Problem With Burnham Oil Furnace Short Cycling - DIY Chatroom

Catherine M Brown · 02-07-2008, 08:38 AM

Hi

My furnace keeps short cycling at 15 or 30 second intervals all night. It is noisy and is probably consuming a lot of oil. The hot water and heat is fine but the short cycling is driving me mad. I have replaced thermostates, cleaned it's "eye" and adjusted high and low temps on the furnace itself. Oh, moved "differentials". Can someone help me solve this problem? I just don't want to buy and install a new furnace.

Thanks

Cathy

PAULIE555 · 02-07-2008, 09:16 AM

Hi Cathy, have a look here - http://www.nachi.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11747

Mainah · 02-07-2008, 05:19 PM

what is your hi/lo limit set at? what the differential set at?

do you have zone valves?

Catherine M Brown · 02-13-2008, 09:42 AM

Hi Mainah
Thank you for replying and your time.

High 190 Low 160 Diff. 15. We have 2 zones and tried swaping out the thermostates. That did not work. Replaced something called an aquastat. That did not work. I turn the heat down very low at night so it will not come on and keep us awake. Then in the morning, I turn it up. The house heats nicely, but when it reaches temp the short cycling starts. The thermostat down stairs is on 55. This is an oil furnace. Everyone seems to be talking about gas furnaces. Help! Again, thank you for taking the time to ask questions. Cathy

econoline · 02-13-2008, 04:28 PM

Umm...2 zones and replaced an aquastat...not a furnace but a boiler...do you see a gauge reading the water temp?.....the bottom reading is your water pressure....approx. 20lbs...???...do you have bleed valves you can open to let air out...to see if it is low on water???..water supply valve to boiler MUST remain open for automatic replenishment.... some boilers have a low water shutdown!!!!!

skymaster · 02-13-2008, 04:36 PM

It will be cheaper and faster in the long run just to get a serviceman in there. All you are doing is throwing money at an unknown problem and hoping you trip over it. Am NOT being mean just honest.

Mainah · 02-13-2008, 06:35 PM

do you have zone valves??
it sounds like it could be the end switch is sticking when it's satisfied for heat

Catherine M Brown · 02-14-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mainah

do you have zone valves??
it sounds like it could be the end switch is sticking when it's satisfied for heat

Hi

We will look at it. We had a service guy out but he charged us $115, cleaned it, and could not solve the problem. I have a cousin in the family that has a business in this field, and he is at a loss for ideas. The chat room people all seem to be talking about gas furnaces with this problem. We are just odd, I guess.

Cathy

Catherine M Brown · 02-14-2008, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skymaster

It will be cheaper and faster in the long run just to get a serviceman in there. All you are doing is throwing money at an unknown problem and hoping you trip over it. Am NOT being mean just honest.

Hi Skymaster,

We did this in step one. The fellow came and cleaned the furnace. The problem remains and I already paid the $115 bill. We are so tired from laying in bed listening to the furnace turn on every 15 seconds wasting fuel that I am ready to replace it!

Thanks for taking the time for the advice.

I just sign off as sleepless in Providence.

Cathy

Catherine M Brown · 02-14-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by econoline

Umm...2 zones and replaced an aquastat...not a furnace but a boiler...do you see a gauge reading the water temp?.....the bottom reading is your water pressure....approx. 20lbs...???...do you have bleed valves you can open to let air out...to see if it is low on water???..water supply valve to boiler MUST remain open for automatic replenishment.... some boilers have a low water shutdown!!!!!

Thanks, Econoline

We will try this tonight and let you know what we find. I appreciate your time.

Cathy

Clutchcargo · 02-14-2008, 12:28 PM

Try unhooking the thermostat lines at the boiler controls. There may be a partial short in that line someplace causing it to arc. Just a thought.
GL
Edit, no that's not it. Otherwise that behavior would occur even when you turn the thermostat down. If the boiler doesn't cycle on it's way up and doesn't cycle on it's way down, it has to be something the thermostat is doing. You need to determine if the call for heat is also intermittent.
What type of heating system is this? ... baseboard, hydro-air, radiant, steam?
We have determined it's a boiler and not a furnace, correct?
Is it 15-30 seconds on/15-30 seconds off Or is it 30 seconds on/ a few minutes off?
Could you describe exactly what it's doing?

smmcfarland2 · 01-29-2009, 12:32 PM

My oil burner would short cycle like that because the safety flame photo eye was damaged. No reading from the photo-eye system shuts down.

**beenthere** · 01-29-2009, 12:39 PM

If the flame safety shuts it down, thats not short cyclng.

Brown.

What brand zone vavles do you have.
As someone else said, it sounds like one of them is causing the short cycles.

And if it is.
Then you would have the same short cycling with a gas boiler.

skymaster · 01-29-2009, 12:58 PM

Catherine: OK Here is IMHO your easiest bet. Burnham is located in PA I think Lancaster, anyway they have an 800 number and they are some of the best folks you can talk to. They will help ya.
Also go to www.heatinghelp.com greatest heating website out there, Dan Hollihan super bestest expert. First call Burnham, second go to Dan's site and post your problem, willing to bet your problem is solved within 72 hrs.
Jack