If you are buying a new furnace you should understand things about it. This will help you know if there are problems with it, so you can get it repaired quickly. One thing you need to know about is the oil burner inside the furnace. Once you learn this, you then need to learn common problems oil burners can have so you can get your furnace repaired quickly.

Will Not Run

The first thing to do if your oil burner is not starting up is to check the circuit breaker that controls your furnace. Make sure this breaker is not turned off. If it is turn it back on and see if the oil burner starts again.  If it does not, a possible cause is a blown circuit breaker

You also need to ensure there is enough oil in the oil tank. You do this by looking at the oil tank gauge. The contractor that installed your furnace can tell you how much oil should be in your tank. If you find it is too low, adding oil will likely solve your problem.

Look at the thermostat to ensure it is set to the right temperature. For example, it may have been accidentally set at a low setting, so the oil burner will not need to turn on. Putting the thermostat at the right setting will fix this. If the thermostat does not seem to be working or the temperature will not change, you will have to replace the thermostat to get the oil burner running again.

The combustion chamber may also be flooded with oil. This is a very serious so if you think this is the problem keep the furnace off and call an HVAC contractor to service it for you.

Runs and then Turns Off

A dirty or clogged air filter can cause an oil burner to run and then shut off. Check the filter and if you see it is built up with debris replace it and then try to run the oil burner again.

The oil burner nozzle will also become clogged over time. If you see the clog needs to be cleared before you run the furnace. There also may be air trapped in the fuel line. To repair this the contractor will bleed the line. The contractor will then check the line to ensure the pressure is adequate.

If the oil burner is still not working the contractor will check the motor to ensure it is turning. If not, the motor needs to be repaired or replaced. The problem could also be due to a bad coupling inside the motor.

If you are still having this problem, the fuel unit may not be pumping. This is an expensive repair as the pump would need to be replaced.

Your furnace repair contractor can give you much more information about this.