residential fuel tank

ralman

I am a homeowner. I have a 275 gallon fuel tank inside my heated basement connected to my Peerless oil fired hot water boiler. It is a single pipe gravity setup going from the bottom of the tank to burner. There is a shut off valve mounted at the outlet of the tank which is no longer working properly preventing me from changing my filter. I have seen this type of valve in the heating section of a local hardware store but I do not know what it is called. There is copper tubing from the valve to the fuel filter which is mounted on the fuel pump. My questions are:

1. Is it okay to use a ball valve instead of the type of valve that is on it?

2. Is the filter mounting location on the burner fuel pump okay or is there a preferred mounting location?

3. Should I stick with the one pipe gravity piping or change to different piping set up?

Robert O'Brien

This

is definitely not a DIY project.Get someone who knows what they're doing.

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John@Reliable_12

Ross........................

you really need to find a oil tech to repair this. The valve at the tank is a "firomatic" which should cut fuel supply incase of fire. I wouldn't advise changing this valve as a diy repair. Even after 15+ years in the field I can still break them off, but I also know how to break them and still repair it with-out releasing oil from tank. As far as questions go #1 a ball valve is not a safety and a safety isn't a service shut off valve, #2 & # 3 it depends as both have a time and place to use.

ralman

I would prefer to do just as you suggest.

To date I have had 5 different companies look at my entire heating system and Not one company has pointed out any issues except that I should get insulation installed in my home. Just by checking in this website have I been able to identify major problems. I wish I had a digital camera to show all the oil tank installation in my home. The concrete block where the fill and vent penetrate is busted and falling out. The fill pipe connection to tank is wet from weeping around the threads. The tank itself is set on irregular shape and size pieces of broken wood stacked 2 high. The valve has been unable to shut off since I moved in 2 years ago. Out of 5 service calls to different companies, Only 1 company caught the faulty valve. nobody else was going to change the filter. Not one comment, suggestion, advice to repair anything during any other service visits. This all sits a few feet from the boiler which has the circulator mounted on the return side which I understand is a no no from what I read here. Not one company has said anything about that either. I asked one company to change it to the supply side and I was told that it would not solve my noise and air problems in my cast iron baseboard. And then there is my monoflo tees spaced 4 inches apart on one downfeed baseboard that nobody has been able to figure out why I can't get heat in that baseboard. I know what is wrong with it from reading this website. I live in a very rural area which does not have an endless supply of heating technicians. To date I have hired every company that would answer there phone or return the message I left on there machine. For my trouble and expense I have received advice on insulation. I am going to have to fix this tank and change my circulator to the supply side myself.

John@Reliable_12

Where, state do you live?

ralman

Bedford, Pennsylvania

John@Reliable_12

Check out this site,,,,,,,,,,,

oiltechtalk.com and send the owner Alan an e-mail, he's from PA and I'm sure he could hook you up with someone who could help you out
alanmercurio@oiltechtalk.com

Steamhead (in transit)

Ross, also call our friend Murph'

he's in Greensburg but might be persuaded to ride sixty miles east to fix you up. Check out his Find a Professional ad (he's the closest one listed in FAP), and be sure to tell him we sent you:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=314&Step=30

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