Getting Flameouts With Beckett OIl Burner. Foamy Oil...

NTL1991

Hello



My burner stopped working this evening on my Weil-McLain SGO-4. It's a Beckett AFG burner. I had no heat, and the burner was in lockout. I reset it and I got no flame. I loosened the transformer cover and I have very good spark. The ignitors are a bit worn, but they are within OEM spec as far as adjustment. The nozzle is clean. It is a Delavan R10 .85 at 80 degrees.



The fuel will only ignite if I open the bleeder to let a bit of foamy oil out and an air pocket. The flame with burn normally for about 10 seconds, and then flame out with smoke coming out the damper. If I open the bleeder again and let some foamy oil out along with another air pocket, it will ignite instantly again. I've repeated the process about 10 times, to no avail. Upon closing the bleeder valve, the pump makes a whining noise.



Do I have a bad pump which is foaming my oil? I've bled the oil filter, as well.



Any ideas? I'd really like a warm house tonight...

lchmb

have you

Either a pump problem or a supply problem. Has the filter been changed? Will the oil flow through the line? Is it an underground line? Overhead?

NTL1991

Yep

Hello. The filter was changed at the beginning of the season. Oil flows through the lines perfectly. The line runs from the bottom of my tank, across the floor about 12 feet, around the boiler, and right to the pump.



After trying the "bleed then ignite" thing about 3 more times last night, the pump made a long, high-pitched whine, and then it went away. The burner fired the boiler all the way to 200 degrees, where I set it temporarily to get it nice and hot, just in case it didn't start back up again. It ran like that for about 45 minutes without any hiccup at all...



And, after it reached the high limit at 200, the boiler dropped to 180 or so, and when the burner tried to kick back on, the problem happened again. I haven't been able to get it to start again. It wont run for more than about 15 seconds.

EddieG

Fuel Issue

Sounds like you have an oil supply issue. Could be filter, strainer, or line restriction. Oil coming out of the bleeder should not be foamy.

lchmb

I would

Replace the filter and strainer again (they are cheap), also checking to make sure you have full flow out of the tank then bleed the line. If the problem continues it sounds like the pump has failed.

Your line isnt buried under the floor is it?

NTL1991

Thanks

Thanks for the replies.



The line isn't buried in the floor. About 75% of it is exposed, the rest (along the foundation wall and behind the boiler) is covered with cement.



I dumped the oil in the filter, tightened all of the lines, bled from the bleeder and checked the flow from the jet line. I connected the line and it fired right up.



It's been firing fine for about 3 hours now.



Thanks for the help,

Nick