An oil fired warm air furnace uses no.2 fuel oil burned in a sealed chamber to heat an
exchanger. Then with the help of a blower or fan, forces air across the exchanger, into
ductwork to warm the structure. The basic components of an oil furnace are: the burner, heat exchanger, fire box, blower, and cabinet,
sometimes known as the jacket. Accessories that can be installed inside or outside of the oil furnace include: a fan center(usually
a low voltage relay that can turn the blower on independent of the heat cycle), an air filter,
electronic air cleaner, or high performance media filter, humidifier, and air conditioning
evaporator coil . With central air, sometimes a condensate pump will be used to remove the
water discharged in the dehumidification action of the air conditioning. A zone control panel and motor actuated dampers will be present on the oil furnace or ductwork
if the system is zoned. Routine oil furnace maintenance includes; monthly filter replacement or washing the electronic air
cleaner grids when in constant use, cleaning the humidifier if so equipped, and an annual
tune up of the burner.
An oil burner tune up includes a nozzle and filter replacement, heat exchanger and smoke
pipe cleaning, and a fuel to air mixture adjustment. Since the mixture adjustment requires
the use of special instruments to meet federal standards, it is best left to a professional
to obtain peak efficiency. Click here for Troubleshooting Tips |