Vibration troubles

motoscott909

Hi all,

I am having an issue with start-up vibration on my Heil Oil Furnace with a beckett oil burner.

The Furnace was installed around 2005 in my house and has always been regularly serviced and maintained. Overall it has been a very reliable furnace with no issues, up until the last half of last winter. About halfway through last winter it started having vibration issues on initial start-up. For the first 45 seconds or so, while the unit is warming up, before my main blower kicks on, the furnace will shake the ducting like crazy. As soon as the blower kicks on, everything smooths out and it runs just like it always has with no issues.

The problem is that i cannot seem to distinguish where exactly the vibration is coming from. It seems to be the entire furnace.

After speaking to a tech who services these units, he recommended that i change my nozzle to see if that remedied the issue, which it did not (it was new at the beginning of the season anyway). Since it was towards the latter half of the winter i decided to live with it as the furnace never gave any issue with heating, only vibration on first start up.

Now that winter is on our doorstep again, i would like to figure the problem out.

Any suggestions where i should start?

Scott

lchmb

Interesting...it vibrates up til the blower comes on. Is it that it stops or that you cant hear it over the blower. I would be looking closely at the burner (pump coupling, squirrel cage) Any new smells, dust or anything else unusual?

EBEBRATT-Ed

This is a strange one. You would usually expect vibration from the blower rather than the burner. Start it up and if it's vibrating (the burner) make sure the blower isn't running. Try and determine if it is the burner or blower for sure. (MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF IF YOUR FINGERS ARE IN THERE) If its the blower check the blower wheel and the motor bearings.

Check the burner pump coupling and blower wheel and motor bearings.

Don't know why it would stop vibrating when the blower starts......unless the HX is cracked or something.

maybe the burner is ot of adjustment or the flame cone partially burned off.

If you cant find the problem you need a good tech.

I wonder if this is constant or intermittent ignition ?

motoscott909

Thanks for the responses guys. I am confident that it is not the blower. I have double checked that the blower is not running when the unit is vibrating.

Before the blower starts, my burner burns for about 45 seconds or so. I assume this is to warm up the combustion chamber? It has done this since new, so i assume it is correct. During this warm-up is when the vibration occurs. It literally vibrates the entire floor upstairs. As soon as the blower kicks on the vibration smooths out.

Im wondering if a "head" of air in the inlet line could cause turbulence in the pump, which is causing my vibration? Like it is working overtime to supply fuel?

But then again i don't know why the blower would change anything with that? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bleed the system.

billtwocase

I think vibrate/pulsation would be your problem. Many factors can play a part. Over fire/breach draft, pump pressure, ignition, air adjustment, nozzle out of spec, etc, etc. Get us some more specific info like model# and make, and what nozzle is currently in there