Fill/Vent pipe location

JEH179

hello, I recently added a screened porch, which will require me to relocate my oil fill/vent pipe. I understand the code requires this to be at least 2' from an opening to the house. Does this also apply to a screen porch opening and a basement door?

I was hoping to have the vent in the corner of the new porch and existing house, however this will be less that 2' from the basement door. Would this be against code?

Attached is a picture where i need the fill/vent to go. As you can see, there are not a lot of options, especially given that i cant be too low. (the cement foundation in the picture is a 4' wall, so the top of the tank is ~8" above this foundation.

The front of the screen porch will have double hung windows, and the remaining 2 sides are open. Can i put the vent on in the corner, so that i am more than 2' from the window, but less that 2' from the basement door?

Also, how tall above the tank does the vent need to be?

thank you

Jamie Hall

That's one for your local fire marshal and building code official -- and your oil company.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The vent and fill must be low on the tank end and pitch up toward the outside with no up or down loops' There is no minimum height above the tank that I know of. 2' from windows and doors.

I would say you cannot put it in the corner by the basement door.

If the porch is not enclosed totally you could probably be near a porch window (but what if someone decides to close it in later)

Can you pipe it under the porch out to the front of the porch?

If you can't find a good spot I would make a sketch and go to the building/fire dept or whomever inspects tanks and oil burners in your location as @Jamie Hall mentioned

EdTheHeaterMan

In Philadelphia, (where they have an ordinance about no outside above ground tanks) I remember delivering oil to homes that have vent pipes that went above the first floor and ended near the eve of the roof on the second floor. I asked my dad why the vents were so high? He told me that in the alleys between the houses, snow could drift up past the first-floor windows, and the vent needed to be above the snow. They were always the hardest vent alarms to listen to.

In some cases there was a weighted vent cap that created enough pressure in the tank to blow a whistle that was not inside the tank. These "button whistles" were sticking outside of the house at a location near the fill pipe.




If you need to run the vent pipe up the side of the house to a location away from the windows or doors there are options. Just make sure the vent alarm whistle is audible to the driver.

Yours truly,
Mr.Ed