oil smell in heatpump mode in winter

[openclasspro]

Long time customer,new oil furnace I installed two winters ago,has clean cut pump,no after drip,everything dry,runs flawlessly.2 years before that I changed heatpump out,left old 78 thermal oil furnace.just informed me when on heatpump mode,house smells like oil ,no smell in summer,no oil smell when using furnace,they spoke to other person had same scenario,were told atmospheric pressure ,open to thoughts ,thks on advance,Phil.

[Rmauger]

I had a customer who had the "ghosting" at the supply registers, found attic fan stuck on, draft was having trouble starting cold, anyway the flue products were coming into the basement and the old duct returns have air leaks all over, and thatts how it was getting into the air stream.

have u been to the job yet since the complaint? maybe now a fitting is leaking or something with the heat exchanger since you said its a older furnace, keep us posted on what u find :)

[Rmauger]

***missed that when reading threw, two year old furnace

[openclasspro]

Every fitting tight,raw oil smell ,not oil exhaust smell.

[trouble time]

Could you be getting feedback on one of the stat wires? Not enough voltage to turn on the oil burner but enough to open solenoid, or pulse the solenoid? Just a thought.
If you are getting oil smell in the house, the only place you could get it from would be the heat exchanger. I would be inspecting it, even after two years a crack could have developed.

[openclasspro]

Smell was present with old furnace too.

[openclasspro]

Troubletime,good point,will defintely check that,appreciate input guys!

[openclasspro]

Could you be getting feedback on one of the stat wires? Not enough voltage to turn on the oil burner but enough to open solenoid, or pulse the solenoid? Just a thought.
If you are getting oil smell in the house, the only place you could get it from would be the heat exchanger. I would be inspecting it, even after two years a crack could have developed.

Old furnace didn't have clean cut pump,had odor too,have to eliminate that theory.

[trouble time]

Do you not just love a good problem?

[openclasspro]

When I solve it!

[John Markl]

Raw FUEL oil? or just "raw oil" ? Any chance that the indoor coil is leaking and you're smelling refrigeration oil?

[openclasspro]

Doesn't smell when in cooling,fuel oil smell,b t w

[GorillaTight]

Raw oil, you say? Where is the oil tank located? If it's in the basement, is it leaking(fill pipes/tank bottom)? Did you check the blower compartment for oil residue? Just wondering if the homeowner isn't leading you on a wild goose chase and THINKS he's smelling it only in heat pump mode.

[John Markl]

Are there other oil fired appliances in the house? If not, do they only have oil in the tank during heating season?

[trouble time]

Hear me out before you laugh.....
Could the oil smell be coming from air being drawn through the vent? Is the house tight construction? The air could be drawn though the heat exchanger from the vent and back through the air openings in the burner. You can prove this with a draft gauge.
just a thought.

[openclasspro]

Oil in tank yr rd,only oil furnace

[openclasspro]

Raw oil, you say? Where is the oil tank located? If it's in the basement, is it leaking(fill pipes/tank bottom)? Did you check the blower compartment for oil residue? Just wondering if the homeowner isn't leading you on a wild goose chase and THINKS he's smelling it only in heat pump mode.

Tanks outside everything dry,blower compartment and wheel,zero traces of oil film.

[GorillaTight]

Wow, this IS a good one...not giving up yet though. How close is the oil tank to a window? What is the distance from the tank to the outdoor unit? It's a longshot, but see what I"m getting at here?

[openclasspro]

It's underground on opposite side of house where heatpump is.

[GorillaTight]

Is the smell in a particular room/area or through-out the house? Any chemicals or paints, etc. near the furnace or ductwork? If there's a window near the heat pump, it may be pulling fumes from the oil tank fill pipes when it is operating. This may be more pronounced after a recent delivery or leakage from the window.

[openclasspro]

NO WINDOW,through whole house,nothing near oil furnace,raw fuel oil smell.

[GorillaTight]

Well, I'm outta ideas for now then...sorry. Unless the ignitor is borderline faulty, but that doesn't match your symptoms. Please let me know what you find!

[openclasspro]

If I.find it LOL,thks for input,ignitor possibly arcing in heatpump mode?

[GorillaTight]

I was thinking if the ignitor wasn't producing a spark sometimes, causing delayed ignition...you obviously would get an oil smell/possibly smoke. But you said only in heat pump mode(doesn't match symptoms). Weird calls like this usually smack you in the face when you go back to basics, or are the cause of something which has nothing to do with the furnace. From what you describe, there should be a puddle of oil SOMEWHERE!

[openclasspro]

Gorilla ,one would think,I'm stumped for once...

[openclasspro]

May be onto something ,spoke with rich from Beckett,any idea what he suggested? Hint,involves scale coil.

[GorillaTight]

Scale Coil? Forgive me, but what is that?

[openclasspro]

Damn phone autospell,evap coil

[Doctorinky]

Oh yeah, some people loves Them some labor warranty. Im working with one new install now the woman keeps hearing noises, been there 7 times now and heard mothing. I think she calls me everytime the dog farts.

[Doctorinky]

Some people loves them some labor warrany. Got a new install and the lady says she keeps hearing noises, ive been there 7 times now and heard nothing. I think she calls me everytime the dog farts.

[GorillaTight]

Refrigeration oil from a coil leak? I thought someone had already suggested that...

[openclasspro]

Fuel oil,not refrigeration.

[GorillaTight]

I give up...what did he suggest?

[openclasspro]

Gorilla ,one would think,I'm stumped for once...


May be onto something ,spoke with rich from Beckett,any idea what he suggested? Hint,involves scale coil.

Thought maybe an oil film on evap coil from old furnace.I told him it was inspected before I transferred it onto new furnace.said you can't see it ,but its there.

Went back today,pumped unit down.coil looked great,cleaned,reinstalled,smell gone,funny thing,no dirt or oil film was on ground like it came off coil.still puzzling,customer happy,learned something I did

[GorillaTight]

SCHWEET! :cheers: ...So, do you figure that there was unburnt oil that possibly left through a hole/crack in the old heat exchanger and landed on the coil? Or is the customer just convinced that you "fixed" it? :LOL:

[openclasspro]

According to Beckett,tech,must have been oil film on underside of coil,looked perfect.no smell in house convinced the Mrs .homeowner...

[openclasspro]

One week later ,homeowner calls and says ,no smell ,thank you so much!