My burner sometimes fails to light in morning after set back thermostat calls for heat. My service man checked pump pressure 100psi+and transformer, changed nozzle and electrodes. Unit still would not fire untell transformer raised. I believe this reduced air flow, unit fired and continued to fire. Next morning unit did not fire, I raised transformer and unit fired. I reduced air and unit ran untell next AM. Raised trans, unit fired and reduced air again. This went on several days. Then unit always started untell today. Pressed reset and fired. Reduced air again. I will see what happens. Anyone have this problem before. Any ideas. We need to leave house to babysit for several days. Failure reduces confidance! SoCool

My burner sometimes fails to light in morning after set back thermostat calls for heat. My service man checked pump pressure 100psi+and transformer, changed nozzle and electrodes. Unit still would not fire untell transformer raised.

If the transformer is attached to the electrodes by Black high voltage wires I would suspect them as being defective. The reason I say this is since you can raise the transformer and the unit will fire it must have the black hi voltage wires or you could not raise the transformer up since it would loose contact with the electrode bar and would never fire. The wires inside the black high voltage wires will break and when you lift the transformer it causes them to move back together allowing ignition to take place. When you drop the transformer back down the wires will break again but it makes no difference since the fire is already started in the burner.

While this is not a common occurrence I have seen it a time or two in the past during oil burner service. For any more info on your unit please post a picture of your unit specifically the oil burner transformer in both open and closed position.

One more note on this. I have also seen where the wire nuts are not holding all the wires together correctly allowing almost the same thing to happen as what you are experiencing. The motor and the ignition transformer are wired together with the safety reset control and the 120 volt power wires. The wires are not positioned correctly or are loose allowing the same thing to happen to the transformer. When the transformer is lying down on the unit as it would be normally no power or ground is being made to the transformer. When you raise the transformer the power circuit makes and fires up the burner. Naturally when you lay the transformer back down the fire keeps burning since it is already lit. You might want to disassemble and reattach those wires also making sure that the connection is made properly and the wire nut is secure.

Thanks so much for the reply. I had the same idea and last night opened up the three wire nuts and checked and retightened them. The twists looked good but I had been getting electrical noise on an AM receiver when the burner ran. That has stopped. The transformer makes contact with the electrodes with a spring assembly. Think that is OK but I did not check the bottom of the transformer. I will. The furnace had an interesting failure after I sent in the earlier question. I went BANG and blew off the damper assembly. It made me think that the flame had gone out while the burner was running and the restarted with fuel vapor in the stack. That gave me the idea to check the wiring. We may have got it! Time will tell. Thanks again.

The big bang was exactly what you said. Loose connections will do that.

More from socool. I ended up purchasing a new ingiter. The spark just did not seem as strong as it had been even with all the wiring checked out. All I can say is the burner is now running just fine. Time will tell...

Glad you got it going.

I have a similar problem with my combination Heat pump/oil fired hot air system.

Installed fall of 95 I now have replaced the Oil furnace Controls Beckett Transformer once simultaneously with the Beckett Relay block twice Part # 51970U first service call on inspection loose screw down connections were found. Since these were always middle of the night and weekends charges. I took a shot at it the first time tapping and re position the transformer it worked next season same situation tap and jiggle and I drew life for an additional week then failed the relay contact has a printed circuit board in it which burnt up. Today Service was called after losing heat over the weekend kept alive by switching the system breakers off and on usually once in a 24 hour period My heat pump may be to blame as the Oil man tech explained because my transformer control is trying to work the heat pump. My A/C tech says the pump is designed to handle operations into high mid 20 degree range
So his suggestion find another relay with a heftier Rating My furnace installer is out of business ! Question do they make one ? Where do I find one This is my 3rd season with this system and I'm now afraid to leave the home to travel with extreme weather conditions. What to do ? Help

You are looking for this

http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/PackedLit/69-0613.pdf

It has a full 40 VA low voltage transformer built in.

Product (http://customer.honeywell.com/honeywell/ProductInfo.aspx/R8184M1051)

Honeywell R8184M 1051 Oil Burner Primary Control (http://www.myhvacparts.com/Catalogue/Oil%20Burners/R8184M%20Primary%20Control.htm)

HONEYWELL / SID HARVEY R8184M OIL PRIMARY CONTROL (http://www.rexxindustrialparts.com/honeywell--sid-harvey-r8184m-oil-primary-con8184.html)

R8184M Protectorelay® Oil Burner Control (http://www.simplyplumbing.com/controls---electrical-honeywell-r8184m-protectorelay--oil-burner-control.html)

Also you might check Ebay.

Honeywell R8184M-1002 Protectorelay Burner Control NIB - eBay (item 270345751438 end time Feb-23-09 13:39:16 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Honeywell-R8184M-1002-Protectorelay-Burner-Control-NIB_W0QQitemZ270345751438QQihZ017QQcategoryZ53296Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Like I said this one has the full 40 VA transformer the most powerful one they make for bolt on to a oil burner with the protecto relay combo.