Oil boilers are comparable to gas boilers in many aspects. However, there are significant distinctions, such as there are chances of oil boilers running out of fuel. If this occurs, air may get trapped in the fuel line, causing the boiler to stop operating.
Continue reading if you have an oil boiler and want to know what to do if you unexpectedly run out of fuel.
What happens when your boiler runs out of oil?
No one wants their oil boiler to run out of fuel and the chance is higher I f you do not refill your gas oil tank in a timely manner. When this happens, it causes an inconvenience and increases the chances of generating difficulties with your heating system.
The excellent thing is that oil boilers have a built-in mechanism which allows the burner to turn off when there is no oil to combust. Therefore, a shortage of fuel will not pose any safety hazards. Allowing your tank to run empty, on the other hand, might result in the residue and debris that commonly gathers at the bottom of these containers being pulled into the fuel line.
Again when this happens, it damages your central heating systems. We recommend calling an Oil Safe Assured engineer to clean the fuel line safely.
Once you've filled up your tank, your heating system will need restarting so you can get it back up and running in no time. If your boiler fails to resets, there is a chance there is trapped air inside you will need to bleed your fuel supply and again, we highly recommend hiring a qualified engineer to do this.
How to restart your oil boiler after running out of fuel
Even though you need to press a button to restart your boiler, it is much more difficult than you think. Firstly, you will need to wait for a few hours after receiving your fuel supply before restarting your boiler. This helps any debris stirred up during the filling process to settle back down again. This can be a bit of a challenge, especially during the colder months, and you want to get your boiler up and running again.
Once you're certain that the fuel is safe to use, you may attempt to restart your boiler by pressing the reset button. If you're fortunate, your appliance will immediately turn on and begin heating your house normally. However, if there is trapped air, your boiler will not respond. Don't continuously hit the reset button since it's harmful to your appliance.
If you need to bleed air from the system and wish to do it yourself, you'll need some simple tools, such as a pipe wrench or Allen key and a small container to collect. Our heating engineers highly recommend wearing rubber gloves and having cloths on hand to mop up any spills to keep the mess to a minimum.
It is important to note that while bleeding the system, your boiler reset cycle completes before all of the air has been emptied from the fuel line. When this occurs, you must push the reset button once more to repeat the procedure until the trapped air is entirely released.
Speak to an Oil Safe Assured engineer
Our fully trained and qualified engineers are available throughout York, Harrogate, Malton, Wetherby and the surrounding areas. If you would like to get our professional advice on how to best repair an oil boiler, get in touch with us by calling us on 08001182467 or 07717574470 and we will be happy to help.
