Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

leaking filter

Options
dfb328
dfb328 Member Posts: 4
in THE MAIN WALL
I noticed a small steady leak from the bottom of the filter of my oil tank. does this necessarily mean the whole tank needs replacing?

Comments

  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Options
    dfb328 said:

    I noticed a small steady leak from the bottom of the filter of my oil tank. does this necessarily mean the whole tank needs replacing?

    Why would a leaking oil filter necessitate needing a new oil tank?
    steve
  • BornForDying
    BornForDying Member Posts: 40
    Options
    Has the unit been serviced recently? What is the condition of the tank? Is it possible that the oil is leaking somewhere else, and just collecting and dripping from the filter?

    Oil leaks can be a very serious and costly issue. Have a pro check it out.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,839
    Options
    You need to get some rags and wipe dry the filter, oil line near the filter, tank valve and the bottom of the tank. Get a flashlight and find exactly where the leak is coming from.
    Could be a leak on the filter canister. A loose flare, or heaven forbid, a compression fitting. The packing nut on the tank valve. Or the tank itself.
    If the tank is over 30, I'd think about replacing it anyway.
  • dfb328
    dfb328 Member Posts: 4
    edited September 2017
    Options
    as I don't know the exact cause of the leak or where it originates from and given that it is an old tank, I have a pro coming in first thing in the morning to assess the situation. many thanks for your thoughts and ideas on the subject.
    BornForDying
  • dfb328
    dfb328 Member Posts: 4
    Options
    an update...it was the filter canister that had rotted out and replaced, with the advice to change the tank in the near future. many thanks!
  • dfb328
    dfb328 Member Posts: 4
    Options
    one more thing, the company had put in a furnace and tank for another customer about 2 yrs ago, the guy sold his house and the new owners switched to gas. the guy took possession of both and might be willing to sell the tank at a reduced price. comments on that idea? this is a comany that replaced my furnace 9 yrs ago and have always been honest and efficient.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Options
    Don't take a used tank! Period! Even if they gave it to me for free.
    First of all, when they replaced the tank for the other homeowner, did they transfer oil from the old tank into the new one? If so, they just gave you a nice head start on corrosion, microbes, and quicker tank failure.
    Where has this tank been sitting for 2 years, and what was in it?
    I just wouldn't do it. I also never transfer old oil into a new tank, one of the reasons above.
    Just get a new tank. The labor is the same. What are you going to save...$200?
    I had a customer switch out his own tank at his shop. First tank in there for 40 years, with all the usual crap in it.
    Insisted on pumping over the old oil, even though he did the following:
    -Used a fuel filter when pumping over.
    -Didn't pump all the way down to the bottom of the old tank.
    -Treated the new tank.
    His new tank lasted 7 years, started getting pin hole leaks in the bottom.
    steve
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,839
    Options
    What Steve ^ said.
    Also think about a Granby epoxy coated tank, or a Roth tank could free up some space. Roth does however recommend a TigerLoop.
    Time to repipe the vent to 2" if it's currently 1 1/4".

Categories