My Oil Burner Won’t Fire!

What to check

If you have oil-fired central heating you need to be able to depend on it firing especially when winter comes around. There are some common problems which can stop your oil burner from working or not firing. It’s useful to have some idea of the fault before you call out your local heating engineer as they may be able to give you a fix over the phone and if the engineer has to make a callout they would be more likely to achieve a first time fix of your faulty oil burner .

Thermostat and Timer Settings

First check your time clock settings and thermostats settings both at the boiler and inside your home. They may be set too low.

Electrical supply to Boiler

Next check is there power getting through to the boiler. Check the heating time clock is actually on and check the system fuse and/or plug(s) are okay and any plug/switch connections at the boiler.

Burner Trying to Fire

Do you have sufficient fuel oil? First thing to do is check that the oil levels in the oil tank. The oil level should be above the tanks oil line feed point and the level will vary depending on the distance of the oil line run to the the burner and any +/- fall in the oil line.  You can use the external oil tank level gauge but the older it is the harder it is to identify the actual level. The best and most accurate way if it is easy/safe to accessible is to remove the tanks fill cap and look inside.

If you have done all the checks and the burner is still not firing, then you may need to call on a professional to assess the problem.

Other Causes

For any of the following faults to be diagnosed/tested for an oil boiler engineer would be required.

Oil pump failure of blocked filter, or faulty coil. Incorrectly set electrodes or blockage in the nozzle hosing would prevent your burner from firing. Insufficient air flow to the burner will also prevent your burner from firing.   Not as common but a probable cause could be a weak transformer or failed control box or capacitor. Faulty wiring. Oil Line blockage. Contaminated oil.

If you are having problems with your oil fired boiler give Belfast Plumbing Services a call.