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Photograph of a modern oil-fired heating boilerOil Burner Inspection FAQs-2
Q&A about inspecting & troubleshooting oil burners set #2


FAQs on how to inspect, diagnose & repair oil burners, set #2.

This article series answers commonly-asked questions about the inspection, troubleshooting & repair of oil burners such as those used on oil-fired heating boilers or furnaces.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

FAQs on Problems at Oil Burners

Oil burner schematic (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

These oil burner inspection, troubleshooting & repair questions and answers posted recently at this diagnostic article: OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR - see the diagnostic procedures outlined there.

On 2018-08-20 by (mod) - pushed reset button. It started then stopped, tried 3 times

Barb

Watch out: DO NOT keep pressing the re-set button on an oil burner that won't start and keep running.

Doing so risks a dangerous puff-back explosion (search InspectApedia.com for that phrase to read details).

Your oil burner needs service or repair or both.

On 2018-08-18 by Barb Williams

No hot water, pushed reset button. It started then stopped, tried 3 times, nothing. Need hot water.

On 2017-12-10 by darren montour

we have an oil furnace as it is too expensive to get gas here. it has been operating intermittently for the last two weeks and it quit on thursday. we are desperately looking for a solution within the next week before it gets cold. we have called every plumber in brooks and they all say they cant fix oil furnaces,

i dont think it is rocket science, can anyone help? i reside in the brooks alberta area.

On 2017-10-31 by Vickie

the blower wont turn on on my furnace cant remember if there is a switch or what i have to do

On 2017-09-30 by Katrics

Trying to repair my oil burner

On 2017-08-07 by sharon

how to find out where an oil burner came from that was put in my house

On 2017-03-21 by (mod) -

Charlie

In the ARTICLE INDEX click on OIL BURNER WON'T RUN for some helpful diagnostics if the oil burner won't operate on your furnace;

Or use the search box to find NO HEAT FURNACE for other furnace problems besides the burner itself

On 2017-03-21 by Charlie


The furnace was working fine up until this morning

On 2017-03-20 by (mod) -

Anon, you'll want to call your heating company for repair service.

When an oil burner doesn't keep running, Do not keep pressing the reset button because that could cause an OIL BURNER PUFFBACK - search InspectApedia using the box just above to know more about that hazard.

On 2017-03-20 by Anonymous

My furnace keeps kicking the reset button and won't run what do I do

On 2017-01-04 by carol pfarner

I have an Oneida royal smoke came out and bad oder fired it back up seems too run fine what should I do if it happens again

On 2017-01-04 by (mod) - what to do if smoke comes out of the oil burner and it smells

Carol:

I'd call for a service technician to inspect and repair the system before you have a puffback explosion

(see PUFFBACKS, OIL BURNER) or lose heat.

You may also need the chimney inspected and perhaps cleaned, or of course there can be other causes, even a loose wire or connection.

On 2017-01-04 by carol pfarner

I have an Oneida royal smoke came out and bad oder fired it back up seems too run fine what should I do if it happens again

On 2016-11-26 by (mod) - DO NOT keep pushing the reset button on an oil burner

Ioan

When the burner is going off on reset there's probably a fuel delivery, or ignition, or nozzle problem: those are the common sources. Of course a trained oil heat service tech will also check the cad cell itself.

Watch out: For safety you really want an onsite service technician - this isn't a proper homeowner repair topic.

DO NOT keep running by pressing the reset button - see PUFFBACKS, OIL BURNER

On 2016-11-25 by ioan - Trianco oil burner goes to lockout after 10 minutes

I have a trianco burner, that's goes to lock out after 10 minits of running fine, and if I press the lock out button, the same thing will happen again.

I have put a new control box on it, the pump spinning ferly smooth, can you help me?

On 2016-11-06 by Tater - had water in the oil tank

I also changed the air filter for the system as well. Thanks!!

I have a 2010 Beckett GeniSys 7505. Wouldn't fire at the beginning of the year. I tried a few different times to get it going.

Checked and I had water in the underground oil tank. I drained all of the water, bled the pump until only oil was coming out, changed the supply line filter and nozzle.

