Diy: Ways To Diagnose Your Oil Furnace

An oil-burning furnace is essentially a blowtorch in a fire resistant box. Electrical ignition sparks a high-pressure mist of oil and air, heating the air in an adjacent chamber. A blower pushes the heat all over your residence. Despite its complexity, complications with an oil-burning furnace are rare. The good thing is that several normal problems can be resolved conveniently by a home owner. However, some repairs call for an Hvac expert. If the family is already getting chilly and worried, take immediate steps to preserve the safety and comfort of you and your family before you venture into furnace analysis. 

Begin easy
Check out the thermostat. Is the fan mode set to automatic? Is the thermostat set to heat? Look at your fuel oil supply. Don’t just be dependent on the gauge - it’s as subject to failure as any component. Unless you just had it filled recently, examine the fuel tank itself. Use a dipstick to determine how much fuel you have. By the way, it’s never a good idea to permit your fuel level get low; that’s when sludge and sediment get sucked into lines and plug up filters. Check out the furnace. Can you hear it working? Is the cabinet warm to the touch? The air filter can simply be so dirty it’s blocking the flow of hot air. Remove the filter. Problem solved? Great. Put in a clean filter. In some cases, clogged ducts can constrain air flow sufficiently to decrease the performance of your furnace. Duct cleaning is filthy work that’s best left to experts. 

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, look at your circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker is tripped and resetting it only causes it to trip once again, have an electrician check out the wiring and circuit capacity. If the fan is running, your circuit is fine. Next, look for the “reset” button on the furnace control module. If it's popped up, your complication may be fuel-related - either a shortage of supply or an obstruction in its flow. Press the reset button and check your oil tank and in-line filter. Clean or swap the filter if it’s gunked up. Don’t hit “reset” more than twice. The process 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 call a qualified repair service. 

As you examine your furnace system, watch for two potential contributors: Leaks in oil lines and soot in the burner chamber. Leaks let air into the system, which can damage performance. And soot usually means inefficient combustion that can contribute to other problems. Both of those conditions should be fixed by an expert.

More By Your Google Plus Furnace Repair Sacramento Specialist
Park Mechanical Plumbing, Heating & Air
3104 O St. Ste 15
Sacramento, Ca 95816
916-452-4154