Oil Fitting Leak

D107

As per attached photo, we recently had the nipple by the yellow arrow replaced due to a leak (tech said bad sealant on threads); that was fixed perfectly. Now there seems to be a small leak coming from under where the red arrow is.



When I can get out to the house and verify that the leak is not coming from ABOVE that point --i.e. the nipple above--then I ask can I simply gently tighten that lower nut--counterclockwise since it tightens 'up' --from the flex cable--and hope that does the trick? Is teflon used on the threads that nut turns on?



Obviously if the leak is coming from above that nut then the nipple by the light green arrow would have to be replaced.



Thanks.

Bob Bona_4

this is backwards.

Have the tech come back out and tell him to bring another flex line.

The flex line you have and the additional one he is going to bring need to go from the burner to the Tiger Loop. The Tiger Loop needs to be relocated to where the oil filter is. In other words, swap those two canister looking thingies.

The reason is that every year the boiler gets cleaned. And to clean it, the front of the boiler swings open like a door, with the burner still attached. The flex lines let this happen. The way the rigid copper lines are now is incorrect, and won't allow swing.

Have him ensure the door hinge is on the right side as you look at the burner. The hinges are reversable.

Along the way, that oil leak should get fixed. 

D107

flex lines

thanks Bob, yes the tech mentioned this door problem. It is already hinged right. The tiger loop was installed some time after the original install by someone else.



Best solution would seem to be to install the tigerloop Ultra to cut down on the extra piping, though a few techs lately have said they feel the standard tigerloop works better than the ultra. Make any sense?



Thanks,



David



attached photos show boiler door.

Bob Bona_4

I am

Loving the Tiger Ultra. The "regular" spin on set ups always seem to make a mess when changing from residual oil up in the housing. I don't see the problem with combining the two.

Every Ultra style spin on I have changed hasn't leaked one drop when unscrewing and replacing, so nice. Try to get the vacuum gauge accessory with it. 

My only truck with the spin ons is that I can't see or gauge sediment or evidence of water in the system as easily as the can style. But I can live with that.

D107

Thanks Bob and SLO-115/ultra

thanks. I think what the techs were saying is that the ultra-tiger loop doesn't de-aerate as well which I'd never heard before. They may have been trying to dissuade me from installing the ultra right now, which I'm happy to wait a few years for. But certainly for ease of service--boiler door opening--that should be done at some point.



We love the 10 micron spin-on at the burner--have the vac gauge too. with a 50 micron at the tank, the spinon has hardly any residue when we open it annually. and with oil treatment done by the oil co--avalux--even the 50 micron stays pretty clean. I'm going to try to convince the serviceman next tuneup to use the superlube icesailor recommended on the spinon gasket--they can be really hard to unspin even when only hand-tightened origiinally. Truth is at this point I bet we could go 5 years without changing it assuming the oil wasn't eating away at the canister which you don't know until you open it.



Thanks again.

icesailor

Tigerloops and spin on's

The filter belongs before the tigerloop. Between the tigetloop and the tank. The two flexible lines go into the horizontal ports on the tigerloop. Early tigerloops had a problem with making a vacuum lock. You can not get them anymore. The old ones were replaced on a warranty basis. The new ones are far better. No failures.

Use a 10 micron spin on at the burner AND the tank. When removing spin on's, notice the black spooge in and around the outside holes. That is the inlet. Notice the middle hole. After draining out, notice that the metal is shining. If you let it set a moment, if there is any water in the cannister, you will see it in the middle hole. Remove the filter at the burner. Notice NO spooge in and around the outside holes. Look carefully down the outside holes and notice NO black residue. Notice no sign of any water in the second filter. Notice no black spooge on the pump strainer. Notice no restriction of flow on the nozzle strainer. Spin on's rule. I just changed a 4 year old filter combo. This is how I found it.

As far as teflon tape, I have been using it exclusively since 1966 and have NEVER had a leak or a problem with it. I have had situations where it was the ONLY thing that stopped a leak. It is a thread tape. It is to be used to fill the annular space between the male and female parts of a threaded fitting. It is not needed in the threads of a flare fitting where the nut goes. It isn't used on the face of flare fittings or the face of unions. I have been using teflon tape and paste together since teflon paste was introduced. This AM, I replaced a Taco 1" flow check that was leaking where the factory nut is. The O-ring was leaking. I cut the copper adapter before the copper tube and unscrewed the valve from the 1" black nipple. I unscrewed it with two large channel locks. I installed this about 8 years ago. It didn't leak a drop. I put it back the same way. I often use Rectorseal #5. If I hadn't used teflon and paste when I did the origonal install, it would have taken two 2" pipe wrenches.

 I use it on all my oil fittings. I have never had a pump failure. I have never had a oil leak that I couldn't solve with another turn. When needed. Without teflon, if you get it as tight as you can and it leaks, taking another turn will stretch and ruin the fitting. Don't run the tape over the end of the threads. Start it in the first thread and go up. I've never seen properly applied teflon tape ever leak. I've seen improperly tape leak.  

  

icesailor

Tigerloops and spin on's

The filter belongs before the tigerloop. Between the tigetloop and the tank. The two flexible lines go into the horizontal ports on the tigerloop. Early tigerloops had a problem with making a vacuum lock. You can not get them anymore. The old ones were replaced on a warranty basis. The new ones are far better. No failures.

Use a 10 micron spin on at the burner AND the tank. When removing spin on's, notice the black spooge in and around the outside holes. That is the inlet. Notice the middle hole. After draining out, notice that the metal is shining. If you let it set a moment, if there is any water in the cannister, you will see it in the middle hole. Remove the filter at the burner. Notice NO spooge in and around the outside holes. Look carefully down the outside holes and notice NO black residue. Notice no sign of any water in the second filter. Notice no black spooge on the pump strainer. Notice no restriction of flow on the nozzle strainer. Spin on's rule. I just changed a 4 year old filter combo. This is how I found it.

As far as teflon tape, I have been using it exclusively since 1966 and have NEVER had a leak or a problem with it. I have had situations where it was the ONLY thing that stopped a leak. It is a thread tape. It is to be used to fill the annular space between the male and female parts of a threaded fitting. It is not needed in the threads of a flare fitting where the nut goes. It isn't used on the face of flare fittings or the face of unions. I have been using teflon tape and paste together since teflon paste was introduced. This AM, I replaced a Taco 1" flow check that was leaking where the factory nut is. The O-ring was leaking. I cut the copper adapter before the copper tube and unscrewed the valve from the 1" black nipple. I unscrewed it with two large channel locks. I installed this about 8 years ago. It didn't leak a drop. I put it back the same way. I often use Rectorseal #5. If I hadn't used teflon and paste when I did the origonal install, it would have taken two 2" pipe wrenches.

 I use it on all my oil fittings. I have never had a pump failure. I have never had a oil leak that I couldn't solve with another turn. When needed. Without teflon, if you get it as tight as you can and it leaks, taking another turn will stretch and ruin the fitting. Don't run the tape over the end of the threads. Start it in the first thread and go up. I've never seen properly applied teflon tape ever leak. I've seen improperly tape leak.  

  

icesailor

Teflon Tape and Pumps:

Another smelly fish.

Most use Rectorseal #5, Gasoila or some other nasty kind of goop on oil and gas threads. As for Rectorseal, that stuff is impervious to everything including PVC cleaner. Have the cap slightly loose and the stuff will ooze out and get all over your tools. Try getting it off. I've seen a guy around who must do a lot of gas work and he must wear the same clothes. They are covered with rectorseal stains and will not wash out.

Another "Air Reason" used by manufacturers to deny claims for defective products.