Unit fires up just fine, runs for a few minutes seems to loose flame (fan stays running) then fires right back up after 30 seconds. It keeps doing his until set temp on stat is reached. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

On 2016-09-30 by (mod) - popping sound coming from the oil burner air inlet

Mike:

Sounds like an unsafe condition, either an electrical failure or a malfunctioning burner. DO NOT keep pressing the reset button - search InspectApedia for PUFFBACK EXPLOSION to read what can happen. Instead I'd call for service.

On 2016-09-30 by Mike c

My pump and motor are a 1997 Becket model AF15. Thanks
I hear a popping sound coming from the inlet air box. It's in between pump and motor. My furnace is not working correctly, doesn't seem to produce the usual amount of heat. It will cycle once, but will not fire again. Thanks

On 2016-06-14 by (mod) - whats the purpose of a belt driva and a direct drive on the fan?

Anon: furnaces and air conditioners (not the oil burner described in the article above) use a fan to move air for building heating or cooling. The fan blower assembly, typically a squirrel-cage fan has to spin to move air.

The fan is rotated EITHER by a direct drive motor - the motor's spindle or drive shaft turns the fan - OR by a motor that is mounted separately, typically above the fan assembly, using a pulley and fan belt between the motor's drive shaft and the fan drive shaft.

So a belt-driven fan will display a drive motor with a pulley on the end of the drive shaft, a blower fan with a pulley that drives the fan, and a belt connecting the two.

Search InspectApedia for FURNACE BLOWER FAN ASSEMBLY to read more.

On 2016-06-14 by anonymous

whats the purpose of a belt drive and a direct drive on the fan?

On 2016-04-06 by Anonymous

I have the boiler locked off and just running off one. Going to go through it all on summer shut down. Will let you know the out come
Thanks for the comment👍🏼

On 2016-03-19 by (mod) - overheating boiler, burn marks

Sounds unsafe to me - I suspect a burner problem or a venting problem. I'd be inclined to shut off the system and call for professional cleaning and adjustment of the system asap.

BE SURE YOU HAVE WORKING SMOKE & FIRE ALARMS properly located and installed.

On 2016-03-14 by Luke

Hi,
Got two NuWay burners NOL 100 and one of the doors is getting very hot, noticed the heat and colour around the sight glass tube on the boiler door. Switched the boiler off and opened up, checked the nozzles, Solinoids, air flow, insulation on the back of the door, diffuser plate.

All seems ok but boiler a little sooty. Could it be back pressure and need a clean?
Any help would be appreciated.

On 2016-02-20 by (mod) - furnacer stops, then immediately re-starts

Derek

Presuming we are really talking about a forced warm air furnace (not a hot water heating system or "boiler") then I suspect that your plenum is overheating, turning off the unit.

Watch the fan limit control on the air handler. If it is turning to the HI cut off temp then that's the problem. If so look for a dirty air filter or crimped duct work.

On 2016-02-20 by Derek

Hi there, very nice website with lots of info. I have a CMF100-PO furnace with a Wayne M-SRH1 oil burner.

If the current temp in the house is 60 and I set the T-stat to 70, the furnace will run and then stop and then immediately restart.

It will do this the whole time the furnace is going until the desired temp of 70 is reached. I tried a new T-stat with no luck. Any ideas?

On 2016-02-20 by (mod) - when reset the furnace kicks on briefly then goes off - no heat

If you have hot water from a tankless coil in the boiler then the boiler is working. You can confirm that by observing the boiler, seeing that it runs when boiler temperature drops (say because you're running hot water), and see that its temperature rises - it's hot. It's working.

That tells us that a circulator or circulator relay isn't running, a zone valve isn't opening, or the hot water heating pipes may be airbound.

Search InspectApdia for NO HEAT DIAGNOSIS for more detailed help, or see

On 2016-02-19 by Anthony

I have a hot oil furnace that heats my house and also supplies the house with hot water.

We ran out of fuel and filled the tank back up, we bleed the line and all seemed well. The problem is the hot water portion of the furnace is working, but I'm getting no hot oil heat in my home.

