I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

I had a similiar problem, the high voltage transformer might
be going especially if it is older. You can test it by yourself
if you have any electrical knowledge. Usually they swing out,
make sure the furnace, is off at the main switch. I like to take the
transformer out , and put is on the bench. after disconnecting the
two wires.

Get a lamp cord and connect it to to the wires of the transformer.
Get a large screwdriver, with a good plastic insulated handle, put the
screwdriver on one of the high voltage electrodes and move it slowly
toward the second electrode. The spark should jump at least 3/4 of an inch.
Nice and blue. If not your xformer is weak, easy to buy and replace, about
$80.00

Check your electrodes on the gun, they should be about 1/8" apart,and about
1/8"
in front of the nozzle. While you got it apart, get another good quality
nozzle,
and replace your old one, with the same specs. Usually .75 to 1.50 @ 80
degrees.

Also, check your Cadmium cell and make sure its clean. If it doesn't see a
good
flame, it will shut the the gun down. Did you change the oil filter? If the
air filter
is plugged, proper air flow will not flow through the furnace, and shut it
down on high limit temp. The oil pressure to the nozzle should be about 100
lbs.


Have a pro set up the draft and air over the flame!

My 2 cents worth..







wrote in message
oups.com...
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

In my case, the electrodes needed adjustment.

Twice it wouldn't come on with the thermostat. I hit the reset and it
fired right up with no problems. Third time it happened, I hit the
reset, the motor came on for a minute, and still no fire. I switched
it off and called the oil company.

Tech comes out, tries to bleed the oil lines, then adjusts the
electrodes. He switches it on, and BOOM!! It blew smoke and fire all
over the place. Tech picks himself up off the floor and asks how many
times I hit the reset. "Just once, like you people told me to do!".

I guess the old Chrysler Airtemp has an attitude... He admitted he'd
never worked on one that old before.

Anyways, there are many different things that could cause that.
Electrodes, bad/dirty photocell, air in the lines, etc..

You've got the right idea with the service contract. The oil furnace
is the ONLY thing I will not work on myself.

-rev



wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or smoke?

wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

My old furnace, I kept the temp low because I didn't have cash to pay
for luxuries like heat, so that it came on seldom enough that it had
trouble priming itself or getting oil to the burner or whatever before
the ignition gave up trying which shut down the pump, so I had to go
down and keep my finger on the little red button for a while, then it
was good for the rest of the cold snap.

shebaaa wrote:

When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or smoke?

Well, the sound of the burner kicking in is always a sort of mild
rumble, but it does not sound any different from usual when I am doing
it via reset. No smell of oil or smoke that I have ever noticed.

wrote:
shebaaa wrote:

When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or smoke?

Well, the sound of the burner kicking in is always a sort of mild
rumble, but it does not sound any different from usual when I am doing
it via reset. No smell of oil or smoke that I have ever noticed.


Probably not the transformer then(though it should be checked). When
was your last cleaning? I assume the Techs checked pump pressure and
flow. If not it could be partially clogged filter, line or strainer.
Then I would check amp draw on the burner motor. Then if nothing found
depending on the Primary control, check the relay contacts if possible.
These are just the steps I usually take when trouble shooting at a
customers.

Doesn't "sometimes" imply "not always"?

wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

On 17 Jan 2007 13:22:47 -0800, "z" wrote:


wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

My old furnace, I kept the temp low because I didn't have cash to pay
for luxuries like heat, so that it came on seldom enough that it had
trouble priming itself or getting oil to the burner or whatever before

The same infrequency of starting would be the case if you had the
thermostat higher but it wasn't as cold out as it actually was.

That doesn't mean you're not right about it having trouble pumping the
oil.

the ignition gave up trying which shut down the pump, so I had to go
down and keep my finger on the little red button for a while, then it
was good for the rest of the cold snap.

A) Are we talking about a mechanical or electronic button/reset?

B) Isn't that symptom part of a different problem? I definitely
might be wrong about how it works, but I thought once you pushed the
reset button, the control energized the furnace for a certain time
period before it tripped again.

So doesn't that mean there is something wrong with the reset function
that you have to hold the button down longer than a second?

Or are you saying you held the button down for that entire time period
so you were still holding it when it was ready for a second reset?

