Using oil burner pump to transfer fuel in an emergency

dh1989

I have a portable diesel generator which I use for emergency backup power. I want to be able to fill a 5 gallon can off my Roth oil tank in the event we have a major storm emergency and the gas stations in the area shut down. This would be easy with a bottom outlet tank, but the Roth pulls fuel from the top. Is there any issue with using the fuel pump on the burner to fill a 5 gallon can, in the event I needed to pull fuel from the tank for the generator? I have a Suntec A2VA-7116 pump which is set at 140 PSI. I was thinking I could keep a spare copper oil line on hand which I could attach in place of the nozzle line and direct into the 5 gal can. I'd jumper TT and FF on the control to run the pump and fill the can. My only concern is damaging the pump if it isn't meant to run without back pressure. There is going to be a lot less back pressure on an open line into the 5 gal can versus the oil nozzle.

Any thoughts or experience with this?

STEVEusaPA

Not ideal, but it will work. Seems like a lot of trouble, and anything you do is a potential mess.
No idea what you mean about 'back pressure'.
If there’s a major storm coming, you’re going to need a lot more than 5 gallons.
You’d probably be better off making a rig you can stick into the bung of the tank, small electric pump or hand pump.

HVACNUT

There's more than one way to skin a cat but that one shouldn't be near the top of the list.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@dh1989

It will work but it will be slow. You would be better off with a portable pump

Jamie Hall

Does that Roth tank have another bung on the top you can get to? If so, you'll be a whole lot happier if you go to Tractor Supply or Northwest Tool or someplace like that and get yourself a hand operated or electric operated diesel transfer pump meant for the job. I'll grant you they don't come free -- but even the cheapest ones will do your 5 gallons in a couple of minutes.

JUGHNE

I haven't touched an oil burner in may be 30 years, but I do watch Steve Lav Utubes and enjoy watching someone else deal with oil burners.

He often checks the oil flow by putting a hose on a fitting , loosing the fitting and running the pump.
Apparently this stops the flow thru the nozzle for his test.
He gets a good flow of maybe 1 pint in 10 seconds.

Would this be a method to fill a can or what is the down side of doing this??

Curious minds want to know....

MikeAmann

My burner's oil pump is old and 1725 rpm. With an open line, the gauge still reads 105 psi - 120 # with nozzle connected.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@JUGHNE you can but it's pretty slow.

Picture the oil coming out of an oil pump into a pipe with a tee on it. The branch of the tee is the bleed port. The other tee connection goes to the nozzle but there is a pressure regulator between the tee and the nozzle.

If you open the bleed valve wide the pressure reg will go closed because the bleeder will bleed all the oil the pump will deliver and no oil will go to the nozzle.

There is a little more to it like how excess oil bypasses back to the pump etc because the nozzle rating is less than what the pump will deliver but that's basically it.

JUGHNE

Thanks Ed,
I suppose it would take some time to fill a 5 gallon can.
Something to do before you lose power or have your generator running as you are pumping oil .

Years ago I remember seeing that fitting but had no idea what it was for.
I would just get the burner firing....badly at best.
Although I did get the the dumb bell test kit....does anyone need one?
No Utube 30+ years ago.

dh1989

I just gave this a try for the heck of it to see how it would work. I redirected the oil line to some plastic tubing into an empty 5 gallon bucket. It filled in 17 minutes. I have a pressure gauge on the pump and noticed that it took 2-3 seconds for pressure to build, at which point the pump let out a whine before fuel began to flow. I suppose I might have somehow let some air into it when I opened the oil line up.

Interestingly since I did this and put the line back to normal the pump now runs quieter and the pressure needle is more stable. I think I might have cleared some air that was trapped.

I do have an extra port on the tank where I could run a second oil line. I might look into a small electric in-line pump for a cleaner and simpler way of doing this.

I saw the comment about opening the bleeder. I've bled the pump before and had the burner fire, so I know at least some fuel still gets to the nozzle with the bleeder open.

Thanks for the responses.

Big Ed_4

I thought an A pump pumped 5 gallons a hour. .. I would have a few jerry cans on hand and let the oil driver fill them ...

STEVEusaPA

Just plan ahead. To me it would be like if you had a gasoline generator and you wanted to suck gas out of your car 'in an emergency'.