Follow up on 7 year old boiler and now new tank

Boiler Talk

About 7 years ago I started to post here and now for a follow up on this case. Here's the boiler parts. This afternoon I thought I'd drain the boiler and found the control unit blinking. I watched a video on what to do with a blinking controller unit. I ended up calling my oil provider and service company. He bled the fuel line that goes to a new 275 gallon tank that replaced a 550 gallon that was in the ground. The old tank had two fuel lines and the new tank in the basement has one line. The tech replaced the fuel filter, bled the line of air and cleaned the nozzle, which was replaced a month earlier with service cleaning. The new tank was installed about three months earlier and we've had heat til today. The tech said it may be the fuel pump. It was his conclusion based on what he has seen before that the seal in the pump often breaks when tanks are replaced from a two line to a one line tank (what else is there today?). Now at least I can get it going again if there is a leak, because I now know how to bleed the system. Any thoughts on the pump hypothesis?

Also, prior discussion of the pressuretrol involved how sloppy these units are in construction and actual pressure control. Years ago I tinkered with it and got it to cut off about one pound. The great difference in the set temperature of the thermostat (69) and the house (65) allowed me to see the pressuretrol still does what I got it to do years ago.

The piping above is all black pipe and I have no banging, but I know the piping is not the best or was done wrong. I plan to post a video of the whole thing showing the water level in action and the piping.

Fred

Those Pressuretrols can be calibrated. That doesn't seem to be your issue, however.

Boiler Talk

Well, I adjusted the screws inside I think. Knowing how to fine tune it to some caliber is beyond my ability. Yes, it works.

Fred

I think it is beyond the ability of the Honeywell workforce as well.

EBEBRATT-Ed

How long have you been using the indoor tank? 3 months??When changing from two pipe to 1 pipe you have to remove the internal bypass plug inside the pump. Not removing that would blow the pump seal but then you would have gallons of oil leaking and it wouldn't work for 3 months without leaking

Boiler Talk

Ebebratt, I have no oil on the ground. I asked that same question about leakage of oil. I guess there could also be leakage in the compression fittings of the piping from the tank. Again, no oil any where.

Boiler Talk

I suppose movie files are no longer allowed on this site?

Boiler Talk

I see that there is a kit to repair for the pump. It has a seal. Maybe that is the way to go too. It's lot cheaper than a new pump.
https://www.ebay.com/p/Beckett-Clean-Cut-A2ea6520-A2ea6527-A2ea6528-Repair-Kit-for-Oil-Burner-PUMPS/1148316330

HVACNUT

Does the oil line come off the bottom of the tank and run along the floor to the burner?

Or, (this is my guess) is the oil line coming out the top of the tank and running along the ceiling then down to the burner?

If the latter, its possible theres a suction leak, where air gets drawn in to the oil line rather than oil leaking out. All flares must be proper and tight. No hills and valleys along the run on the ceiling.

I think the tech was throwing darts and missed so dont do anything with the pump yet.
If it turns out to be the fuel pump, then do not rebuild. Replace it with a new Beckett clean cut pump. And it should be installed and by a qualified tech to check/set pump pressure, smoke and combustion tests.

STEVEusaPA

You're tech is speaking jibberish. The fuel pump and fuel system can be checked with pressure/vacuum gauges for a vacuum leak, failing cut-off, bad seals, etc.
Pumps are very robust, and hardly fail under proper operating installations.
That is one ugly set up of iron, tee, plug, filter. Less ugly would've been to just screw the filter onto the nipple going into the fuel pump, and forgo the tee and the plug.
I'd rather see the filter at the tank-filter the oil before it gets into the oil line. And I'd get rid of all the extra, potential vacuum leaking, parts.
Did he replace the pump strainer?
Did he do a power vacuum bleed, probably not, if he didn't check for vacuum leaks.

Erin Holohan Haskell

Boiler Talk said:

I suppose movie files are no longer allowed on this site?

Hi @Boiler Talk - You can share videos, but they must be hosted elsewhere (YouTube, etc.). Thanks!

Boiler Talk

HVACNUT. The piping is off the top of the tank, across the floor joists and then down like you wrote. I think a compression fitting might be the problem. I tried tightening the the setup over the tank and it shifted a bit. If a piece of pipe were really compressed, I don't think I would get a shift.

STEVEusaPA

If you see a compression fitting on the fitting that's on the tank, that's just there to hold the oil line in the tank at the proper depth and has no bearing on a vacuum leak.
I'd check for vacuum leak with my vacuum gauge. If none found, I'd power bleed the oil line.