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Oil Burner Visual Inspection for Problems
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about oil burner inspection, diagnosis, & repair, troubleshooting procedure, how to get the oil burner running again, best order of diagnostic steps.
Visual inspection at the oil burner itself:
Looking closely at the oil burner and the furnace, boiler, or water heater (calorifier, geyser, cylinder) where the oil burner is mounted gives very important oil burner troubleshooting information, as we describe here.
This article series explains to inspect, diagnose & repair oil burners used on oil-fired heating boilers or furnaces using a visual inspection approach as well as (optional) simple test equipment.
We include a description of common oil burner adjustment and operating problems and we illustrate some of the basic oil burner tests and measurements made in servicing and adjusting the equipment for safe, efficient operation.
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Signs of Trouble at the Oil Burner Itself - Visual Inspection
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 a closer look at the boiler and the oil burner can tell us about operating problems even before the heating equipment is actually turned on.
[Click to enlarge any image]
Watch out: Do not miss these diagnostic clues as some of them also involve serious safety concerns.
- Are there signs of backpressure in the combustion chamber? The cause may be a dirty boiler or furnace, a blocked flue, inadequate draft, etc.
We have seen oil burners that suffered through three or four transformer replacements, in one job every few months:
the service tech had not realized that chimney problems and backpressure were causing so much heat blow-back into the oil burner tube that the transformers were being "cooked"
- the clue was obvious if you knew that tarry goop leaking out of a transformer means it's overheating.
Our photo of backpressure burns at an oil fired boiler (left) shows rust around the inspection port
- a hot combustion chamber has burned off the paint in this area.
The oil burner itself, a Beckett oil burner, was tolerating the backpressure in this case and was undamaged. - But the backpressure cause (a dirty boiler) needed to be addressed.
More often we see soot around the oil burner as a sign of backpressure, such as is shown in this this horizontal furnace
OIL FIRED UNIT BACK-PRESSURE PHOTO.
- Are there oil leaks at the oil burner or at the Fire-o-matic fusible link oil valve (that should be installed at the oil burner burner) or at the oil tank?
See OIL SUPPLY LINE SAFETY VALVES, OSVs.
Also see OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS. - Is the system safely connected to a chimney? If not, stop worrying about the oil burner and shut the system down.
- Look at the temperature/pressure gauge: normal operating values? Boiler temperature and pressure are indicated on the TP gauge and should show increase not to exceed normal operating limits (200 deg F or less and less than 30 psi)
If the aquastat settings controlling a hot water heating system boiler are set to unusual temperatures that may indicate an operating problem, a heat distribution problem, an un-trained service tech, or homeowner meddling.
On hot water heating boilers, the pressure and temperature gauge reads about 12 psi cold, less than 30 psi hot. Over 30 psi the temperature will cause spillage at the temperature/pressure relief valve. - Typical operating temperature
settings on the oil burner primary control: LO-120-160 HI-180-200 °F.
Typical operating temperature observed at the gauge will be below the high, and can be as low as nighttime room temperature in non-heating season if no tankless coil is in use.
The temperature/pressure gauge may help in checking for normal conditions before and during boiler operation. However the gauge can be wrong!
See GAUGES on HEATING EQUIPMENT for details
Furnace temperatures on oil burner-fired warm air heating systems are not normally measured by a gauge but are reflected on the settings of
the FAN LIMIT SWITCH.
Steam boilers and their oil burners in most residential installations operate at low pressure (a fraction of 1 psi) - if the steam boiler pressure switch is set high, that may indicate a heat distribution problem that has been "fixed" using an expedient but improper approach.
See STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS
Oil burners on water heaters use similar (but generally simpler) high limit and low limit temperature controls but a temperature/press rue relief valve that is designed for water heater operating temperatures and pressures. - Water leaks at valves or fittings which drip into the jacket of a steel boiler or onto controls or zone valves or for warm air systems, plumbing leaks onto the furnace, or condensate leaks from a combination heating and air conditioning system that drip onto the heat exchanger risk failure, dangerous carbon monoxide gas hazards, and ultimately loss of heat.
- Oil burner air shutter (second hoto above right) debris, dirt, or shutter adjustment problems or inadequate combustion air; because there is invariably a thin oil film on these parts, building pets, especially dogs and cats, may shed hair that collects-on and blocks combustion air entering the oil burner.
Our second photo (below) shows our pen (photo above right, at bottom center) pointing to the very small opening in the air shutter at this Beckett oil burner.
You can see that even a small amount of cat hair sticking on this opening will easily block the flow of combustion air into the oil burner, thus causing improper (and sooty) oil burner operation. In this photo the opening is not blocked by debris, though we see a little soot there.