My oil furnace used to have trouble in the control box restarting.
Sometimes iirc I could feel the relay vibrating, and I looked into
replacing the relay, couldn't find a matching relay that would fit,
and eventually the thing settled down, and it's been fine for 5 years
or more now.

mm wrote:
On 17 Jan 2007 13:22:47 -0800, "z" wrote:


wrote:
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.

I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)

I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.

Thanks.

My old furnace, I kept the temp low because I didn't have cash to pay
for luxuries like heat, so that it came on seldom enough that it had
trouble priming itself or getting oil to the burner or whatever before

The same infrequency of starting would be the case if you had the
thermostat higher but it wasn't as cold out as it actually was.

That doesn't mean you're not right about it having trouble pumping the
oil.

the ignition gave up trying which shut down the pump, so I had to go
down and keep my finger on the little red button for a while, then it
was good for the rest of the cold snap.

A) Are we talking about a mechanical or electronic button/reset?

Probably electronic, although it was a slightly large button about the
size of the eraser on the end of a pencil which had a distinctly loose
and wiggly feel to it.

B) Isn't that symptom part of a different problem? I definitely
might be wrong about how it works, but I thought once you pushed the
reset button, the control energized the furnace for a certain time
period before it tripped again.

So doesn't that mean there is something wrong with the reset function
that you have to hold the button down longer than a second?

Maybe. IIRC, the first time I tried it, just pushing the button once
didn't make the furnace fire up, so my primitive half-frozen mind
determined to hold the damn button down until the furnace fired up or
blew up. Then I just stuck with what worked.


Or are you saying you held the button down for that entire time period
so you were still holding it when it was ready for a second reset?

My oil furnace used to have trouble in the control box restarting.
Sometimes iirc I could feel the relay vibrating, and I looked into
replacing the relay, couldn't find a matching relay that would fit,
and eventually the thing settled down, and it's been fine for 5 years
or more now.

On 18 Jan 2007 13:25:39 -0800, "z" wrote:


My old furnace, I kept the temp low because I didn't have cash to pay
for luxuries like heat, so that it came on seldom enough that it had
trouble priming itself or getting oil to the burner or whatever before

The same infrequency of starting would be the case if you had the
thermostat higher but it wasn't as cold out as it actually was.

That doesn't mean you're not right about it having trouble pumping the
oil.

the ignition gave up trying which shut down the pump, so I had to go
down and keep my finger on the little red button for a while, then it
was good for the rest of the cold snap.

A) Are we talking about a mechanical or electronic button/reset?

Probably electronic, although it was a slightly large button about the
size of the eraser on the end of a pencil which had a distinctly loose
and wiggly feel to it.

B) Isn't that symptom part of a different problem? I definitely
might be wrong about how it works, but I thought once you pushed the
reset button, the control energized the furnace for a certain time
period before it tripped again.

So doesn't that mean there is something wrong with the reset function
that you have to hold the button down longer than a second?

Maybe. IIRC, the first time I tried it, just pushing the button once
didn't make the furnace fire up, so my primitive half-frozen mind
determined to hold the damn button down until the furnace fired up or
blew up. Then I just stuck with what worked.

Well I don't at all know what the problem is, but I just wanted to
point these possibilities out.


Or are you saying you held the button down for that entire time period
so you were still holding it when it was ready for a second reset?

My oil furnace used to have trouble in the control box restarting.
Sometimes iirc I could feel the relay vibrating, and I looked into
replacing the relay, couldn't find a matching relay that would fit,
and eventually the thing settled down, and it's been fine for 5 years
or more now.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
Doesn't "sometimes" imply "not always"?
Sometimes. Not always.

wrote:

When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or
smoke?

Well, the sound of the burner kicking in is always a sort of mild
rumble, but it does not sound any different from usual when I am doing
it via reset. No smell of oil or smoke that I have ever noticed.


shebaaa wrote:
Probably not the transformer then(though it should be checked). When was
your last cleaning? I assume the Techs checked pump pressure and flow. If
not it could be partially clogged filter, line or strainer. Then I would
check amp draw on the burner motor. Then if nothing found depending on
the Primary control, check the relay contacts if possible. These are just
the steps I usually take when trouble shooting at a customers.

Right on with checking that motor assuming it isn't a problem with the fuel
line.