Heating broke down 2 weeks after expensive maintenance - Tank cleaning?

For the tank cleaning, I would get 2 to 3 offers (by phone) and ask when the best time is, whether the tank should be more full or more empty, and what happens with the stock oil (how much loss there is due to the cleaning). (You are welcome to post the result of this research here ;-)).

It was said that everything was fine.

Remote diagnoses are always a bit tricky. but: During the maintenance everything was tip-top, but a few days later a sludge-filled tank and a 23-year-old no-name burner for which there are no spare parts anymore and which should ideally be replaced. That doesn’t add up for me.

new burners a system without oil preheater?

A preheater must actually always be included. In your case, the preheater was broken, but as far as I understood you, the burner was then replaced. Since the broken preheater does not get better by changing the burner, it was probably implicitly replaced as well. So exchange preheater (broken) against new preheater and burner (old, no-name) against new burner (new, brand device). That should be on the invoice...

Background: The oil must be heated so that it has the right viscosity with which it can be atomized for ignition in the burner (small droplets, large surface, good combustion). Hence the preheater.

Thank you for your answers.

The question for me is also whether such a sludge-filled tank should have been noticed during the maintenance.

Maintenance and emergency service were, by the way, done by 2 different companies.

Maintenance was done by a company from the local area, and somehow you do wonder if they might have thought that if something breaks, we won’t say anything, and we’ll make money from it? Of course, it could well be that I am totally wrong about them, it just read more like that here.

My parents’ heating system is also oil, now 26 years old, and they have never had a tank cleaning done...

There are only 2 companies here that offer this cleaning, both cost around 400 euros plus tax, no difference.

We have had to spend so much unexpected money lately, well, welcome to owning a house, and against that background I do wonder whether we should now shell out 500 euros again for a cleaning when this floating suction device has just been installed anyway.

The sludge is at the bottom. If we refill now and postpone the cleaning, the tank would be full again, and since it is anyway suctioned from the top, floating, it probably can’t happen that something breaks again??

Did you see the sludge? Felt it? Is it like soap? Slimy? Did someone ever put bio diesel in it and now there are these sh... bacteria in the tank? Diesel bug? Google it. Then definitely clean it. And hands off that stuff. Never ever refuel with it! Otherwise, you're right. A bit of sludge is always at the bottom. You just shouldn't run the tank so empty. Karsten

Hello

That does not necessarily have to be the case.
Three years after the last maintenance, the filter can already be heavily soiled.

Maintenance and malfunction have nothing to do with each other.

I see no advantage in the floating extraction.
If the liquid level in the tank drops, the extraction will eventually be in the sludge again.
Therefore, a too deep sinking should also be avoided.
I would simply have shortened the extraction hoses.

If you refuel now, you will turn off the burner for several hours.
It takes some time for the sludge to settle at the bottom again.

Olli

What do you mean by shortening the withdrawal hoses, what is the benefit? I understand you overall that such a tank cleaning can make sense?

Shorter hose does not go as deep into tank, risk of sludge suction is lower.