- Oil leaks at air bleed valves (photo above left) or other fittings on the fuel unit on the oil burner. In our photo (above left) our pen points to the bleeder valve used to purge air from the oil line; Look for oil drips here as well as at the oil line fittings (and look at the fittings and gaskets and connections on
the OIL PUMP FUEL UNIT (First photo of the two just above)
Oil Burner Won't Run: Diagnostic Steps - what to check in what order
This topic has moved to at OIL BURNER WONT RUN
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.
This article explains the inspection, diagnosis, & repair of oil burners used in heating appliances such as hot water boilers, steam boilers, & water heaters.
In the oil burner inspection article provided here we explain visual and other clues of oil burner problems.
To find what you need quickly, if you don't want to scroll through this index you are welcome to use the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX to search InspectApedia for specific articles and information.
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Continue reading at OIL BURNER OPERATING TROUBLE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Recommended Articles
- OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR
- BUILDING EXTERIOR Oil Burner Trouble
- BUILDING INTERIOR Oil Burner Trouble
- OIL TANK EFFECTS on OIL BURNER
- BOILER / FURNACE ROOM TROUBLE SIGNS
- OIL BURNER VISUAL INSPECTION
- OIL BURNER OPERATING TROUBLE
- OIL BURNER INSIDE TROUBLE
- OIL BURNER CO2 TEST
- OIL BURNER SMOKE TEST
- OIL BURNER WONT RUN - Diagnostic Steps - what to check in what order
- HEAT WON'T TURN ON
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OIL BURNER VISUAL INSPECTION at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING OIL, OIL BURNERS, OIL FIRED HEATERS, OIL TANKS
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- Anthony Alaggio can be contacted through Bottini Fuel (Hudson Valley, NY) or directly for HVAC service at 914-489-0632. Email: crackin95vtec@yahoo.com Special thanks to Mr. Alaggio, an HVAC service technician for technical suggestions regarding oil heat troubleshooting & more causes of oil burner short-cycling 4/12/2013.
- [2] Beckett Corporation, 38251 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville, OH 44039 440-327-1060 Email: sales@beckettcorp.com supplies residential and commercial oil burners for boilers, furnaces, and water heaters - see www.beckettcorp.com/
- [3] Audels Oil Burner Guide, Installation, Servicing, Repairing, Frank D. Graham, 1947 edition (obsolete, out of print). See Brumbaugh, James E. Audel HVAC Fundamentals, Volume 2: Heating or see various versions of this guide available in editions from 1947, 1950, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, and at prices from around $3.00 to nearly $70.00 - useful for simple, clear, but not current, explanation of how heating equipment works. The original retail price was $1.00. Used copies are available
- [3a] Brumbaugh, James E., Audel HVAC Fundamentals, Volume 2: Heating, Audel [J Wiley]; All New 4th Edition edition (July 2, 2004) ISBN-10: 0764542079 ISBN-13: 978-0764542077
- [4] A Total Look at Oil Burner Nozzles, available from Delavan Fuel Metering Products, a reference guide for oil burner service technicians, Delavan Spray Technologies, Fuel Metering Products Division, PO Box 969, Bamberg SC 29003, Tel: 800-982-6943 or 803-245-4347, ( Delavan is a division of BF Goodrich); web search 12/30/2010, original source: http://www.delavaninc.com/pdf/total_look.pdf
Note & disclosure: when we (DF) were servicing oil burner equipment, Delavan nozzles gave us such excellent results, especially using hollow cone spray patterns in solving combustion problems, that this brand was our standard stock-item on our truck. Other brands of oil burner nozzles are of course also of excellent quality. It is the proper matching of nozzle size and type and spray pattern to the equipment that is critical. - [5] Fuel Nozzles for Oil Burners, Technical Aspects of Applications, E. O. Olson, Chief Engineer (deceased)
Delavan Fuel Metering Products Operation, Bamberg, South Carolina, Delavan Fuel Metering Products, a reference guide for oil burner service technicians, Delavan Spray Technologies, Fuel Metering Products Division, PO Box 969, Bamberg SC 29003, Tel: 800-982-6943 or 803-245-4347, ( Delavan is a division of BF Goodrich); web search 12/30/2010, original source: http://www.delavaninc.com/pdf/Fuel_Nozzles_for_Burners.PDF - [6] Domestic and Commercial Oil Burners, Charles H. Burkhardt, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York 3rd Ed 1969.
- National Fuel Gas Code (Z223.1) $16.00 and National Fuel Gas Code Handbook (Z223.2) $47.00 American Gas Association (A.G.A.), 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209 also available from National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269. Fundamentals of Gas Appliance Venting and Ventilation, 1985, American Gas Association Laboratories, Engineering Services Department. American Gas Association, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209. Catalog #XHO585. Reprinted 1989.
