Maintaining An Oil furnace

Step 2—Oiling the Fan:

To clean and oil the fan, you have to locate the firing assembly by following the oil line into the furnace.  There you will find a motor for the firing assembly fan.  If it has oil ports, the apply 2 to 5 drops of SAE 10 non-detergent electric-motor oil into the ports.  If there are no ports, then the motor is sealed and does not need oil.

Step 3—Cleaning the Fan:

The fan forces air into the combustion chamber.  When dirt builds up on it, this can keep the burners from getting enough air, which will result in the furnace smoking.

To clean the fan, first remove the transformer on top of the firing assembly.  This usually requires the loosening of a few screws.  Then using the brush attachment on the end of the shop vacuum hose, vacuum off the fins of the fan.  Next, you want to clean the electric eye of the oil furnace.  This acts as a sensor, sensing whether the flame is lit or not.  If the flame is not lit, the senor will shut off the motor.  To clean the sensor, simply wipe off the dirt with a clean, dry cloth.

Step 4—Removing the Firing Assembly:

The firing assembly has to be removed in order to get to other parts.  To do this, first: TURN OFF THE FURNACE AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER!  You want to disconnect the oil line to the pump.  Unbolt the unit from the furnace, and remove any wires, which may obstruct the removal of the unit.  Carefully pull the unit out, and then turn it around to expose the pump. Then by using a wrench, carefully disconnect and remove the copper oil line from the pump and the body of the unit, then set it aside.  The pump is often connected to the unit by a few screws; remove these screws and then slid out the pump from the assembly.

Step 5—Clean the Pump Strainer:

The pump strainer is a secondary filter located inside the pump.  Its job is to catch any debris that may have made it past the pump filter.  The pump strainer needs to be cleaned once a year.  If it becomes clogged it can cause the flame to pulsate or to completely go out.

To clean the pump strainer, you need to wash it with a soft toothbrush and depending on your manufacturer’s instructions, with kerosene, paint thinner, or clean fuel oil.  Once cleaned, replace the gasket and reinstall the pump strainer.