Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - oil frunace wont kick on
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : oil frunace wont kick on
hocbry30
10-16-05, 04:17 AM
I have an oil furnace and when i turn on the heat it wont kick on anymore. What could be some common problems with this???
There is a red button on top the box where the tstat wires enter and when i push it, it makes a noise, I assume this is just me closing a contact of some sort that should in my opinion get the ball rolling on heat??
Then there is a button for the fan and pushing it in means on and pulling it out means auto, when i push it in the blower comes on, so I know I have power to the unit.
I have multimeter and know how to use it.
Please quickly reply with all I can try asap, I have kids to keep warm.
-Bryan
There is a red button on top the box where the tstat wires enter and when i push it, it makes a noise, I assume this is just me closing a contact of some sort that should in my opinion get the ball rolling on heat??
Then there is a button for the fan and pushing it in means on and pulling it out means auto, when i push it in the blower comes on, so I know I have power to the unit.
I have multimeter and know how to use it.
Please quickly reply with all I can try asap, I have kids to keep warm.
-Bryan
utumike
10-16-05, 06:19 AM
need a little more info. there's alot of things it could be. the button? is the unit in a moble home? if so this button must be in with the door closed for the unit to work. when you are working on it you can pull the button out for servicing and it will work with the door open. Do you have oil in the tank? When was the last service? when you push the red button do you get a flame at all? a word of caution!! Don't keep pushing the red button. if you aren't getting a flame, you could be pumping oil into the chamber.
Mike
Mike
hocbry30
10-16-05, 09:39 AM
not a mobile home and the button is only to turn on the blower motor.
I think that the ignitor went bad as far as i can tell???
I think that the ignitor went bad as far as i can tell???
Grady
10-16-05, 03:44 PM
When you push the red button, does the burner run or do you just get a buzzing sound?
hankhill6018
10-16-05, 06:19 PM
Please don't go testing the electrodes (ignitor) with your tester. The electricity generated by these are roughly 10,000 volts!
As Grady said, when you hit the primary reset (the red button), does the burner motor start? If it does start/with no flame, it could be a bad nozzle, vacuum leak, or faulty electrodes just to name a few.
If it starts with a flame, but cuts out, it could be a bad cad cell.
If the motor does't start, could be a bad primary control, limit switch or other electrical problem.
As Grady said, when you hit the primary reset (the red button), does the burner motor start? If it does start/with no flame, it could be a bad nozzle, vacuum leak, or faulty electrodes just to name a few.
If it starts with a flame, but cuts out, it could be a bad cad cell.
If the motor does't start, could be a bad primary control, limit switch or other electrical problem.
jayluve2
11-18-05, 04:49 AM
i have this problem the thing kicks on and fire on just for a few seconds for the most 15 seconds then cuts off-please help-
whats a cad cell - could it be the thermastat - is it anything i could do personally to fix it - because im no expert
when the cold comes around and the thing sits for awile i have to prime it to work but this time no go
whats a cad cell - could it be the thermastat - is it anything i could do personally to fix it - because im no expert
when the cold comes around and the thing sits for awile i have to prime it to work but this time no go
Bonehead
11-18-05, 04:19 PM
The reason it runs, but then goes out is there is a flame sensing device that senses something is not right...and cold be any number of the things listed in posts above. Sorry to say but with oil burners, it's usually not just a matter of tightening a lose wire or some other free thing. For oil furnaces to work good over the long haul, every part has to be up to snuff. Also, if there is a draft problem caused by frequent down drafts, parts inside get sooted up and cause problems. I *hate* oil!
The very first place I lived in at 18 had an oil furnace. My level of knowledge then consisted of knowing that I had to wash all the walls in the house as they were all sooted up with oil so bad, that I turned the wall color from olive green to pale green, after I cleaned them!! I would *never* have oil.
The very first place I lived in at 18 had an oil furnace. My level of knowledge then consisted of knowing that I had to wash all the walls in the house as they were all sooted up with oil so bad, that I turned the wall color from olive green to pale green, after I cleaned them!! I would *never* have oil.
Grady
11-18-05, 07:38 PM
The cad cell (sometimes called the "eye") is usually mounted on the under side of the ignition transformer. A quick & easy test is to start the burner & after confirming it is lit, place a jumper across the terminals marked F - F on the control with the red reset button. If the flame stays on, there is a good chance the cad cell is bad or dirty. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE FURNACE WITH THE JUMPER ON. If the flame goes out, remove the jumper immediately.