How To Spot Oil Burner Troubles
Oil burners, both old and new, can develop a wide range of problems over time. These may range from unusual noises such as shrieks to the generation of fumes, odors, and smoke. When this happens, you can try to diagnose the problem before calling an experienced HVAC technician. However, it is best to call a professional to carry out repairs or replace faulty parts, especially when it comes to an oil burner.
An oil furnace is a complicated piece of equipment. It takes experience and knowledge to truly understand an issue that it may have. Performing a DIY repair or hiring a handyman can lead to further issues that impact your safety and your heating system’s performance. As a homeowner, it is vital that you understand the signs that tell you when your heating system needs service.
How To Spot Oil Burner Troubles
Contents
In this article, we discuss how to spot oil furnace problems.
Oil Leaks
An oil leak can originate from your burner’s piping, oil tank, piping fittings, and attachments. They also tend to originate from your valves or filters.
Check these parts for signs of oil smudges, spots, or trails. If left unrepaired, such leaks reduce burner efficiency due to air leakage into the oil piping system. Even if you cannot identify an oil leak, burner shutdown, sooty puff back, and partially burned oil are telltale signs of one. In addition, check the soil around the storage oil tank for signs of oil spillage. Alternatively, hire a professional to test heating oil for traces of water if you installed a storage tank underground.
Heating System Noises
Abnormal noises could originate from your oil burner’s combustion air fan, electric motor, heating oil pump, gas vent draft inducer fan (if installed), oil combustion chamber, or electric drive motor bearings. For example, continuous bubbling/rumbling noises indicate a fault in the heating lines of an oil burner.
Vibration and buzzing-type noises could be tied to loose burner assembly mounting bolts, electric motor bearings, combustion air blower bearings, coupling assembly rubber bushing, or out-of-place internal parts. As such, pay special attention to these parts. Finally, unusual noises during burner startup/shutdown indicate improper operation of the combustion chamber or oil pump. Call R.F. Ohl today for a free consultation.
Excess Fuel Oil Consumption
If your oil burner’s fuel consumption rate suddenly shoots up, the problem could be improper adjustments according to Mike Markarian, vice president of the New England Fuel Institute (NEFI). To resolve such a problem, your burner may require thorough cleaning and recalibration of output parameters after a recalculation of load input parameters. For instance, an HVAC contractor may need to recalculate and readjust the oil pump pressure if improperly set. A nozzle change is also necessary if a newly installed one does not conform to manufacturer specifications.
Physical Damage On Your Oil Heater
If your oil burner’s exterior has identifiable cracks, dents, or rust, it is advisable to replace it with a new one. This is because it is likely to be old and prone to serious problems like leaking carbon monoxide, which can cause fatalities. Furthermore, if you are using an old heating system in your home, you are paying far more in home heating costs than if you were to install a new, more energy-efficient system. Call R.F. Ohl today to see what options are available.
Oil Burner Does Not Start
There are various reasons why your oil burner may not start. For this reason, it is best to call R.F. Ohl to schedule a free consultation. Our professionals can determine the root of the problem and offer you a wide range of solutions. Call or contact us online today!
Conclusion
There are two main ways of identifying oil burner problems: visual inspection and listening for unusual noises. After identifying a problem area, the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) recommends hiring a qualified and licensed technician to fix it. Furthermore, to keep your heating system in tip-top shape, be sure to schedule HVAC maintenance annually.
Call R.F. Ohl For Fast & Affordable Heating System Repairs
A skilled and certified HVAC technician is vital in ensuring accurate and prompt heating system repair. An untrained homeowner should never treat furnace repairs as a do-it-yourself project. A tech can assess, diagnose, and fix your system correctly. Make sure you find the right HVAC company to perform the quality of work you need.
If you are looking for an excellent heating system repair company, get in touch with R.F. Ohl. Our company has the best professionally-certified technicians in the area. We offer high-quality HVAC services, including repairs, maintenance, installations, and replacements. Furthermore, we guarantee affordable HVAC service prices. We can also assist you if you need to replace your current system. By working with us, you can feel the peace of mind that we will determine the most suitable make and model while working within your budget. Schedule a free, no-obligation, in-home consultation with us. Call R.F. Ohl today.
Click here to contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.