- [7] The Steam Book, 1984, Training and Education Department, Fluid Handling Division, ITT [probably out of print, possibly available from several home inspection supply companies] Fuel Oil and Oil Heat Magazine, October 1990, offers an update,
- [12] "Residential Steam Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
- [13] "Residential Hydronic (circulating hot water) Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
- [14] "Warm Air Heating Systems". Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
- [15] Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Volume I, Heating Fundamentals,
- [16] Boilers, Boiler Conversions, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23389-4 (v. 1) Volume II, Oil, Gas, and Coal Burners, Controls, Ducts, Piping, Valves, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23390-7 (v. 2) Volume III, Radiant Heating, Water Heaters, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Air Cleaners, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23383-5 (v. 3) or ISBN 0-672-23380-0 (set) Special Sales Director, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022. Macmillan Publishing Co., NY
- [17] Installation Guide for Residential Hydronic Heating Systems
- [18] Installation Guide #200, The Hydronics Institute, 35 Russo Place, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
- The ABC's of Retention Head Oil Burners, National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, TM 115, National Old Timers' Association of the Energy Industry, PO Box 168, Mineola, NY 11501. (Excellent tips on spotting problems on oil-fired heating equipment. Booklet.)
- [21] The Wholesaler's & Installer's Guide to OEM Oil Specifications, R.W. Beckett Corporation, PO Box 1289, Elyria, OH 44036, 216-327-1060 [1988] This publication gives the model, burner type, air tube combination, head type, static plat dimensions, blower wheel dimensions, and oil burner nozzle type for just about ever manufacturer and model of oil fired heating equipment including Addison Products, Axeman-Anderson, Bard Manufacturing, BDP, Borg-Warner, Boyertown Furnace, Burnham, Carrier Corp., Clare Brothers, Columbia Boiler Co., Crown Industries, Dornback Furnace, Ducane, Dunkirk Radiator, Duo-Matic/Olsen, Electric Furnace-Man, Ener Royal Technology, Energy Kinetics, Everhot All-Corporation, F.P. Industry, Fraser-Johnston, Heat Controller, Hydrotherm Inc., Johnson Corp., Lochinvar, Logwood-Marathon Heater, Inc., Longwood Furnace Corp., Luxaire, Magic Chef, Melvin Manufacturing Corp., Metromatic Mfg. Co., Miller Heating & A/C, Modine Manufacturing, Newmac Manufacturing, New Yorker, Oneida Heater, Peerless Heater, Perfection Products, Pow-R-Matic, Inc., Reznor, Rheem Manufacturing, Ruud, Slant/Fin, H.B. Smith, State Industries, Tekton Corp., Teledyne Laars, Thermo Dynamics, Thermo Products, Trianco, Inc., Ultimate Eng., Utica Boiler, Vallant, Van Wert Manufacturing, Weil-Mclain, Williamson Co., Wise, Inc., XXth Century. But believe it or not this is not the whole list of manufacturers from the 1970's and 1980's. Reference [22] below includes a still longer list.
- [22] Steinen's [Oil Burner] Nozzle Guide, Oil burner nozzle specifications, draft regulators, nozzle filters, flame mirrors, oil burner nozzle kits, nozzle racks, nozzle extractors, nozzle adapters. Wm. Steinen Mfg. Co., 29 East Halsey Rd., Parsippany NJ 07054, Tel: 201-887-6400 [1970].
- [22] Burnham Heating Helper, [heating system design & layout in a mini booklet], Burnham Corporation, PO Box 3089, Lancaster PA 17603, Tel: 717-481-8400, 9th printing, 7/01
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
- Audels Oil Burner Guide, Installation, Servicing, Repairing, Frank D. Graham, 1940's edition (obsolete). Updated versions of this guide are available in various editions, 1947, 1950, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, and at prices from around $3.00 to nearly $70.00 - useful for simple, clear, but not current, explanation of how heating equipment works. The original retail price was $1.00. Used copies are available
- Domestic and Commercial Oil Burners, Charles H. Burkhardt, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York 3rd Ed 1969.
- Boilers, Boiler Conversions, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23389-4 (v. 1) Volume II, Oil, Gas, and Coal Burners, Controls, Ducts, Piping, Valves, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23390-7 (v. 2) Volume III, Radiant Heating, Water Heaters, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Air Cleaners, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23383-5 (v. 3) or ISBN 0-672-23380-0 (set) Special Sales Director, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022. Macmillan Publishing Co., NY
- The ABC's of Retention Head Oil Burners, National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, TM 115, National Old Timers' Association of the Energy Industry, PO Box 168, Mineola, NY 11501. (Excellent tips on spotting problems on oil-fired heating equipment. Booklet.)
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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