My home heater runs off oil today it has started acting up we thought we had just run out cause it had shut off on its own but it wasn't really all the way empty so we had it filled and my husband has had to prime it several times (suck the air out with a hose although it doesnt seem theres a lot of air) and after that it will run a cycle then shut off again and not come back on I know this is a complicated question but anyone who has experienced this or something similar and could give any advice would be appreciated thanks.
2007-02-14 14:29:09 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
The filter was clogged but he cleaned that out and it ran better for a while but it still shuts off. I would love to hire someone to fix it but its 10:30 at night and the wind chills gonna be below zero so was hoping for a quicker fix lol
2007-02-14 14:35:25 · update #1
I am assuming your husband is somewhat handy. If you follow the incoming oil line, you will see it goes to a box on the side of the oil burner. This is where fuel is ignited, and flame is proven.
Turn off power to the furnace. There is a transformer on top of the box. There should be two screws in front of the transformer and a hinge on the opposite side. Unscrew the two screws, and tip the transformer back.
On the side, you will see where the oil pipe goes into the box. Remove the oil line. Now reach in and pull out the assembly inside. On the end of the assembly is the nozzle. Unscrew that, and make sure it is not clogged. At the same time, you will see what looks like an electric eye. Use a damp cloth and clean this eye. This is the thing that "sees" fire, and keeps your furnace running. If it doesn't prove there is a flame by seeing it, it will shut down your furnace. At the same time, your nozzle may be clogged if you ran your fuel low and picked up trash at the bottom of your storage tank.
Be careful not to disturb the spacing on the electrodes that are close to the nozzle. These create the spark that ignites the oil sprayed from the nozzle.
Reassemble everything back the way it was, and try it again. Hope this helps.
I have added a link for illustration
2007-02-14 14:53:18 · answer #1 · answered by Bare B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess, sight unseen was that by letting the tank run out and forcing the pumps to suck up whatever sludge was in the bottom of the tank you clogged not only the filter but also the tubing between the tank and the burner. Follow the instructions about cleaning that.
But let me give you a tip to avoid the problem again. You need to get a service contract (parts and labor) from your oil dealer. If you had that for a flat rate of about $100 per year a guy from the oil company would be out there at 10:30 even if it was the coldest possible snowy Christmas eve. He would get your heat going no matter what he had to clean and replace, all without charge. The oil company would, if you were a regular customer not a will-call customer, make sure that your tank would not run out and you would not be in an equivalent out-of-fuel situation next time.
2007-02-14 15:08:41 · answer #2 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need a professional, there is a 3/8 fitting on the bottom of the oil pump crack it open and run it until you get a steady stream of oil then close it. If that doesn't work you could have a partially clogged oil line or filter that the oil is seaping through and after it runs for a while it sucks the line dry and you have to bleed the line again. You probably need someone to clean the system and replace the nozzle check electrode settings and with a good combustion kit set up the burner. That is why you need a professional. Good luck. P.S. a cleaning should cost around 150 or so plus nozzle and filter.
2007-02-14 14:43:44 · answer #3 · answered by H-vaker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the heater has what they call a gradual stoppage in the supply line....probably a copper tubing, this tubing is connected to the heater control valve.........this needs to be disconected for a short time and allowed to drain the fuel into a small bucket to clear the obstruction............if possible for you to apply some pressure to the storage tank thru the filler cap would help push the obstruction the line and be pushed out the open line and into the bucket..........obviously you will need some creativity and some one to help you perform this action. this should solve the delima. does this help ?
2007-02-14 14:49:30 · answer #4 · answered by jhat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call your oil supplier Most fix problems labor free
2007-02-14 14:39:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it may be clogged...hire a professional
2007-02-14 14:32:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