Heat pump not reliably switching to oil

[jasonmyers111]

Hello, I have a heat pump/oil furnace. The heat pump works fine and the oil furnace normally works fine. When the temperature outside gets below a certain temperature, the oil furnace is supposed to automatically kick on. Sometimes this doesn't happen. When the oil is supposed to kick on, sometimes it doesn't light causing it to shut down. I go down and reset the switch and lightly bang on the transformer (i think that's what it is called, the thing that provides the spark) and it lights. That's when I get a small cloud of exhaust and then everything works fine. Sometimes it switches over fine and other times it shuts down. I had it serviced and cleaned at the end of last season and figured that would fix it. I still occasionally get the problem though. I'm not real sure what type of furnace it is. It says Beckett on the front and A2VA-7116 on the side. Any help is appreciated.

[crazycory22]

Could be the ignition transformer is going bad, and opening up internally. When you tap on it, it temporarily fixes it self, then it does it all over again.

[jasonmyers111]

Thanks for the advice. I'll check into it and let you know how it goes.

[jasonmyers111]

Do ignition transformers slowly go bad or is it a work/not work think. I had the same problem again this morning. After resetting the furnace I had to sligtly lift and close the transformer (it's a black box on hinges) before it would ignite. I could see that there was spark but it took several tries before it would light. I just want to be sure before I spend the money on a new transformer

[crazycory22]

They can just up and die, or they can go bad slowly. You might be able to take the transformer to a plumbing supply shop, and they may be able to test it for you, that way you don't spend money on it if it's not the problem. Those transformers are supposed to put out 10,000 volts if not more.