Oil not being sucked into burner?!

BMARCH

Hello

We recently ran out of oil (judgemental error!) and have waited for three weeks for this delivery thanks to the backlog after the beast from the east lol. We didn't realise at the time as the boiler didn't lock out but boiler has been switched off until the delivery today....

We have had 500l of heating oil delivered, and turned boiler back on. All firing normally but there is about an inch of oil at the end closest to the bleed valve but the rest is air. Have tried bleeding but no movement in the pipe - 1 inch oil level doesn't seem to be getting smaller and oil not being pulled through.

Had a bit of a play with the fire valve(?) - the gold valve at the end of the clear tube that leads to the oil supply. It was set to wide open when we looked at the boiler this evening so we tired closing it. This did draw oil in but also TONNES of air which, when reaching the burner, made a bit of a funny noise and churned out LOADS of white smoke!

Opened up valve again and still no movement on the oil line but the smoke eventually ran clear again.

Anyone got any ideas? Im guessing there is just tonnes of air in the pipe but as the bleed valve doesnt seem to do much i have no idea what to do. Boiler still not locking out despite all my fiddling. Fire valve is 2 months old, burner is 2 years old

Thanks!

BMARCH

having done a bit of research it seems we need to close the fire valve as when fully unscrewed it's actually shutting off the oil supply?!

So we shut the fire valve and then allow all the mammoth amount of air in and let it blow white smoke and then open bleed valve until all air hopefully gone?

thanks!

STEVEusaPA

That's not how you bleed a pump. If anything it will ruin it.
Running out, or almost out of oil, you may have a plugged filter, pump strainer, or nozzle.
I recommend you do research on finding a good oil tech, and get the burner serviced and tuned up, and the boiler cleaned.
Where are you located that it took 3 weeks to get a delivery?

BMARCH

We are in Norfolk and there was a backlog so no where was even taking orders for a week then had to wait 2 weeks + for delivery. Looked at fire valve and we had it wrong so once we sorted that problem we successfully bled air out of oil burner and now all working fine!

SuperTech

Running the burner with the firomatic valve closed will destroy the oil pump. Your fiddling probably screwed up the combustion and efficiency. Just because you don't see smoke doesn't mean it's running right. You cannot setup a flame retention burner properly without performing combustion analysis.

You need to call a professional oil service technician ASAP.

GBart

never heard of an oil company telling people they weren't taking any orders for oil, heard them say they could not get there today, would not come until bill paid off, had a min 150 gal, etc etc

never heard of an oil company telling people they weren't taking any orders for oil and then it would be 2 weeks after that

is this for real?

STEVEusaPA

GBart said:

never heard of an oil company telling people they weren't taking any orders for oil, heard them say they could not get there today, would not come until bill paid off, had a min 150 gal, etc etc

never heard of an oil company telling people they weren't taking any orders for oil and then it would be 2 weeks after that

is this for real?

As an owner of an oil company, I never heard of anything like that except for maybe, maybe, a very remote place, an island. Originally I thought the OP might be somewhere remote in Canada (he mentioned Litres).
I only kept my trucks off the road during the snow storm. The next morning I was on the road.
Any will-calls by 9am usually get delivery that day, if not the next day.
My only guess is that the OP called a large discount company, like @GBart mentioned, a billing issue.
Large full-service companies get backed up (I ranted about this before) because they're so greedy and aggressively take customers, then when it gets very cold, or they lose a day or 2 for snow, they're overwhelmed. Lots of run-outs with their automatics, and their techs are tipping 5 gal cans and starting heaters.
OP, luckily with heating oil, there are many dealers, many flavors of service. I recommend finding a different company, smaller, full service (get some recommendations from friends/neighbors). You'll have a much better experience.

SeymourCates

@BMARCH

Apologies for those who choose to laugh at your situation while providing no meaningful assistance. Sadly, it's quite common on here.

I suspect that you are not utilizing the proper bleed port on the burner itself. Once you run out of oil, you have to bleed the pump of all air, otherwise it won't pressurize the fuel and deliver it to the nozzle.

Check out this tutorial:

https://www.wikihow.com/Bleed-an-Oil-Furnace

STEVEusaPA

SeymourCates said:

@BMARCH

Apologies for those who choose to laugh at your situation while providing no meaningful assistance. Sadly, it's quite common on here.

Hat, your comment is ridiculous. Exactly 'who choose to laugh at your situation...' are you referring?
Practically every response provided some assistance.

GBart

SeymourCates said:

@BMARCH

Apologies for those who choose to laugh at your situation while providing no meaningful assistance. Sadly, it's quite common on here.

I suspect that you are not utilizing the proper bleed port on the burner itself. Once you run out of oil, you have to bleed the pump of all air, otherwise it won't pressurize the fuel and deliver it to the nozzle.

Check out this tutorial:

https://www.wikihow.com/Bleed-an-Oil-Furnace

agreed, just said I never heard of that ever, EVER, some will take the order and not promise delivery but after all this is America and business owners generally do not turn down more business, they keep their drivers out

Fred

@STEVEusaPA , I've seen a number of posts from @SeymourCates and I too think this is Hat, maybe reincarnated!

HVACNUT

With the OP stating litres and Norfolk, I think that puts him on the north shore of Lake Erie. Not exactly no mans land, and no reason to not get a same day delivery... or a qualified tech.

Canucker

Norfolk county, Ontario @BMARCH ?
That's not far from me. Definitely experienced oil techs in the area

New England SteamWorks

Fred said:

@STEVEusaPA , I've seen a number of posts from @SeymourCates and I too think this is Hat, maybe reincarnated!

Good for you @fred. That's a reincarnation we can live without!