I have a 21 year old Carrier oil furnace that Friday evening started
making an unusual smell, hard to describe, maybe sort of acrid.

At the start of the weekend, of course, and I found a modest
amount of "smoke" curling up from both the left and right sides of the
burner. On the left it's right between the round air intake and the
wall that has the fire chamber on the other side. On the right, no
air intake but same place.

I can't manage to see better with a mirror.

I thought until Tuesday I could just plug the hole with GE Hi-temp
silicone sealant. I've seen that used on my neighbor's oil furnace
and it doesn't seem damaged by the heat. But I haven't found
the hole. There must be a hole.

It's cold out, so I'd like some advice to get through the weekend warm
but without making things worse. Or maybe until the middle of
march, when I'm going away for two weeks and I shouldn't need heat
when I get back. Then I can buy a new furnace.

The CO detector is brand new, upstairs in my bedroom and shows zero
CO.

Any help would be appreciated.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:36:42 -0500, Ricky
wrote:

I have a 21 year old Carrier oil furnace that Friday evening started
making an unusual smell, hard to describe, maybe sort of acrid.

At the start of the weekend, of course, and I found a modest
amount of "smoke" curling up from both the left and right sides of the
burner. On the left it's right between the round air intake and the
wall that has the fire chamber on the other side. On the right, no
air intake but same place.

I can't manage to see better with a mirror.

I thought until Tuesday I could just plug the hole with GE Hi-temp
silicone sealant. I've seen that used on my neighbor's oil furnace
and it doesn't seem damaged by the heat. But I haven't found
the hole. There must be a hole.

It's cold out, so I'd like some advice to get through the weekend warm
but without making things worse. Or maybe until the middle of
march, when I'm going away for two weeks and I shouldn't need heat
when I get back. Then I can buy a new furnace.

The CO detector is brand new, upstairs in my bedroom and shows zero
CO.

Any help would be appreciated.

Weekend is over now. I suggest you get a furnace pro in ASAP to look
at it. Might price the new one with him too.
Don't know how you've maintained it, but besides CO you've got firebox
and chimney fire to think about.
Sometimes you have to ask yourself what risk is worth taking.

--Vic

?
"Ricky" wrote in message
...
I have a 21 year old Carrier oil furnace that Friday evening started
making an unusual smell, hard to describe, maybe sort of acrid.

At the start of the weekend, of course, and I found a modest
amount of "smoke" curling up from both the left and right sides of the
burner. On the left it's right between the round air intake and the
wall that has the fire chamber on the other side. On the right, no
air intake but same place.

I can't manage to see better with a mirror.

I thought until Tuesday I could just plug the hole with GE Hi-temp
silicone sealant. I've seen that used on my neighbor's oil furnace
and it doesn't seem damaged by the heat. But I haven't found
the hole. There must be a hole.

It's cold out, so I'd like some advice to get through the weekend warm
but without making things worse. Or maybe until the middle of
march, when I'm going away for two weeks and I shouldn't need heat
when I get back. Then I can buy a new furnace.

The CO detector is brand new, upstairs in my bedroom and shows zero
CO.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sounds like it is not venting properly. Has it been cleaned recently? Every
1000 gallons or so it needs a cleaning as soot build up in the passages
above the firebox. It is not a difficult job, but you need a few tools and
furnace cement to even do a quickie job until a pro can get to it.

I put in a new oil boiler two years ago. Based on degree days, the first
year my savings were 38.2%, this year I'm at 40%. It is a System 2000 by
www.energykinetics.com Give them a look when you are ready to buy.