My forced air oil furnace output smells like oil in the bedrooms, but
only before the circulation fan starts!.

And not always then. But often when I'm sitting at my desk or lying
in bed, and the furnace starts, I smell the smell of oil for maybe 5
or 8 seconds. For sure, once the blower starts running, I don't smell
it anymore.

I thought that might mean the heat exchanger had a leak, but as some
instructions directed, I put (3) cloves in the fire box and didn't
smell the cloves anywhere in the house. Of course this was after the
circ. fan had started running. Do I need to use more cloves?

Is this a serious problem? Is it a health hazard to smell the oil?
Am I smelling unburned oil and if so, is there more unburned oil in
the house than normal all the time the furnace runs, that also adds to
the health hazard?

The fire looks good in my aged opinion. It's full and big, and it's
all yellow or maybe yellow-orange. I forget what the right color is.


The nozzle was replaced fall of 2011, but the winter was so warm last
winter, the furnace got little use. It started right up this fall.
The chimney was clearned a year ago, last January.

Thanks a lot.