I have looked over troubleshooting pages all morning and now have to ask for help. We Wayne oil burner model moc-80 this summer I install a new oil tank outside, all was checked over and tested working perfectly for the past 2 and a half months. The past few days I noticed the burner thumping a bit as if it were going out and kicking in finally 4am it kicked off 3 degrees out side I thought it froze so I used a heat gun to thaw it, still skipping bleed the lines and it looked bubbly got a solid stream and it worked for 5 minutes and started again. It stays working now it is a bit warmer for an hour or so then spurts and spits again I can actually smell kerosene when it does this. Any suggestions welcome thanks in advance.

The kerosene you smell is probably from incomplete combustion/back spit in the burner tube. If you are using number 1 you should not be having a freeze /jell problem at this time unless your tank is on the windy side of the house.

Make sure you have oil in the tank (sounds stupid but I have been to many service calls and it was just lack of oil. I used to carry 10 gallon in the service truck for customers just in case.

A few things can cause oil problems. The coupling that connects the burner motor to the pump. Usually it is a crown cut your own length coupling unless the original is in place. It is located inside the air blower squirrel cage assembly between the motor and pump.
This coupling can slip/be stripped a bit allowing a noise and lack of proper pump operation.

The oil pump itself can be a problem. They are supposed to be set at 100 pounds and you will need a gauge to test that. The oil pump has a outer end bell that has a filter in it. If you take the end bell off for checking you will need a new gasket.
Did you suck out of the top of the tank for your oil feed to the inside or did you tap off the bottom of the tank?
If you tapped off the top it is possible that the 3/8 copper tube you used is not extended into the tank enough and you will have oil in the tank BUT you cannot draw it out due to the short dip tube in the tank. If you tapped off the bottom I hope you pitched your oil tank a little to the opposite side of the bottom tap. It keeps accumulated junk from flowing into the valve.

Oil filter? Did you replace it when changing the tank. You need to change that filter every year along with the nozzle in the burner. If you change the filter and it is a General style be sure to use the new little bleed gaskets along with a new main bolt gasket.
A vacuum leak could have happened since the cold weather. Make sure all flare nuts etc are tight and leak proof. This can also cause the burner to cut in and out due to air in the lines.

If it were me I would check the oil in the tank first.

Everything started working just fine when it warmed up, kept working for the past few days and nights, temps in the 20's. Stopped again tonight it's -4 degrees tonight I took the filter of and there where ice beads in it, I cleaned it out reattached the filter making certain it was air tight, the fuel at the bleeder has bubbles sometimes big sometimes very small almost looks good but won't last long, and it will even stop flowing, it won't bleed tonight obviously somewhere it is freezing up. I have to figure something out. It gets colder then that here and if it is freezing I need to do something.

There used to be a product called FuelTron that would encapsulate the water and burn it kind of like the oil. It was great stuff and we used to use a pint in each oil tank fill up to prevent water problems. I believe it is off the market due to hazard problems but I am sure something else like it is available. Call your oil supplier because it could save you much grief.

Thanks again, this morning it started up again fine when it reached the 20's, so I do believe it's water. I will check on what you said and hope it works ,again thanks so much.

Local oil company said to use Iso-Heet, what do you think? Actually called two oil companies and they both said the same, please let me know if you think this will hurt our furnace, thank you very much.

Iso-Heet is alcohol and it will absorbe water. Just about the same stuff you put in your car for gas line antifeeze.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hvac1000

The kerosene you smell is probably from incomplete combustion/back spit in the burner tube. If you are using number 1 you should not be having a freeze /jell problem at this time unless your tank is on the windy side of the house.

Make sure you have oil in the tank (sounds stupid but I have been to many service calls and it was just lack of oil. I used to carry 10 gallon in the service truck for customers just in case.

A few things can cause oil problems. The coupling that connects the burner motor to the pump. Usually it is a crown cut your own length coupling unless the original is in place. It is located inside the air blower squirrel cage assembly between the motor and pump.
This coupling can slip/be stripped a bit allowing a noise and lack of proper pump operation.

The oil pump itself can be a problem. They are supposed to be set at 100 pounds and you will need a gauge to test that. The oil pump has a outer end bell that has a filter in it. If you take the end bell off for checking you will need a new gasket.
Did you suck out of the top of the tank for your oil feed to the inside or did you tap off the bottom of the tank?
If you tapped off the top it is possible that the 3/8 copper tube you used is not extended into the tank enough and you will have oil in the tank BUT you cannot draw it out due to the short dip tube in the tank. If you tapped off the bottom I hope you pitched your oil tank a little to the opposite side of the bottom tap. It keeps accumulated junk from flowing into the valve.

Oil filter? did you replace it when changing the tank. You need to change that filter every year along with the nozzle in the burner. If you change the filter and it is a General style be sure to use the new little bleed gaskets along with a new main bolt gasket.
A vacuum leak could have happened since the cold weather. make sure all flare nuts etc are tight and leak proof. This can also cause the burner to cut in and out due to air in the lines.

If it were me I would check the oil in the tank first.

---

Back again...
I believed my worries were over after all, I changed the nozzle and filter for the winter and after doing so the flame is now needing adjustment rhe flame I see inside the little peep hole is really hi and yellow is it suppose to be this strong of a flame what should it look like if I adjust it down it doesn't fire up after it cycle so what should it look like? I hope to get this right for worry free winter ahead thanks very much in advance.

I do not eyeball tune furnaces. I use a CO tester tool. Sorry but flame color is not very accurate at all and with the price of heating oil so high eyeballing is a thing of the past.

BUT

You can try to adjust the burner air till the smoke clears the tips of the flames. To hard a flame and the heat goes up the flue. To soft a flame the unit soots up. There are many adjustments to a oil burner. Pump pressure,barometric damper,burner air. These are the three that are normally messed with.

I should just call for service then, so it can be set up correctly. Thanks for your help.

That is a smart move. When oil was .19 cents a gallon it was a different ballgame but oil is so high now you want to get all the heat into your home as possible. A qualified oil burner professional will make that burner sing with efficiency and that will keep a few more $$ in your pocket.