Oil Burner Diagnostic FAQs

Index to questions & answers about all oil burner problems

Oil Burner Re-Start FAQs

How to re start boiler after oil ran out

I need help restarting oil water heater after oil ran out - (Nov 10, 2015) Anonymous

Reply:

Doubtless you have air in the oil lines, oil filter, and oil burner; those need to be bled - a task for a service technician.

The procedure is to bleed air from the oil supply into the fuel unit using the bleeder valve on that pump, then push the appropriate reset button if necessary.

Watch out: if the oil burner starts and runs up to temperature you're in good shape. But if the oil burner keeps going back off on reset, popping that reset button, don't keep pushing the reset button.

Repeated re-starts of a non-functional oil burner sprays unburned oil into the combustion chamber, risking a dangerous puffback explosion.

See details at OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT AIR BLEED PROCEDURE 

or see OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT diagnosis and repair guide if the normal air bleed procedure leaves the burner not working properly.

Or see OIL BURNER WONT RUN for a more broad oil burner troubleshooting guide.

Oil burner won't run after power loss, fuse keeps popping

After a storm, a tree fell knocking power out to the house,several days later power was restored.

When I did an inspection of the house I found that the furnace [oil-fired] ran for several minutes and then shut down.

I seems that a fuse on a gray box keeps popping.

Furance was cleaned about a year ago, furance approx. 25 yrs old - (Jan 9, 2013) steve

Reply:

With last oil burner service a year ago it's time for an oil burner cleaning and tune-up anyway.

But a breaker that keeps tripping or fuse that keeps blowing suggests a more serious electrical problem.

Could be a shorted wire or perhaps a frozen oil burner motor.

That's what I'd be checking first.

Oil Burner Solenoid Valve Voltage FAQs

Tip: See OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES and also OIL SUPPLY LINE SAFETY VALVES, OSVs, 

What's the voltage on an oil burner solenoid valve?

What does the solenoid valve use for voltage? On a normal oil burner On 2018-11-17 by Donald

Reply by (mod) -

Donald

In North America pretty much any oil burner oil delay solenoid uses 120VAC .

Oil Burner Rumbling, Stumbling, Smoking at Startup or Shutdown FAQs

How to Diagnose & Fix an oil burner rumbling noise & smoke at startup or shutdown

I changed the oil burner nozzle, now it smokes when firing;

Our oil fired furnace is smoking - do I need a repair?

Oil burner making a rumbling noise at shutdown;

Riello F3 oil burner is producing black smoke out of the chimney at startup

Whoomph sound at oil burner startup

I just changed nozzle on my furnace. I "snugged it" as instructed by tech at plumbing supply house, used metal gage to properly gap electrodes, reinstalled all and it appears to be running fine, except that a small amount of smoke is coming from the barometric damper every time the unit is in firing mode. Suggestions? - Jim 1/14/12

Just finished a boiler rebuild and heating system recommissioned and working fine. When the furnace starts the start up noise is different from the previous noise.

The only way I can describe it is that the noise is more of a whoomph which stutters 3-4 times. Could that be too little air supply? I have not had the flue gases checked yet, can't get a technician with a test gauge for a few weeks yet. Any ideas? - Ian 2/11/12

My oil burner, Riello f3, fairly new, produces black smoke out the chimney on startup. It was tuned up when it was installed.

However, I just noticed that the Air settings and the turbulator setting is far off from that recommended in the boiler manual for that burner and nozzle. What causes the black smoke? Is it normal? - J.L. 10/1/12

I have rumble noise on oil burner shutdown, starts and runs fine - Dennis 11/28/12

Our oil furnace is smoking do I need a repair man out to the house? - Kim 11/30/12

Reply: things to check when the oil burner smokes or is noisy at startup or shutdown

Jim: see OIL BURNER RUMBLING NOISE

Ian and Dennis,

Try installing a quick stop valve at the oil burner.

See OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES to read details.

A quick stop valve makes sure that the oil supply stops cleanly when it should, which often will cure the rumbling noise you describe. If you do not fix the problem the risk is an accumulation of unburned oil in the combustion chamber (left at shutdown) that is ignited at start-up, leading to our next warning:

J.L., Ian , Dennis & Kim:

Watch out: a smoky oil burner is often headed for a very messy and potentially dangerous puffback. I suggest calling our heating service company, discuss with them what you are seeing, and schedule a service call accordingly.