Oil Burner Reset Button: When to Press It and When to Stop
Last updated Reviewed by Waseem Shahzad, Lead Technician
Smell gas or hear a carbon monoxide alarm? Leave the house first, then call 911 or the gas utility from outside.
What does the oil burner reset button do?
The red button sits on the burner's primary control. When the burner tries to light and the control does not see a flame in time, it shuts the burner down and locks out to stop oil from spraying into a cold chamber. Pressing the button clears that lockout and lets the burner try again.
A lockout is a safety feature, not a fault in itself. Something stopped the oil from lighting: an empty tank, a clogged filter or nozzle, a dirty flame sensor (cad cell), a failed igniter, air in the oil line, or a problem with the control. Pressing reset only tells the burner to try again. It does not fix the reason it failed.
What should you check before pressing reset?
Check the thermostat, the emergency switch, and the oil tank gauge first. Many lockouts come from a switch that was turned off or a tank that ran dry. If those are fine and the burner is quiet, press the reset button firmly once, wait, and watch whether the burner lights and keeps running.
- Check the thermostat: Set it to Heat and a few degrees above room temperature. Replace the batteries if the display is weak.
- Check the emergency switch: The red-plated switch at the top of the basement stairs or near the boiler must be on. Check the breaker too.
- Check the oil tank gauge: If it reads near empty, do not press reset. Order oil first; after a run-out the line often needs to be bled by a technician.
- Press reset once: Press the red button firmly one time and release. The burner should start within a minute or so.
- Watch and listen: If the burner lights and runs smoothly, leave it alone and keep an eye on it. If it locks out again, leave it off and call.
What should you never do with an oil burner?
Never press the reset button over and over. Each attempt sprays oil into the combustion chamber, and if it does not light, that oil pools. When it finally ignites, it can cause a puff-back that spreads soot through the house or damages the boiler and chimney. One press, then call.
- Do not press reset more than once, or let anyone else in the house do it.
- Do not open the burner, remove the nozzle or try to light oil by hand.
- Do not tape, bypass or disconnect any control or switch.
- Do not keep running a burner that smokes, rumbles or smells strongly of oil.
When should you stop and call right away?
Call right away if the burner locks out again after one reset, if you see smoke or soot, smell strong oil or exhaust, or heard a boom when it lit. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside first and call 911 from there.
- Second lockout: the cause is still there. Leave the burner off.
- Soot, smoke or a puff-back: turn the emergency switch off and call.
- CO alarm or exhaust smell: leave the house, call 911 from outside.
- Oil on the floor around the tank, filter or burner.
For a full no-heat checklist, see no heat: what to check and when to call.
What does K2 do when the burner keeps locking out?
The technician checks the oil supply, filter and line for air, then the nozzle, electrodes, cad cell and primary control, and tests combustion once the burner is running. You get the cause and the price before any repair starts. A yearly tune-up prevents most lockouts.
On a typical visit we replace the oil filter and nozzle if needed, clean and set the electrodes, check the cad cell and control, bleed air from the line, and confirm the burner lights cleanly. If the boiler has been sooted by repeated resets, it needs cleaning before it runs efficiently again. See an example in our oil boiler tune-up in Huntington Station.
Common questions
How many times can I press the oil burner reset button?
Once. If the burner does not light and stay lit after one press, leave it off and call. Repeated resets can fill the chamber with oil and cause a puff-back.
My tank ran out of oil. Will it start once the oil is delivered?
Often not on its own. Running a tank dry can pull air and sludge into the line and filter, and the line usually needs bleeding and the filter changing before the burner will run reliably.
Why does my oil burner lock out more in cold weather?
Long run times show up weak parts. A partly clogged nozzle or filter, a dirty cad cell or worn electrodes may work in mild weather and fail when the burner runs all night. A fall tune-up catches them.
Need a technician?
Call or text us 24/7 from anywhere within 15 miles of Deer Park. You get a time window and the price before any repair.
Call 24/7: (631) 414-7141