Oil Furnace Transformer Problems

The nozzle compresses air and oil transporting it to the spark where it is ignited to create heat.

Oil furnace transformer problems. When facing a residential oil fired furnace that is acting up you want to get the situation under control as quickly as possible. When the transformer stops working properly it can lead to problems with your furnace such as the igniter failing to start and the furnace overheating. If you can t find a sticker with the information you can find out the voltage capacity by using a voltage. Replace the transformer in the oil furnace.

Most often a low voltage transformer that is no longer functioning can cause your ignition system to fail. Furnace transformer troubleshoot sequence if there is no voltage read at the output of the transformer as read by a voltmeter and power is available on the input side the transformer has failed. Although your oil furnace burns fossil fuel it still needs electricity to light the flame. By the mother earth news editors.

Oil furnace ignitor troubleshooting posted on. A problem during the heating season will bring a call from an anxious and possibly agitated customer. November 11 2013 an oil furnace works by having a high voltage ignitor create a spark next to an oil nozzle. Furnaces of all types such as electric gas and oil furnaces will use transformers with 120 or 240 volts.

The volts capacity information can be located within the furnace s features. Heating service technicians use a special high voltage tester to check the transformer. As a double check an ohmmeter can be used. Some options may also use as little as 24 volts.

The following are some of the most common issues that a service contractor addresses when troubleshooting an oil furnace along with the possible cures. Oil burner won t start or won t keep running. The transformer steps up your 120 volt house voltage to several thousand volts to produce a spark across the terminals of an igniter. Low voltage transformers can be found on the zone valves or on the thermostat of your furnace.

Oil furnace repair and troubleshooting when your oil furnaces quits try some home diagnoses before calling in a professional including these five tips and symptoms. Oil burners used on oil fired heating boilers furnaces or water heaters can often be diagnosed using a visual inspection approach as well as optional simple test equipment described here.