Hello all. Great forum, great community.

I've smelled raw oil coming out of my vents for the past few days so I started to investigate. I noticed a small puddle of oil on the floor around the furnace so I took off all the covers. I noticed oil leaking around the oil pump area, I first thought it was just a loose fitting on the oil inlet line into the pump but it was nice and tight so i doubt it. What I did notice was a drip of oil about to drop out of the vent/ bleed line of the oil pump so I figure that is where the entire puddle of oil came from.

I guess my question is what can cause oil to come out of that vent/bleedline? Again I am not positive that this is exactly where it is coming from but due to me seeing a drop of oil about to drop from that vent, that is what I think so any input is encouraged. I cleaned up the entire area so I can start fresh and get better idea of the culprit.

Here is a link to a picture of my pump and me pointing at the vent/bleedline. Thanks for your time

 

i would get a long 3/8 box wrench to that bleed port and give it a snug.the oil must have been sucked in by the fan so you see it for awhile.

 

Do not fire that unit until you have checked to make sure you are not bleeding fuel from the nozzle. If you have a failed plunger seal in the pump, it will allow oil to drain out the nozzle and into you fire chamber base or near that area and will find its way around the furnace floor. This can happen if you have a gravety feeding tank. If you fire the unit with that condition and lots of oil around, your next call could be for fire trucks. Had that happen to me once and replaced the pump. The small amount of oil at the bleeder may be there from the last priming from a tech. If someone has tried to adjust the pump pressure without the pump running you can damage that plunger seal. If it was coming from the bleeder you show, you should see the resulting oil around the base pan under the pump. You say a puddling around the furnace, so I would say a leak that big would be dropping plenty if it was from the bleeder.

 

Another bet, a little leak can make a big mess. the burner fan sucks in the oil from the bleed. if it was what you said undoing the nozzle line would see who won.plus you you would get a big bang and smoke on light off.