Fires up but won't stay lit

Stonacious

Good morning team...my old oil furnace is a lot like me these days, I'm looking for a little advice. Starting earlier this week, my oil furnace doesn't stay lit. I can start it and as long as I'm standing there it stays lights, runs through cycle, and blows warm air after 7 to ten minutes. As soon as I walk away or go back to bed, it "flames out". Won't stay lit. Is there anything I can do before I call RK Payne for a service call? Checked fuel level, checked valve and fuel line, no obvious defects....

MaxMercy

It locks out I assume, requiring you to push the reset button?

Lots of reasons it could be flaming out, most of them fuel related. If it hasn't been serviced in some time, I would bet on it needing a nozzle, filter, pump strainer, and draft and combustion adjustments.

Those things should be done yearly as maintenance, if those maintenance procedures don't fix it, there are a LOT of reasons it could be flaming out. A lot. A technician can usually pin the problem down fairly quickly.

BTW, if you push the reset button and it doesn't start within a few seconds, shut it down and do not push the button twice in a row with a no start condition.

JMWHVAC

For burners that work when owner or tech are present but quit soon after, the first thing needed is a primary control that gives some run and fault history. The history doesn't tell everything but it sure can speed up the process of elimination. Some ancient primary controls should be replaced anyway.

neilc

any chance you're closing a closet or basement door behind you when you walk away? and that burner then starves for air?

EBEBRATT-Ed

Also you stated that it starts to "blow warm air after 7-10 min". It shouldn't take quite that long for the blower to start. Maybe 3-4 min tops with an old style fan/limit control.

LRCCBJ

@Stonacious

I can start it and as long as I'm standing there it stays lights, runs through cycle, and blows warm air after 7 to ten minutes. As soon as I walk away or go back to bed, i

Clearly you need to purchase a new bed and install it next to the boiler. PROBLEM SOLVED.😂

EdTheHeaterMan

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/201192/fires-up-but-wont-stay-lit

As soon as I walk away or go back to bed, it "flames out". Won't stay lit. Is there anything I can do

You might set up a cot near the furnace. If you walking away is the cause, then you are just going to need to stay there to keep the heat running!

EDIT: Looks like @LRCCBJ beat me to this one LOL.

Seriously, "Flame Out" as you call it (You are watching to many Top Gun type movies), means that the Cad Cell eye is not "Seeing" the flame and that will indicate that there is no flame signal to the primary control. Sometimes just opening up the burner and cleaning the glass surface of the eye will get you thru the next few days. But if that eye got dirty, then it is time for maintenance and perhaps the primary control upgrade to a Carlin 70200 ProMax. That is my "Go To" oil primary control. It costs less that the older 3 wire exact replacement that you most likely have now. A primary control with diagnostics is the way to go.

HVACNUT

Are you turning off a light switch when you walk away?

The cycle could start fine but the longer the burner runs, the higher the vacuum gets. You could be sawing wood by then. Get it checked.