Can't light my oil-fired Aga…………

OK been trying to light my Aga. It’s oil-fired. Fairly old (20yrs) but gets serviced every year. Was last checked in March – ran fine, new wicks etc.

Benn off since then. Tried lighting it but no oil is getting to the burner. Tank is good. Hasn’t run dry. Supply turned on. Oil is getting to the control box/pump thing on the side of the Aga. Power is on and getting through too. I took the wee plate off on the bottom of the box and oil p***ed out.

I figure oil isn’t getting along the pipe that goes to the burner. I unscrewed that pipe and used a syringe with a bit of 1/4″ tubing (from an Avid bleed kit) to suck oil along it. Lots of bubbles came through but even with the oil flow lever depressed on the control box no oil is coming out of the end of the pipe.

Can call out the engineer tomorrow but I’d rather get it going myself.

Any ideas?

I found a DIY service guide when we had issues (google away) our problem was once it was lit there was still air trapped so never really got going, I ended up leaving it way longer than you are meant to to get enough oil into the chamber end to light. Still a PITA

I seem to recall from many years ago an air bleeding screw on the oil pump

worth a go?

Thanks guys.

I’ve left the oil flow on for hours but the burner is dry.

Can’t see anything that looks like a bleed screw/valve but I’ll double check.

sounds like the supply pipe is ‘carboned up’ – not really my field but when I worked on a few with my dad we had to run a drill bit up the supply pipe due to the build up of carbon.

Most of this type of Aga needs servicing twice a year too.

Use a piece of wire coat hanger to start cleaning the carbon deposits out of the feed pipe and then once you’ve cleaned out as much as you can use a 3mm drill bit to finish the job.

You can de-carbon the pipe quite well with an air compressor.

Don’t think it is carbon deposits – it hasn’t been running since last year but was serviced in March when it ran fine but then switched off again ’til now.

I’ll try running something up the pipe anyway.