Miller oil burner loud on startup and shutdown. Now intermittent ignition
#1
11-27-22, 05:39 PM
Miller oil burner loud on startup and shutdown. Now intermittent ignition
Hello all, I'll try to make this short. I have a mid 1990s Miller fuel oil furnace with the Beckett burner. I recently had a local oil company come clean my furnace. When I got the $180 bill it said the furnace was vacuumed and a few other things I knew the technician didn't do or replace as I was standing right there when he was cleaning it. Since he didn't do as the bill stated I called the company and spoke with the owner. He stated all those things should have been done. He sent the same technician out to do it the right way, which he did . Is there something he may have adjusted something incorrectly to make the furnace much louder when it starts up and shuts down? It has been not starting also quite often and I have to push the reset button for it to fire. The other day it quit. I changed the nozzle and bled it. It fired right up, but is still doing what I had previously stated. Thanks in advance!!
#2
11-28-22, 06:27 AM
The furnace started up last night, made a fairly loud bang, then shut off. I pushed the reset button and it fired up and ran decent. Is their a way my furnace could be getting too much fuel and that is what's causing the bang ? I also noticed a lot of smoke coming out of the chimney after the bang.
#3
11-28-22, 12:32 PM
UJ,
You're on the right trail and you're thinking is correct. Your fuel is regulated by the size of your nozzle but what you are getting is a delayed ignition which means your spark is arriving later than your oil at the nozzle by possibly misalignment of the electrode tips since it was running fine before the cleaning.
Your primary control may have a 15 or 30 second safety which means the cad cell has that amount of time to see fire before it shuts the burner down on safety and must be reset to try to light again.
I would call them back and get someone more experienced at burner service this time. This answer is based on the fact that the delay and noise started after the cleaning.. Three possibilities causing trouble. The transformer, electrodes or cad cell but since everything was fine before, chances are they are fine now with proper setting.
Hope this helps a little
You're on the right trail and you're thinking is correct. Your fuel is regulated by the size of your nozzle but what you are getting is a delayed ignition which means your spark is arriving later than your oil at the nozzle by possibly misalignment of the electrode tips since it was running fine before the cleaning.
Your primary control may have a 15 or 30 second safety which means the cad cell has that amount of time to see fire before it shuts the burner down on safety and must be reset to try to light again.
I would call them back and get someone more experienced at burner service this time. This answer is based on the fact that the delay and noise started after the cleaning.. Three possibilities causing trouble. The transformer, electrodes or cad cell but since everything was fine before, chances are they are fine now with proper setting.
Hope this helps a little
#4
11-29-22, 02:21 AM
Thanks for the reply! I did take out the drawer assembly, cleaned it up, and adjusted the electrodes a little. Not sure what it's doing now as far as how loud it is as I did that stuff before bed. It's ran all night without quitting. I'll be going to work soon so I'll update you this afternoon. Thanks again!
#5
12-01-22, 04:30 PM
Thanks Spott, it doesn't seem to be doing it as bad. I just moved the electrodes forward in the cone (?) a little as it seemed like they weren't in far enough. I'll keep you updated and thanks again!!
#6
12-12-22, 03:15 PM
Miller oil furnace on occasionally lighting
Hello all, I had posted a couple weeks ago about my Miller oil furnace with the Beckett burner. It still has been loud when initially starting, like a louder than normal rumbling. Recently it hasn't been lighting . If I hit the reset button, it will fire up and run ok. So, am I possibly not getting enough fuel sometimes and other times too much fuel? Thanks as always!
#7
12-12-22, 05:39 PM
UJ,
If you're sure your assembly is correctly set then the next step is your transformer. What you are describing now sounds exactly what happens when a transformer gets week. What causes your rumbling is a late ignition. The oil and spark are suppose to meet at the same time, if the oil starts before the spark lights then that rumbling you hear is unburned oil due to the delay is spark. Transformers can act very erratic where they work fine for a while then miss once.
Just a thought, hope this helps a little.
If you're sure your assembly is correctly set then the next step is your transformer. What you are describing now sounds exactly what happens when a transformer gets week. What causes your rumbling is a late ignition. The oil and spark are suppose to meet at the same time, if the oil starts before the spark lights then that rumbling you hear is unburned oil due to the delay is spark. Transformers can act very erratic where they work fine for a while then miss once.
Just a thought, hope this helps a little.
#8
12-12-22, 06:55 PM
Thanks Spott, I actually ordered a tool last week to check the electrode to nozzle specs. I'll probably remove the drawer assembly and check it once more before I buy a transformer. Thanks again!!!
#11
12-13-22, 04:51 PM
I got home from work and the furnace had quit. I took out the drawer assembly and cleaned the electrodes, changed the nozzle and adjusted the electrode to nozzle setting by eye. I couldn't get the burner to light no matter what. I called the local HVAC company and they sent out a tech. He checked everything over and came to the conclusion that the flame was too dirty for the eye to see. He messed with the air and got it to light. He then adjusted the air and said he was pretty sure that's what the problem was. He assumed the last guy didn't adjust the air correctly or maybe didn't tighten it and it wiggled loose. He said it wasn't very tight. I assume their is a nut that you have to loosen to adjust the air? Furnace is running good so far. Thanks as always!!
#12
12-14-22, 09:45 AM
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Sorry you wasted your money on that orange piece of crap. Set your electrodes as follows: 5/16 - 7/16" above nozzle center; 1/16" ahead of the nozzle face; 5/32 (sloppy 1/8") gap between the tips. Spott mentioned a possible weak ignition transformer. Another possible cause of late ignition is incorrect air adjustment, especially too much air.
