Do it yourself: How To Troubleshoot Your Oil Furnace

An oil-burning furnace is fundamentally a blowtorch in a fire resistant container. Electrical ignition sets off a high-pressure mist of oil and air, heating the air in an adjacent holding chamber. A fan propels the heat all over your house. Despite its intricacy, problems with an oil-burning furnace are uncommon. The good thing is that various normal complications can be sorted out conveniently by a home owner. However, some repairs call for an Heating and air conditioning expert. If the household is already getting chilly and worried, take immediate steps to maintain the safety and comfort of you and your family before you venture into furnace analysis. 

Start off simple and easy
Inspect the thermostat. Is the fan mode set to automatic? Is the thermostat set to heat? Check out your fuel oil supply. Don’t just count on the gauge - it’s as vulnerable to failure as any component. Unless you just had it filled lately, check the fuel tank itself. Use a dipstick to determine how much fuel you have. By the way, it’s never a good idea to allow your fuel level get low; that’s when sludge and sediment get pulled into lines and plug up filters. Inspect the furnace. Can you hear it working? Is the cabinet warm to the touch? The air filter could simply be so dirty it’s blocking the flow of heated up air. Remove the filter. Problem solved? Great. Put in a clean filter. In rare cases, congested ducts can restrict air flow sufficiently to decrease the performance of your furnace. Duct cleaning is filthy work that’s best left to professionals. 

If the furnace isn’t functioning, go back to the thermostat and turn it up by 5 or 10 degrees. Does the furnace start? If not, switch the fan setting from “automatic” to “on” or “run". If air isn’t moving and the furnace fan isn’t running, take a look at your circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker is tripped and resetting it only causes it to trip once again, have an electrician examine the wiring and circuit capacity. If the fan is working, your circuit is fine. Next, look for the “reset” button on the furnace control module. If it's popped up, your problem may be fuel-related - either a lack of supply or an blockage in its flow. Press the reset button and check your oil tank and in-line filter. Clean or substitute the filter if it’s gunked up. Don’t hit “reset” more than twice. The procedure pumps oil into the burner chamber, where it can build up if you have no ignition. When the furnace finally does start, it can do so explosively. So if the button won’t reset, or quickly pops up again, it’s time to get in touch with a specialized repair service. 

As you check out your furnace system, watch for two probable culprits: Leaks in oil lines and soot in the burner chamber. Leaks allow air into the system, which can hurt performance. And soot indicates inefficient combustion that can lead to other problems. Each conditions should be addressed by an expert.

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Park Mechanical Plumbing, Heating & Air
3104 O St. Ste 15
Sacramento, Ca 95816
916-452-4154