Obie Comfort Solutions is a local contractor licensed to work on oil systems in Massachusetts, holding Oil Burner License BU-119538. We repair, tune up, replace and convert oil furnaces and oil boilers across Framingham and the MetroWest area. When the heat goes out on a January night, you need someone who actually works on oil equipment every week, not a company that treats it as an afterthought.
- Oil licensed in Massachusetts (License BU-119538)
- NATE and EPA certified technicians
- Family owned and serving MetroWest since 2006
No Heat Right Now? Check These Three Things First
Before you call anyone, three quick checks solve a surprising number of oil heat outages. They take about two minutes.
- Check the tank gauge. Running the tank dry is the single most common cause of an oil system shutting down. If the gauge reads below a quarter, that is likely your answer.
- Check the thermostat. Confirm it is set to Heat, the temperature is above room temperature, and the batteries are fresh.
- Press the reset button once. The oil burner has a red reset button on the primary control. Press it one time only. If the system fires and then shuts down again, stop there and call us.
Pressing reset repeatedly pumps unburned oil into the combustion chamber, which turns a small repair into a much larger and more expensive one. One press is the limit. If you smell oil strongly, see smoke, or the system will not stay running, shut the emergency switch off and call us at 508-233-8563.
Oil Furnace Repair
Oil furnaces fail in fairly predictable ways, and most of what we see falls into a handful of categories. A proper diagnosis matters here, because the same symptom can come from very different causes and guessing gets expensive.
- Burner will not fire or locks out. Usually a clogged nozzle or fuel filter, a failed ignitor or transformer, a fouled cad cell, or air in the fuel line after a tank ran empty.
- System runs but the house stays cold. Often a heat exchanger caked with soot, a blower motor or capacitor going bad, or a burner that is out of adjustment and running inefficiently.
- Smoke, soot or an oil smell. This points to incomplete combustion, a blocked flue, or a cracked heat exchanger. Soot on the walls near registers is a warning sign worth acting on quickly.
- Short cycling. The burner fires and shuts off every few minutes. Common causes are a dirty filter restricting airflow, a bad primary control, or a limit switch tripping on high temperature.
- Loud rumble or a bang on startup. Delayed ignition, where oil pools before igniting. This one should not wait, because it puts real stress on the combustion chamber.
Our technicians carry the parts that fail most often on the truck, so a large share of oil furnace repairs get finished on the first visit. You get a written recommendation before any work starts, and we explain what we found and why it matters.
Oil Boiler Repair
Oil fired boilers are common in older MetroWest homes, particularly in towns like Hopkinton, Ashland and Holliston where natural gas service never reached every street. Many of these systems are decades old and still perfectly serviceable if they are maintained properly.
- Boiler lockout. The primary control has shut the burner down on a safety fault and will not restart on its own.
- Running but not heating. Frequently an air bound zone, a failed circulator pump, or a zone valve that has stopped opening.
- Low water pressure. A leaking relief valve, a failing expansion tank, or an automatic feed valve that is not doing its job.
- Banging, gurgling or knocking. Usually trapped air or sediment buildup, both of which get worse if ignored.
- Leaks around the boiler. Worth diagnosing quickly. A leaking relief valve is a modest repair, while a leaking section is a different conversation entirely.
Annual Oil Burner Tune-Up: What Is Actually Included
Oil systems need a tune-up every single year, without exception. Gas equipment can sometimes stretch a season. Oil cannot, because combustion byproducts build up inside the unit and quietly destroy efficiency and safety. A tune-up from us covers:
- Replace the oil nozzle and the fuel filter
- Replace or clean the air filter
- Clean the heat exchanger, combustion chamber and flue passages
- Inspect and clean electrodes, set the correct gap
- Test the primary control, cad cell and all safety controls
- Perform combustion analysis and adjust the burner for correct efficiency
- Check the flue and venting for blockage or corrosion
- Inspect the tank, fuel lines and shutoff valves
- Lubricate motors and inspect the circulator or blower
The combustion analysis is the part homeowners rarely see and the part that matters most. A burner that is out of adjustment can waste a meaningful share of every gallon you buy, and you would never know it from looking at the unit.
Repair or Replace? How We Think About It
We do not push replacements. Plenty of oil systems we service are twenty years old and have years left in them. That said, there are a few points where replacing is the better financial decision:
- The heat exchanger or a boiler section is cracked. This is a safety issue and is not repairable.
- The repair cost is approaching a significant fraction of a new system on equipment that is already past its expected life.
- You are calling for repairs multiple times per season.
- Efficiency has dropped far enough that fuel savings would offset a good part of the new equipment.
Cost depends on the equipment, the condition of the existing venting and tank, whether ductwork or piping needs modification, and what efficiency level you choose. We give a written quote with the options laid out rather than a single number over the phone. If another contractor has already told you the system needs to be replaced, we offer a free second opinion before you commit to anything.
Oil to Heat Pump Conversion and Mass Save Rebates
If your oil system is near the end of its life, this is the moment to look at what a conversion would mean. Massachusetts homeowners heating with oil are exactly who the Mass Save program targets, and the incentives for moving off oil to a cold-climate heat pump are the largest in the program.
Modern cold-climate heat pumps hold their heating capacity down to 5°F, which was not true of equipment from a decade ago. They also give you air conditioning in the same system, which most oil-heated homes do not currently have. Obie Comfort Solutions is a Mass Save certified partner, and we handle the rebate paperwork and equipment registration for you rather than handing you a stack of forms.
To be clear about the trade-off: conversion is not the right answer for every home. Electrical service, insulation levels and how your home is laid out all affect whether it makes sense. We will tell you honestly if staying with oil is the better call for your situation.
Oil Heat Service Across MetroWest
We service oil furnaces and oil boilers in Framingham, Natick, Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Medway, Wayland, Weston, Wellesley, Marlborough, Westborough, Waltham, Watertown, Newton, Belmont and Somerville. If your town is not listed, call us and we will confirm coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does an oil furnace need to be serviced?
Once a year, every year, ideally before the heating season starts. Oil combustion leaves deposits that build up inside the unit, and skipping a year measurably reduces efficiency while increasing the chance of a mid-winter breakdown. The nozzle and fuel filter are replaced at every service.
Why does my oil burner keep shutting off and needing a reset?
Repeated lockouts usually mean a clogged nozzle or filter, a dirty cad cell that cannot sense the flame, water in the fuel tank, or a burner that is out of adjustment. Press the reset button only once. Repeated pressing floods the combustion chamber with unburned oil and creates a hazard.
What happens if I run my oil tank empty?
Running dry pulls sediment from the bottom of the tank into the fuel line and lets air into the system. After a refill, the system typically will not restart on its own. It needs to be bled, and the filter and nozzle usually need replacing. It is a service call rather than a simple reset.
How long does an oil furnace or oil boiler last?
An oil furnace commonly runs 15 to 20 years and a cast iron oil boiler can go longer, sometimes 25 years or more. Annual maintenance is the main variable. We regularly service oil boilers that are older than the homeowners expected them to be.
Should I convert from oil to a heat pump?
It depends on your home. Mass Save incentives for moving off oil are substantial, and a cold-climate heat pump adds air conditioning that most oil-heated homes lack. Electrical capacity, insulation and layout all factor in. As a Mass Save partner we can walk you through what your home qualifies for and handle the paperwork.
Do you install new oil furnaces, or only convert people away from oil?
We install new oil equipment. Replacing an aging oil furnace with a modern high-efficiency unit is a job we do often, and for many homes it is the right decision. Being licensed for oil work means we can present both paths honestly instead of steering you toward the only thing we are able to install.
