Basement smells like oil
 

Hello,

I just purchased a new house to fix up and then perhaps live in, but
most likely rent and keep as an investment. The house is 79 y/o and has
an oil furnace, while the surrounding suburbs are all on NG. My current
home has NG and we have always been told that if you smell ANY GAS you
should call 9-11 and get the heck out. Well, is this true with oil?
There is a strong smell down there but there is a tank inspection
sticker that is fairly recent.

On a lighter note, this furnace may interest some of you. It has one
and only one vent, directly above it, seen he
http://tinyurl.com/9hzgb

Here is the unit from below: http://tinyurl.com/ar8su Can anyone tell
me what that tank is next to the furnace, and that small black thing as
well? Here's a close up: http://tinyurl.com/ax8f6

If the gas smell isn't a problem, would it be hard to switch to NG?

Basement smells like oil
 

On 7 Feb 2006 21:04:51 -0800, "Elliott Plack"
wrote:

Hello,

I just purchased a new house to fix up and then perhaps live in, but
most likely rent and keep as an investment. The house is 79 y/o and has
an oil furnace, while the surrounding suburbs are all on NG. My current
home has NG and we have always been told that if you smell ANY GAS you
should call 9-11

Strangely, that is a date and 911 is a phone number. :-) I wonder
if that is a coincidence.

and get the heck out. Well, is this true with oil?

No.

There is a strong smell down there but there is a tank inspection
sticker that is fairly recent.

Even if the tank or line is leaking, it's not going to explode.

It's hard to burn fuel oil. It has to be pushed at rather high
pressure through a nozzle to atomize it, and then the ignitor has to
be right below the spray. I guess that means the spray actually goes
through the spark, but I can't see that part so I don't know.

I also have always thought that the sparking runs continuously, as
long as the fire is burning, and if the sparking stops, so will the
fire, but something someone here said made me wonder if I have this
straight. ???

OTOH, if you smell oil when the furnace is running and not other
times, I think it may mean that you are getting your walls dirty.
Especially if you also smell the same thing even faintly upstairs.
Someone else here will tell you if that is true. ???


On a lighter note, this furnace may interest some of you. It has one
and only one vent, directly above it, seen he
http://tinyurl.com/9hzgb

My oil furnace and I assume all of them have a door you can open to
look at the flame. There are probably several things to look at to
decide if it is a good flame, but all I know is it should be what I
would call roaring, even though it only makes a little noise. It
should be quite a flame.

I've had bad flames that looked good to me, so I suppose if it doesn't
look good, it is certainly bad. Needs adjustment somewhere.

The door will be very hot. Use a stick or something at least a foot
long to open the door.
Here is the unit from below: http://tinyurl.com/ar8su Can anyone tell
me what that tank is next to the furnace, and that small black thing as
well? Here's a close up: http://tinyurl.com/ax8f6

If the gas smell isn't a problem, would it be hard to switch to NG?


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

Basement smells like oil
 

On 7 Feb 2006 21:04:51 -0800, "Elliott Plack"
wrote:


Here is the unit from below: http://tinyurl.com/ar8su Can anyone tell
me what that tank is next to the furnace,

They are furnace attachments.

Do you have steam heat? You appear to have no steam.

and that small black thing as
well? Here's a close up: http://tinyurl.com/ax8f6

I don't know.

How much did you pay for the house? I live in Randallstown, but
would consider moving.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

Basement smells like oil
 

It's not normal to have a strong smell of oil in a basement with an oil
furnace. I would get a company out to service it. They should be
serviced once a year, as oil furnaces require more regular maintenance
than a gas unit. You may want to ask neighbors for recommendations.

Basement smells like oil
 

My daughters basement smelt like oil at one time and the oilman said she
needed a new furnace.

The oilman showed her what it looked like after the new one was
installed.

Basement smells like oil
 

Sounds like you may have had a leak. Since the smell persists, you
might have a lot of oil "stored" in and under the floor- potentially a
big problem, one that should have been disclosed by the seller/agent.
It's a long-term health problem.

I'd get an impartial expert to find the source of your problem. Then
you may want to take his findings to your attorney. Really.

J

Basement smells like oil