It all came down to a faulty switch.
The oil furnace had been lurching. Disconcerting, especially knowing it hadn't been maintained properly for years. The temperature cycle band was a good six or seven degrees, and all that surging must be inefficient.
Waking up one morning when it was at an extreme low ebb, meaning really COLD, ultimately got me to take action.
Pushing the reset button on the 1950s-looking Honeywell relay switch without result, convinced me the furnace had stopped functioning. Getting advice on what to try over the phone, as I walked to the post office to check my mail, inspired me to dive in and fix the damn thing.
When I got back to the house, it was warm. The furnace had come on again and cycled through. Should I just let it be?
And miss out on all the fun?
Online advice, purchasing parts, quizzing experts, each turn adding to things I needed to address. Replacing filters, inserting a new nozzle and electrodes — annual maintenance things clearly not done for years (even decades).
Firing it up and adjusting the fuel screw to eliminate the black smoke made me feel like a real engineer.
But, operation was intermittent. A nudge on the Honeywell switch box would get things going again, with further manipulation required to keep it on track. When it did work for hours at a time, that familiar lurching returned.
Finally, it gave out and no amount of maneuvering the switch would revive it. A friend offered advice and, serendipitously, a newer relay switch.
Now I live in a pleasantly-heated home.
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| Honeywell relay switch (R8184G) |
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