My oil furnace stops working when it gets excessively cold & I continually have to press the "re-set" button

Question

I have a service contract for the furnace. Last season the furnace worked fine from the beginning of the seaon but as soon as it got really cold (-20 celcius) it stops. The technicians have changed the fuel supply line, motor... then at end of winter, start of spring it work fine. This year same thing happened. The furnace worked well up until this week but when the temperature dropped...and the furnace stops... what can the problem be? Is there an air intake that could be freezing?.. The 4 technicians that came don't seem to know what they are doing & beeing a single mom I feel they're taking me for a ride... the last tech told me to change my system. Help!

Answer 1

I've had this happen. My tank is outside, above ground. The fuel was gelling and sludging in the line. They've already replaced the line, which is excellent.

1) You need to add Kerosene to your tank. This is a higher grade product than Fuel Oil #2 and won't be affected by the -20C and will keep the fuel oil from gelling. If you have a 275 gallon tank, 10 to 20 gallons should be a big help. Just buy a blue 5 gallon Kerosene rated can and fill it up wherever they sell it in your area. Pour it straight into your fuel oil tank.
2) Check with your local heating supply store. They have a heat tape and insulation that is safe for the fuel oil line. The one I bought has a thermostat, so it only uses power when the temp is below freezing.
3) If you call for your oil when you are low, add a pint or quart of Sludge Removal additive, also available at the same store. If you have automatic delivery, ask that this be done by the driver. My supplier does this for a minor fee.

I dealt with this for 5 years and lots of techs. So I went to school for this. Cost was $50. Best $50 I ever spent on education as a homeowner!

Forgot to mention, until you do the top 2 items, you can use a hairdryer to warm the line from the tank valve at the bottom of your tank all the way to where it enters your home. This is only temporary, get the Kerosene as soon as you can.

Answer 2

Not sure what grade of fuel you have #1 or # 2. # 2 works great in the warmer months but not that great in the colder months (-20 to -60 where I live) For the cold temps you would need #1. You use more fuel because you get less BTUs from #1 than #2. Also if the fuel tank had a lot of #2 in it and then winter came and you topped it off with #1 there is a problem because now you have a fuel tank with #1 and #2 in it. The 2 fuels will not mix unless heated to aprox 140 Deg or aerated for some period of time. so,unless mixed you will have #1 fuel sitting on top of the #2. Also Since these fuels have different viscosity's I would check the fuel pump pressure. It should be 100 Psi. Or set to manufacturer recommendations.

Answer 3

Kira, sounds as though Kirks world has a handle on it.
Since I also use oil in most of my rentals in the Oregon area and have had no trouble, I can only suggest a couple of things, I've found that my filter sometimes thickens in the winter and with the condensation that diesel fuel brings, I've put a new filter on ($2.00) and it helps, plus the tank is sometime to low for the furnace. try to raise the tank 4" or a little more on the back end so the flow continues eventho the stick gage says you have plenty. At empty, my tank has 65 gallons in it and wasn't noticed until this year, I raised it 4" in the back and 3 inches in the front. I now get all my fuel and the heater does not flutter.
I can usually go thru the winter with 275 gallons

Answer 4

If your tank and filter are outside, the fuel going through the filter can start to gel when it gets below 15 or 20 degrees F. then it wont provide enough liquid oil to supply the burner pump. You could try adding kerosene to the fuel oil in the tank ( probably less than 10% of the total gallons on hand ). Although most fuel oil suppliers routinely blend their fuels for seasonal variations in temperature, it may be that your supplier does not. Good luck.

Answer 5

Here in Houston, Tx we do not have oil furnaces but I may be able to help with my limited experience with them. Is the furnace shutting down completely when this cold or by 'stop' do you mean it cannot keep the home warm and still runs. This system may not be rated at a high enough btu for the home. If this is so, you will need supplemental heat for these very cold days.

Answer 6

If the furnace runs for a short time, then shuts down, check the air filters. If they clog up too much air can't get through and the bonnet over temperature switch shuts down the furnace.

Answer 7

confident! I press the elevator and crosswalk buttons excessively. i believe it agitates the little guy that lives interior the button into making issues pass swifter, so which you will end pocking him.