How to Restart a Burner That Has Run Out of Heating Oil

On a cold winter’s night with a lingering chill in the air, the last thing that a homeowner wants to find is an oil furnace that does not have enough fuel. If you refill your heating oil tank and it does not go back to heating your home, you can bleed the furnace yourself instead of shivering!

Safety First

Before you attempt to restart your burner, keep in mind that this will only work on an oil furnace. All of the components inside of your furnace get dangerously hot, so you should be slow and cautious when bleeding your furnace. If you aren’t sure what you are doing at any point, remember that you can call Tevis Energy for assistance.

How to Restart a Burner That Has Run Out of Oil

1. First, fill your heating oil tank with clean, new fuel from Tevis Energy.
2. Hit the reset button on your furnace. Most furnaces should immediately start working again and not need you to bleed the fuel line.
3. If the furnace did not start back up and you need to bleed the fuel line, start by turning off your furnace. Check your furnace manual to see if an Allen key or adjustable wrench is needed to bleed the furnace and grab a piece of flexible nylon tubing that has a ¼-inch diameter. Find another container that can catch oil waste from your furnace, like a bucket. If you plan on reusing the oil that you bleed, ensure that the container is completely clean. If sludge comes out, do not reuse the oil!
4. Locate the fuel pump on your furnace and look for the bleeder valve, which should have a hex nut on it. Loosen the nut but do not unscrew it entirely.
5. Slide the tubing into the bleeder valve and place the other end into the bucket. If you are in an emergency and don’t have any tubing available, you can use a small bathroom cup to catch the run out.
6. Turn on your furnace again and unscrew the hex nut until oil flows out. Air and oil should start to exit. Wait until solid fuel comes out before tightening it again.
7. Once heating oil is coming out, tighten the valve again. After completing this action, your heating oil burner should kick on!
8. Watch our YouTube video with step by step instructions by clicking here.

What Should I Do if I Need Emergency Burner Service?

All of Tevis Energy’s automatic delivery customers have access to emergency burner service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. We are just a call away! Use our emergency number, (410) 415-1774, to get in touch with our emergency service team.

Quality Heating Oil from Tevis Energy

To learn more about our heating oil delivery services or request a delivery, contact us today online or by calling (410) 876-6800. To apply to be a part of our Smart Fleet Fuel Card program, please call us at (410) 876-6800. Tevis Energy is proud to be a family-owned and operated business serving communities throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania with safe, clean-burning diesel and heating oil. Quality fuels for a fair price.