Oil fired Rayburn issue
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Discussion

ChevronB19

Original Poster:

8,093 posts

179 months

Saturday 11th January
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Been on for the last couple of months, but today its ’resting temperature’ has dropped a lot. Increasing oil supply not helping (other than a smell of oil), float valve seems ok. It’s still operating, just at a v low temperature.

Any ideas? I bloody hate the thing. It heats the kitchen and the utility plus hot water. It’s so crap we use a normal oven/hob in the utility to actually cook.

Yes, it has been very cold here (-10), but it coped with similar temperatures a few days ago, and the increased smell of heating oil suggests oil is getting through.

It’s an old skool one with no controls other than a control box in a cupboard.

Did I say I hate the bloody thing?

ETA: it was serviced 2 months ago and we have plenty of oil

EW109

320 posts

156 months

Saturday 11th January
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You probably need to clean out the burner unit properly. This sounds like a classic case of the burner being sooted up.

There are videos on Youtube showing how to do it. It isn't difficult. But it needs to be really clean -- including the Bundy tube (this is best done with a length of coat hanger with one end flattened to give it a scraping action).

skeeterm5

4,278 posts

204 months

Saturday 11th January
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EW109 said:
You probably need to clean out the burner unit properly. This sounds like a classic case of the burner being sooted up.

There are videos on Youtube showing how to do it. It isn't difficult. But it needs to be really clean -- including the Bundy tube (this is best done with a length of coat hanger with one end flattened to give it a scraping action).
This.

My service kit for our oil aga was one spanner to undo the oil feed nut, a bit of bent coat hanger to clean the oil lines and flow holes in the burner and a flat head screwdriver to scape any residue off.

Plus invest in new wicks too

Also, when was the chimney last swept?

renmure

4,679 posts

240 months

Saturday 11th January
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No advice to offer other than sympathising. My last house had one and I also hated it. It went through so much oil that I genuinely thought someone was stealing it. When we renewed the kitchen we replaced it was a similar sized Range style electric cooker and couldn't even give the Rayburn away on marketplace for free.