Problem with oil central heating - possibly air??

chuckles30 · 13-04-2007 7:56am #1

Ok here's the story - I was away for Easter and when I came back I was out of oil

(I know I should have been checking it so it didn't actually run out, but too late for that now). Anyway got a delivery of oil yesterday and when I tried to turn on my heating last night - it just didn't work. I tried turning it on and off a few times, but still nothing. I also tried pressing the 'reset' button on the boiler itself (as I know this worked for me in a few rented houses I lived in previously.) but nothing worked for me last night.

So I'm just wondering does anyone have any ideas on how to get my heating up and running again? Or do I need to get a pro in? I suspect that air may have got into the system when the oil ran out as the heating was on a timer, so it could have been running on empty for a couple of days. It's a new house and the boiler is only there a year, and touchwood, I've never had a problem, so I hope it's only something simple.

crosstownk · 13-04-2007 8:49am

I'm no expert on oil fired heating systems, but I would guess that there should be a bleed valve somewhere - most likely near the burner.

paulocon · 13-04-2007 10:54am

yep - you need to bleed the system

Should be a bleed screw somewhere on the burner - you need to loosen this and you will see some oil coming out (along with the air) - let a wee bit of oil out to make sure all the air has been removed from the system, tighten back up the screw and away you go.

if you post up your Boiler make and model, I'm sure someone on here will let you know exactly where the bleed screw is. I have a firebird and you need to removed the panel at the front of the boiler (couple of screws) to get at the bleed screw...

chuckles30 · 13-04-2007 10:59am

I'm at work and don't know the model details - I do know it's a firebird. I'll have a look for that valve this evening and if I don't find it, I'll come back with the model number. Thanks for the info.

chuckles30 · 13-04-2007 9:07pm

ok - I'm back and still have no heat

The boiler is a firebird heatpac 70-90 and there is a riello burner inside. The whole this is in a self contained unit in the garden. When I take off the removable section, the boiler is down near the ground and there is very little room to do anything. Anyway I did find a brass connection that seems to be where the pipe from the oil tank joins a flexible pipe that connects underneath the burner. Apart from this connection - I don't see anything much in the line of a valve - I was expecting to see something maybe along the lines of the valve for bleeding a radiator.

Attached are a couple of pics of what I can see - if anyone can tell me what's the bleed valve, it would be really appreciated.

13-04-2007 10:19pm

Take off the red cover ,there should be big flat head screws holding it on.
The cover slides off to the side.

On the left hand side there is a bleed screw ,the top one of the two.

chuckles30 · 13-04-2007 10:31pm

I just wasn't adventurous enough - thanks for the help

Problem with oil central heating - possibly air??

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