Restarting a Burner That has Run Out of Heating Oil

When the weather outside is cold, the last problem that you want to address is an oil furnace that has run out of heating oil. If you do not immediately notice your furnace kick on when your heating oil tank is filled after it was empty, you can manually bleed the furnace to start things up again.

Stop! Think About Safety First

Before you try to bleed the furnace and restart the burner, you should take a moment to think about safety. These steps will only work on furnaces that burn heating oil. Every component inside of your oil furnace could be dangerously hot. Always work slowly and be cautious when bleeding your furnace. If you are uncomfortable doing so or unsure about what to do, remember that you can call our burner service partners, Modern Comfort Systems (Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard Counties) at (410) 876-2200 or Jerry’s Heating and Air Conditioning (Anne Arundel County) at (443) 250-6013.

How Can I Restart a Burner That Has Run Out of Oil?

1. Start by filling your heating oil tank completely with fresh, clean-burning fuel oil from Husky Heating Oil. We suggest enrolling in automatic delivery to never run out of fuel oil again.
2. Next, hit the reset button on the oil furnace. In most cases, your furnace will immediately start working and you do not need to bleed the fuel line at all.
3. If your furnace does not start back up, you will need to bleed the fuel line. Turn off your furnace and grab the manual. Look to see if you should use an adjustable wrench or Allen key. Grab the tool indicated in the manual, a container that can catch oil waste from the furnace and a piece of ¼-inch diameter flexible nylon tubing. If you want to use the oil that you bleed from the furnace, you should make sure that the container you use is completely clean. If any sludge comes out, you should not reuse the oil in the container.
4. Find the fuel pump and the bleeder valve, which will typically have a hex nut. Loosen the nut and do not unscrew it entirely. Slide the tubing into the valve and put the other end in the bucket or container.
5. Turn the furnace back on and unscrew the hex nut until oil starts flowing. Both air and oil should come out. Wait until solid, clean heating oil starts coming out before you tighten the nut and stop the flow.
6. Tighten the valve and wait for your heating oil burner to kick back on. You’re all done!

Never Run Out of Heating Oil with Husky Heating Oil

Husky Heating Oil is a leader in high-quality heating oil delivery for homeowners in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, and Howard County. Since 1993, we have worked hard to deliver our customers cost-effective fuels to heat their homes. To check our rates or place your order, please visit our website or call us today at (410) 220-5386.