil burner (or often more than one of them if oil fuel is used for both heating and a separate water heater) is located: look at the building interior as you enter: are there odors, soot deposits, noises associated with the heating system?

The oil burner inspection becomes detailed, and diagnostic, when you can actually see the equipment.

It's obvious that you should notice oil leaks, soot in the boiler or furnace room, noises, odors, signs of repeated repairs, piles of junked parts, signs of unprofessional work (covers off of controls, sloppy wiring or plumbing). But just what each of these clues might mean bears some additional explanation that we offer below.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Where To find a Replacement Ceramic Electrode for a 1993 Ducane Oil Burner?

Hello,

The electrode (ceramic) part is cracked on our 1993 Ducane oil burner. See images.

The system works however twice last week there was a strong smell of burnt oil in our home when the furnace kicked.

We don't know how long the crack has been there, it was not found in the last maintenance 10 months ago.

We are trying to get more information on how soon we should replace our system.

We need a full furnace replacement as those parts are not available anymore.

What is the worst thing that can happen from this crack ?

thanks On 2020-11-12 by Marie

...

We will try looking for the right piece. It's challenging to find one that fits DRC-10A.

Unfortunately

Crown 21182-02 Set Of Replacement Electrodes For Ducane DMR-15A ---- We have DRC-10A

Crown 21182-02 Set Of Replacement Electrodes For Ducane DMR-15A With 7" Blast Tube Fits Ducane DMR15A, DMR-15A, DMR15A1, DMR-15A-1 Oil Burners ----We have DRC-10A

Reply by (mod) - Where to buy Ceramic electrode assembly for Ducane DRC-10A

If you contact one of the suppliers I list It's quite possible that they'll have the part you need.

ICPT Tempstar Parts has many parts for the DRC10A Ducane oil burner. Tel: 888-828-8317 Website: icptempstarparts.com/model/icp-tempstar-heil-drc10a-parts/

See part no. ICP B0811114 ELECTRODE DUCANE (about $100. U.S.)

by Marie

Thank you very much for this information.

How can I fix a leaky Texaco Oil Burner Head?

I have a TEXACO OIl Burner Head. Looks like a Beckett Unit Painted Red. The unit runs well and provides a good flame but when it stops running it leaks oil out onto the floor.

How can this be repaired short of replacing the whole burner head? On 2019-10-26 by Lou

by (mod) - TEXACO Oil Burner Head Leak Repair

Lou

By careful inspection (probably with help from your oil heat service tech) we need to identify the leak point: it could be a damaged nozzle adapter, a leak in the high pressure line between fuel unit and burner, a leak at the fuel unit, etc.

Watch out: the burner may be unsafe.

by Lou

PS: I did open the unit to inspect the electrodes and nozzle area. I did not see any oil at this point. It DOES appear to be coming right from under the pump - could be a poor seal. Lou

I understand. I have watched the unit carefully running so far and all it does is leak from under the pump a small bit - it LOOKS like a big leak because oil tends to spread out.

However I will have the unit checked. As I stated before it only leaks when the unit stops working - maybe there is an internal valve in the pump that does not completely close when the unit turns off? Id love to see an internal schematic/diagram.( I am a curious engineer). Lou

by (mod) - Small leaks along the oil burner nozzle line

Small leaks along the nozzle line can drip into and accumulate in the bottom of the blower compartment of the oil burner;

But if the drip is below the pump it's probably a leak at a connection to the pump or possibly a pump gasket;

Wipe everything totally clean, seams, fittings, etc. then watch all of those areas for an oil seep.

by Lou

Thanks I will look at it again

...

Continue reading at OIL BURNER WONT RUN - Diagnostic Steps - what to check in what order, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• BOILER / FURNACE ROOM TROUBLE SIGNS
• BUILDING EXTERIOR Oil Burner Trouble
• BUILDING INTERIOR Oil Burner Trouble
• OIL BURNER INSPECTION - topic home
• OIL BURNER CO₂ TEST
• OIL BURNER ELECTRODES
• OIL BURNER INSIDE TROUBLE
• OIL BURNER OPERATING TROUBLE
• OIL BURNER SMOKE TEST
• OIL BURNER VISUAL INSPECTION
• OIL BURNER WONT RUN - Diagnostic Steps - what to check in what order
• OIL TANK EFFECTS on OIL BURNER
• HEAT WON'T TURN ON

Suggested citation for this web page

OIL BURNER INSIDE TROUBLE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING OIL, OIL BURNERS, OIL FIRED HEATERS, OIL TANKS

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