Help with Oil Furnace questions?

Question

I have a oil furnace and to me it seems like we run out of oil alot. Last time we bought oil it was 150$ CAN and now we had to order some more today.

My bf tells me I have to bleed the furnace in order for it to come on. So i turn this gold thingy and white stuff comes out so i put bottle under it, and when it gets into the bottle it turns like a light orangy brown color. Theres a smell of oil.. but its not really strong. So im thinking it could be oil and water mixed.

As im drainning this, I push this big red button, but today it seems that i had to drain alot...and in this bottle, there is white thicky wax looking stuff at the bottom and the orange brownish stuff on top.

This is my first house living with no parents, so i dont know if im doing this right or not. But running out of oil almost within 2 weeks seem a bit strange to you? And am I bleeding this furnace right? I can upload pics if anyone would like.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I own an oil fired furnace in Canada, & I have never had to "bleed" anything from my furnace to get it started. I set the thermostat, & it comes on, & off like any other modern day furnace.
So far this season we have used exactly 1115 litres of heating oil. But it's been a light heating season for us up until now.
Our heating oil service comes about once a month to fill our tank which has a capacity of 935 litres, & is usually about down by 1/2 when they come. We don't call them, they just show up.
Every furnace should be inspected annually, & the filters should be replaced about every 3 months or so for best efficiency.
If you have to do so much each time you start your furnace, I suspect that you could benefit from a visit by a qualified heating contractor. Maybe he could advise you if you are doing things right.
If you have an oil storage tank that is in the ground instead of in your house it could be leaking, & water is getting into the tank. That would explain why you have to bleed out water when your furnace shuts off.
If that is the case & water is leaking in, then oil may be leaking out, & polluting your neighbourhood. That would account for the apparent high useage of heating oil. So some of the oil you are paying for is getting burned in the furnace, & some may be going out into the ground. If you leave this unattended, you will be guilty of pollution, & could be liable for a very very expensive clean up.

If this is the case, & you do have your furnaces oil tank burried in the ground outside, then I recommend that you take no more oil deliveries until you have had the tank inspected for leaks.
If the tank turns out to be leaky, then you can get advice from the heating oil contractor as to where to go from there.
But it can be expensive. If you are renting then it's your landlords responsibility.

I hope I am wrong about the leaky tank. But check it out. You don't want to be a polluter, or pay for oil that just gets poured back into the ground.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

It does sound like water in the oil. There is also a filter in the line from the tank to the burner. Turn off the line from tank to the filter. (Filters usually look about the size of a coconut, are metal, and have a variety of pretty obvious ways to open)
The filter is a stack of felt rings that can be replaced with new ones (you can get a kit from most heating companies.)
When you have a clean filter, race to the hardware store and get a gallon jug of 100% alcohol. (It makes great lock de-icer) and pour it in your tank.
Worry not - most fuel companies add up to 10% as preventative mojo in the winter diesel.)
The alcohol binds with the water and burns with the diesel - (heating oil - its the same stuff, different tax rate.)

About consumption?

Do you run the furnace at max, then regulate the temperature with the windows?

Too many variables to comment intelligently.
How many sq feet of house to heat,
How good is the air infiltration control?
How good is the insulation?
Is the burner modern and high efficiency?
Is the house occupied all day, or only in the evenings and until everyone goes to work?
Can you do a setback on the thermostat?
Do you also heat the hot water with oil?

Answer 3

Your probably not running out of oil there is water in your tank (you didn't say what size 100 or 150 gallon )take a ruler and check depth in tank.And the turn on valve at the tank should be up from the bottom so that white stuff (water don't mix with the oil).You might have to drain the tank to get the water out

Answer 4

You should not have to bleed anything at all from your oil line unless you ran completly out of oil. It sounds like your tank maybe filled with sludge and water. You can purchase an additive to help remove water from your oil tank but I would suggest that you check to see if your supply line to the furnace comes out of the bottom or top of you fuel tank. If it is coming out of the bottom of the tank then your tank must be filled with sludge and water which is not letting enough oil to get to your furnace. A suggestion to you would be to remove your supply line from the bottom of your tank and put it in at the top of your tank about 6-8 inches from the bottom. This will keep you from pulling all the sludge and water in the bottom of your tank from being sucked into your furnace. Also you should check to see of you have a in-line filter in your supply line between the tank and the furnace. This helps in filtering the oil before it gets to your furnace. The in-line filter is in a round metal cylinder somewhere in your supply line. To check to see if it stopped up, shut off your oil tank (if you have a shut off) and unscrew cylinder and check filter for dirt and or sludge. If you are new to all of this stuff you could pay a professional to come out and do a yearly clean and check on your furnace to make sure everything is in good working order and have the service man show you how to change your supply line from coming out of the bottom of your tank to coming out of the top of the tank and how to change your in-line filter. The most important factor in keeping oil furnaces from breaking down is to have them cleaned and checked every year. This way you can start the heating season off without having to worry about your furnace not operating properly. I hope this info helps you to have a safe and warm winter!