How to Clean an Oil Furnace Burner

Maintaining your oil furnace will come handy in the winter.

An oil furnace is used to provide heat in the winter to residential and commercial buildings. When an oil furnace is not maintained, the performance drops dramatically. Typically, it is good practice to clean your oil furnace right before the winter season hits and after the season is over. You can clean your furnace's burner with little hassle, but you must clean the whole furnace in order to keep dust and dirt off of the burner in the long term.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Air filter
• All-purpose cleaner
• Rag
• Vacuum cleaner with crevice tool
• Broom
• Bucket
• Cleaning solution
• Mop

Instructions

1. Unplug the furnace from the wall outlet and allow it to cool for 3 hours before you start working on it.

2. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the screws holding the air tube onto the burner. Remove the air tube and spray the burner down with an all-purpose cleaner. Wipe it clean and leave the air tube off for an hour so the remaining cleaner can evaporate off of the burner. Replace the air tube after an hour.

3. Pull the filter out of the oil furnace. This will be located in the air duct compartment on the back of your furnace. Change the air filter at least twice a year.

4. Use an all-purpose cleaner and a rag to clean off any dust or dirt that has built up on the burner motor. The burner motor will be located on the front of the system and will have a cylindrical shape.

5. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding draft regulator door compartment on. Get a vacuum cleaner and attach the crevice tool. Vacuum out any dirt or debris that has build up in the draft regulator.

6. Wipe down the entire exterior of the oil furnace with a rag and an all-purpose cleaner. This will include the blower fan, the shaft, and the furnace casing.

7. Use a broom to sweep up any dirt or dust that has collected at the bottom of the furnace casing. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of water and 1/3 cup of cleaning solution. Use a mop and the solution to mop around the furnace to eliminate any dust around the unit.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find any oil leaks around the furnace contact the manufacturer immediately.

References

• Michigan State University: Maintaining Conventional Residential Oil-Fired Heating Systems