When I reset the furnace it kicks on for a few seconds and then nothing. You can feel heat coming from the furnace just not through the pipes. Is there a possible solution?

On 2016-01-24 by (mod) - oil burner runs for a day then quits

DS
Typically the oil burner will not need to run continuously all day - only in the most extremely cold weather might that occur; rather it turns on and off as needed. Possibly after being off for a longer interval at night (lower thermostat settings, for example), the system may cool down more than during the day.

That lower temp could, in unusual cases, result in an open electrical connection, but that would not be expected to trip the reset button. More likely the system is having trouble starting and is going off on reset. It needs inspection and repair by a trained service tech, looking for an oil leak, air in the lines, improperly set electrodes, a control problem.

On 2016-01-24 13:48:38.650048 by dsantus

replaced nozzel, filter and reset electrodes. i i cleaned the eye . it restarts with the restart button then runs all day n/p,, after that it dosent restart...no leaks coiuld this be electrical?

On 2015-12-10 07:54:27.552602 by (mod) furnace turns on after having turned itself off - there's an oil smell

Surely there is a reason. I'd call for service to look for an oil leak, oil burner service, and a check that the furnace heat exchanger is safe and not leaking.

Your system may be unsafe

On 2015-12-10 02:14:09.650462 by Dan

My furnace comes on and worms the place but there is a smell of oil that comes out the heat vents in the house.

After it runs the cycle it shuts off for about 30 seconds then tries to kick back on runs for some seconds and shuts off again till the next cycle. Any reason for all this?

On 2015-12-01 01:58:26.980590 by (mod) - pushing the reset button the burner runs ok but later it's off again

Shawn

Do NOT keep pushing the reset button, particularly if the burner runs only a short time or only one cycle on its own.

Doing so leaves excess oil in the combustion chamber and threatens a puffback explosion.

The fact that the oil looks clean is helpful but not enough; the system probably needs service: you could have a clogging filter, dirty nozzle assembly, a dirty screen in the fuel unit or some other issue.

On 2015-11-30 17:59:09.951506 by Shawn McCall

My reznor used oil burner in my shop keeps shutting down.

When I push reset button it fires and runs perfect, then when I come back later, it has shut down and needs the reset button pushed. Oil has no water or contaminants in it as the filters are all clean. Confusing.

On 2015-11-11 17:58:28.600139 by (mod) - water heater oil burner stuck in "lockout" mode

James:

Clearly there is an oil leak - which ultimately is dangerous as it can lead to a puffback explosion (search inspectApedia.com for that term to read details)

If you are not seeing leaks at the oil line fittings that you *can* see then the leak is inside the burner tube or gun. Look first outside, checking both low pressure side (into the fuel unit) and high pressure lines between fuel unit and gun inlet. Wipe everything clean and dry and use your clean finger to feel around fittings for oil-wetting.

Watch out: having made every mistake on servicing an oil burner at least once I warn that over-tightening the nozzle adapter onto the end of the nozzle tube or over-tightening the nozzle itself into the brass nozzle adapter can also cause leaks that foul up the burner spray pattern, cause burner malfunction, and can send oil both into the combustion chamber and onto the utility room floor.

James I hope you're trained on this work: fooling around with an oil burner without knowing the details could leave an unsafe system. Be careful.

On 2015-11-11 03:12:13.989777 by James

My water heater's burner was stuck in lockout mode, so I removed the gun, cleaned it, and reassembled it.

Held the reset switch for 30 seconds to reset the CPU, and it heated a tank of water just fine.

But when I noticed oil on the floor, I opened it back up and the gun, CAD sensor, springs, everything is covered in fresh oil. All oil connections are tight. What do you think is happening?

On 2015-11-11 02:37:12.078478 by (mod)

Check for a stuck water feeder valve

On 2015-11-11 01:33:41.004803 by Scott

Drained some water from system to change air relief vent now I can't get system to refill. Any help?

On 2015-10-26 12:10:42.837005 by Anonymous

How much gap is in the points to points, And the space between the spray nozel

...

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