Can’t get burner to bleed

Suzy

Good morning, I am so glad I found this forum. Our tank ran dry (long story). After it was filled, I bled the burner and cranked it up…until it stopped again after about an hour. I changed the nozzle, wool filter by the tank, and screening filter in the burner (Beckett AFG). They weren’t too dirty. Problem is, I cannot get the burner to bleed now. I push the reset button, but when the blower comes on, I get only air coming out of the bleeder valve.  I’ve reset it several times. Any thoughts? What else should I troubleshoot? Also, there isn’t diesel pooling in the furnace at this point, right? 

PS:  My furnace guy is coming Monday, but only for a quick look. We live in a very remote area, and he’s really, really busy. 

Big Ed_4

Changed the filter cartage at the tank ? Is the tank bottom feed ? If so did you bleed the filter using the bleeder on top of filter first ? Your not loading up the unit with oil , until the pump is pumping oil ...

STEVEusaPA

If you ran out of oil you probably clogged the oil line. SOP is to remove filter element from canister/replace canister, put a push/pull pump at the burner, blow the line back into the tank, replace filter element, re-bleed the line.
Is it a gravity system (gravity from tank to burner), or a lift system (burner above tank)?

Suzy

Thank you, Big Ed_4 and STEVEusaPA. My system must be a lift system. The tank is outside, and the lines go underground, under the crawlspace, and through the floor to the furnace.
I think I installed the filter at the tank incorrectly--I did not bleed the filter first. I'll try that. If that doesn't work, I'll blow the line back into the tank as Steve suggested.

Steamhead

"Lines"? As in, there are two pipes between the burner and the tank?

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Suzy

are you sure you opened any valves in the system? Check that anything you took aapart is properly connected and tight

HVACNUT

Some pics would help a lot.
How do you plan on blowing back the line?

Suzy

Here are photos of the lines from the tank, and into the burner. The tank is about 6 months old; the furnace is from 2008 (and ran great until the "empty tank incident"), and the lines are probably original to the house, in 1966. It is usually chilly here, but almost never gets below freezing.
I Googled "push-pull pump" and I have one in the workshop. I'll use that, as suggested by Steve, after I double check my completed work.

rick in Alaska

I would check to make sure the pieces you took apart are all sealed up ok, especially if you are getting air. You might want to take the filter back apart and pour some oil in to it to give things a little help getting going. Also, if everything is air tight, then all you should have to do is just fire up the burner and it should self bleed. Assuming the bypass plug is installed.
Rick

HVACNUT

Have the tech install a Firomatic valve at the burner. 

Robert O'Brien

Oil filters should be installed indoors only

EBEBRATT-Ed

theop says it almost never gets below freezing i don't see an issue wit the outside filter.

My concern would be the old steel/galvanized lines run underground if they are 55 years old.

rick in Alaska

Oil filters should be indoors because it helps warm the oil, but there are a million of them outside, and it does work. If you are worrying about freezing, then make sure there is not water in the tank.
Rick

STEVEusaPA

Holy s#*!

Suzy

Thank you everybody, it's working now! I added oil to the filter, and tightened the cover to the strainer. That did the trick.
Now I'll look into the bypass plug and Firomatic valve. Hopefully the technician can spend some time with the furnace in a month or so.