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.

No oil to filter - how to siphon fuel line?

kdubraw
kdubraw Member Posts: 3
in Oil Heating
Hello again! In the process of changing my filter, I lost oil to my filter. It was flowing, so I assume that I just lost the siphon (tank line has about 4 ft of head above the tank, before coming back down to the furnace).
I tried the pump, it wasn't strong enough to pull the oil through.
Any ideas on how to siphon it through? A really long tube and mouth siphon it?
Thanks!

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,600
    EEEK! Do NOT ever mouth siphon any fuel -- gasoline, fuel oil, I don't care. Just Don't Do It. Go to your local auto parts store and get yourself a siphon pump. They are a lot cheaper than aspiration pneumonia. Use that to fill the oil line and then see what you can do from there.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    STEVEusaPA
  • super_snop
    super_snop Member Posts: 48
    I have had luck manually filling the filter housing and as much of the line as possible to get the prime started.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    Did you try priming the fuel pump?
    Is it a 1 or 2 pipe system?
    Some primary controls have a prime feature.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
    Why aren't you letting a professional do this? Trying too much and incorrectly, to prime a fuel system will most likely cause you to damage your fuel pump.
    If you do try the 'tube' thing, which is ridiculous to even consider, please have someone make a video and post it.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    > @STEVEusaPA said:
    > Why aren't you letting a professional do this? Trying too much and incorrectly, to prime a fuel system will most likely cause you to damage your fuel pump.
    > If you do try the 'tube' thing, which is ridiculous to even consider, please have someone make a video and post it.

    I have a push/pull pump, as I'm sure you do. But I dont lend it out.
    A mouthful of #2 fuel is only good with Nilla Wafers.
    Intplm.Jellis

Categories