I have a forced hot air by oil system in my house. Every time the unit comes on there is the smell of burning oil throughout my house. It just started happening. What is the cause of this? Can it be fixed or do I need a whole new system (if so, any recommendations?) and is it dangerous? Thanks.
COMMUNITY FORUM
Worst case is either a hole/crack in the heat exchanger (or some similar name) where the flame heats the air for the rest of the house or a back draft or leak from the chimney. Possibly into the cold air return.
These are very serious since you putting smoke into the house.
Another possibility is a leak from the oil tank with the fumes being pulled into the system.
Cracks in the heat exchanger may be present, but the only way to tell is to call an oil certified technitian to look at the problem. A-couple of other things are more likley to be the cause: partially plugged heat exchanger causing improper draft inside the combustion chamber, faulty or lack of a barometric relief damper, worn oil nozzle, worn spark electrodes ETC,... All of these things can cause oil smell in the house that's why it is so important to have your oil furnace checked EVERY YEAR to assure proper operation. Most people ignore the most important comfort appliance in their house....
Good Luck.
