A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 2, the home your looking at to buy will have one of four ways, that it may be heated. A Oil Burner, Electric Furnace, maybe a Wood Burning Furnace, that could be indoors or outdoors, or a Corn Bunrning Furnace. At this time we'll be taken a look at the Oil Tank and Oil Fired Furnace.

The oil fired furnace came to being used in residential homes after World War II as an advance over the widely used coal furnaces of that time. The oil your furnace will use to heat your home, is stored in a large tank. It will be located outdoors or in the basment of your home.

What do I look for, when Inspecting the Oil Tank of a home:

1. Are the tank's legs unstable or on a shaky foundation.
2. Is there any signs of rust, weeping, wet spots or dents on the tank.
3. is the tank blackened at the low end, around the drain area. If there is, it very will could be an indication there is water in the tank, resultant conrrosion inside the tank.
4. Are there drips or signs of leakage around the fuel line, the filter or any valves areas.
5. Is there any danger of ice and snow falling on the tank.
6. Is the vent area clogged or restricted from ice, snow fall, or nest of insects. By using vent screen, it can help prevent insect nest problems.
7. Does the vent whistie, when the tank is being filled. The way I find this info out, is by asking the fuel delivery guy.
8. Is there any signs of leakage or spills right around the fill pipe or vent pipe.
9. Is the tank's fuel level gauge cracked, stuck or feozen. Is there any sign of oil around it.
10. Is the tank rated for outdoor use, if its mounted outdoors.
11. Just what is the age of the home's oil tank. This usually is not indicated, unless the tank new than 1998.

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 2, between the tank and the burner, is an oil filter and a shutoss valve, which is either at the tank itself or at the oil pumo.

A typical oil burner. The oil line comes in to the left of the furnace just above the fool, followed by the cutoff valve and then the oil filter. If there is soot around the furnace, disassembled ducts, flues that are falling apart, or flammable materials stored too close to the furnace, like in the above photo. These things will be written up in the Inspection Report.

An oil burner is quite a complicated piece of machinery. The oil first flows into a oil pump, its normally mounted to the left of of the circulator motor, which is always mounted dead center bottom of the system. The pump pressurizes the oil to about 100 psi and sends it through a tiny hole in a nozzle deep inside the unit it sprays an oil mist into the combustion chamber. Electrodes placed near the nozzle send 10,000 volts arcing through the oil mist and igniting it. Once fired, it is self sustaining. The combustion chamber is not open and needs a suppy of air to sustain the flame. This air comes from a blower mounted and run by the same motor that runs the oil pump.

 The draft regulator cut into the exhaust flue should swing open 1 in. or 2 inchs. If it sould stay permanently open or closed. I'll be writing it up in thr Inspection Report.

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 2, The combustion chamber is not as easily accessible as in most gas burners, so I use a special piece of equipment to help me to inspect the area. Its called a SeeSnake, its a micro Inspection Camera that lets me easily perform visual inspections in challenging areas such as this of the home.

By using equipment like this, is one of things that sets my Home Inspections apart from other Inspectors in the area.

Link to Part 3 of the Series

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 3

Link to Part 3 of the accompaning series

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Part 3

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 By the time we complete the Inspection, you will know the Home or Commercial Property better than the owner does!

God Bless America, The land we love

A home inspection from Baker Home Inspection and Consulting, will give you peace of mind, so you and your family can enjoy the things you like to do!

Knowledge is Your Power For The Freedom of a Worry- Free Home!

When buying, renting a Home or Commercial Properties or Relocationing in or to Sullivan County, New Hampshire, Windsor County, Vermont, or nearby Counties. When "Good Enough" Isn't, call Baker Home Inspection and Consulting to schedule, Your Inspection.

Phone: 603-826-4207

Mobile: 603-477-8072

Post 569- 21 Aug.  2009-Posted at: Localism.com/neighbor/bakerhome all links open in a new window