Beckett Oil Burners are a very reliable oil burner. Like anything mechanical, they will glitch from time to time. Basic check number 1, is the burner powered? Check it with a voltmeter. I have seen circuit breakers or fuses that seem to be fine. When checked with a meter, they are found to be tripped or damaged. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called to fix an oil furnace, only to have to flip a breaker or replace a fuse. Power surges, lightning, or low voltage can often cause this sort of thing.
Once power is checked, you can begin to verify that the controls are working properly. First, find the red button in the gray box and press it. I could tell it to reset the Protectorelay, but many of you would have no idea what that is, so the red button in the gray box will do for now. Does the engine start when you do this? If not, check the engine power. This is best done by removing the gray box and checking for power on the wires going to the motor. Always remember to watch out for hot wires and turn off power before disconnecting any wires. If there is power to the motor, check the reset button on the motor. It’s a little red button on the side, usually halfway down the back of the engine in the worst possible place to get to. If the motor hums, but does not work, try turning the fan under the transformer. The transformer is the black box at the top next to the gray box. If the blower does not turn, remove the two screws that hold the pump and remove it. Does the engine start now?
Here are the options then for what we know so far. With the pump removed, does the motor run? If so, then the oil pump is probably faulty and won’t turn. Replace the pump and everything should work. If the motor continues to hum, replace it. Of course, if there is power to the motor and the reset does not trip, then the motor is bad and needs to be replaced. That should fix the engine issues. If none of that is the cause of the problem, then we need to dig deeper.
The transformer is another problem that can be very common with these oil burners. With the engine running, carefully balance the transformer on its hinges and check the compartment for sparks. The sparks should look like little lightning bolts flying around. If the sparks are very weak or yellow in color, replace the transformer. If there are no sparks and there is confirmed power going to the transformer. The transformer is also bad and needs to be replaced.
Oil pumps rarely go bad, and if they do, it’s hard to figure out. Another problem with changing the oil pump is that the proper equipment is needed to adjust the oil burner after the new pump is installed.
The most common oil related problem would be a clogged oil filter. I probably should have addressed that earlier. It is very common for the filter to become clogged with dirt or water. Replacing the oil filter is fairly easy to do and should be done at least once a year. A very dirty oil charge can clog an oil filter very quickly. A new oil filter is very useful to have available at all times.
The oil nozzle can also be a problem area. This nozzle sprays the oil into the combustion chamber at a very high pressure. The oil breaks down into a fine mist so it burns more effectively and efficiently. Due to the very fine hole through which the oil must pass, even the smallest particles of dirt can cause major problems. The oil nozzle assembly is below the transformer and can be removed by unhooking the oil line from the pump. Remove the locknut, then slide the nozzle assembly back and up through the hole.
Two wrenches should always be used to remove the nozzle. The tip should always be replaced with one that has the exact same flow, angle, and spray pattern as the removed tip. Even if replaced with the exact same nozzle, the oil burner should be tuned as soon as possible after replacement. Not all nozzles are completely equal and even a very subtle difference can affect oil burner performance.
This is by no means a complete troubleshooting guide for oil burners. It will give you some basic things to see if your oil burner stops working and you need to try to get it working for now. A professional tune-up with a combustion analyzer is always recommended for any appliance powered at least once a year. After any replacement or adjustment of any kind, a new analysis must be completed. An oil burner that is not adjusted correctly will waste oil and cause a lot of problems with soot build up, which in turn will cause more problems. This will almost always come back to you many times with more problems.
This was intended to be a very basic emergency guide to help get your oil burner working if the problem is basic. Oil burners are delicate burning machines that need a lot of tender loving care to give them a long life. Make sure you have your oil burner adjusted by a professional at least once a year to get the most out of your oil. There are other issues that could arise that I cannot address here. As I said, oil burners are quite complicated and many combinations of problems can occur.