Utica, NY and nearby towns
Oil boiler repair in Utica and the Mohawk Valley
Oil boilers are still common outside the city, especially in Herkimer County. If your oil burner stopped or is smoking, call to reach a local heating company.
This is a referral line. When you call, you are connected with an independent local heating company.
Common oil boiler problems
- Out of oil, or sludge clogging the filter after a delivery runs the tank low.
- Burner lockout: the red reset button tripped. Press it only once. Repeated resets can pump oil into the chamber.
- Clogged nozzle or filter, soot and smoke.
- Failed transformer or ignitor. Angi lists a transformer at $180 to $500.[source]
Angi puts oil boiler repairs at $200 to $500 on average.[source] HomeGuide notes oil boilers require the most maintenance of all fuel types.[source]
Heating help for oil customers
New York's HEAP program lists a base benefit for eligible households whose main heat is oil, kerosene or propane, and emergency benefits when you are close to running out of fuel.[source] See heating help.
Where oil heat is used around Utica
Oil is uncommon inside Utica, at about 2% of homes, but much more common in the surrounding counties.[source] Census estimates show fuel oil heating about 13% of homes in Oneida County and about 22% in Herkimer County.[source][source] Among the villages on this line, Mohawk has about 10% on oil and Ilion about 7%, and the Chadwicks area south of New Hartford is about 21%.[source][source][source]
If you heat with oil in the hills outside the villages, you are part of a large group. Ask whether the company you reach services oil burners before they head out.
How an oil burner works
An oil burner pumps fuel from the tank through a filter to a fuel pump, which pressurizes it and sprays it through a small nozzle. Electrodes make a spark that lights the spray, and a cad cell or other sensor confirms flame. If the sensor does not see flame within a few seconds, the primary control shuts the burner off and goes into lockout.
Most no heat calls on oil boilers come down to fuel supply (empty tank, clogged filter, air in the line), a clogged nozzle, worn electrodes, a dirty cad cell, or a failed fuel pump or motor.
Checks before you call
Check the tank gauge. On many outdoor and basement tanks, a float gauge on top shows the level. If it reads near empty, call your fuel supplier first. If you ran out and then got a delivery, the burner may need to be bled of air before it will run, and that is a job for a technician.
Look at the burner's primary control for a reset button. Press it once. If the burner starts and stays running, note that it happened. If it locks out again, do not keep pressing it. Unburned oil can build up in the chamber and cause a puff back when it finally lights.
Soot, smells and puff backs
A puff back is a small explosion of oil vapor in the combustion chamber. It can blow soot out through the boiler and into the room. Signs include black streaks around the boiler, soot on nearby surfaces, or a strong oil smell. Turn the boiler off and call.
A strong oil or exhaust smell upstairs is a warning sign of venting problems. Make sure your carbon monoxide alarms work. The EPA lists fuel burning appliances among the main sources of indoor CO.[source]
Oil boiler efficiency and replacement
ENERGY STAR certified oil boilers have an efficiency rating of 87% AFUE or higher, and ENERGY STAR estimates lifetime savings of about $200 for a certified oil boiler.[source] Some owners use an oil boiler failure as the time to look at converting to gas, if a line runs on the street, or to a heat pump. Both are larger projects that need their own quotes.
For low income households, HEAP benefits can be applied to oil deliveries, and Emergency HEAP has helped eligible households facing a heating fuel emergency in past seasons.[source] See our heating help guide.
Before a fuel delivery and after
If you run out of oil, schedule the delivery first, then call about the boiler if it will not restart after the delivery. Many oil burners need the line bled of air after a run out. Some fuel suppliers do that as part of the delivery or for a fee; others leave it to the heating company. Ask.
Running a tank very low can pull sludge from the bottom into the line and the filter. If your burner keeps locking out after deliveries, the filter and the tank condition are worth checking.
Frequently asked
How often should the oil filter be changed? Usually at each yearly service, or after a run out.Oil tanks
Basement oil tanks can rust from the inside, and outdoor tanks are exposed to weather. Look for damp spots, weeping seams or rust on the bottom. A leaking tank is an environmental problem as well as a heating one. Ask your service technician to look at the tank and lines at each visit, and replace an old tank before it fails.
Keep the area around the tank and the fill pipe clear in winter so delivery drivers can reach it.
Ordering fuel
Keep the tank above a quarter during cold weather. Running out pulls sediment into the line and the boiler may need priming and a new filter before it restarts.
Smoke or soot
Smoke from the burner or soot around the door means poor combustion. Turn the boiler off and call.
Before the visit
Note the tank gauge reading and when you last had a delivery.
What to have ready when you call
- Your address, so the company can tell you if you are in their area.
- Boiler type and fuel if you know it: steam or hot water, gas or oil. A sight glass with water in it usually means steam.
- What it is doing, plus any code on the display or the reading on the pressure or temperature gauge.
Not sure about any of it? Call anyway. The company will ask the right questions.
Common questions
My burner reset keeps tripping. Can I keep pushing it?
No. Press it once. If it trips again, call.
Should I replace my oil tank too?
Only if it is in poor shape. HomeGuide lists oil tank replacement at $1,000 to $6,200.[source]
Do you deliver oil?
No. This line connects you to a repair company. Fuel deliveries come from your oil dealer.
Talk to a local boiler pro
Call now and get connected with an independent heating company that serves the Utica area.
Call about your boiler(888) 835-0429