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Dual 275 Gallon Oil Tank Management

Labenaqui
Labenaqui Member Posts: 72
in Oil Heating
Just had a mid-winter "no heat" call where everything seemed to be operational except possibly oil delivery. Priming revealed a large amount of air purging required before reestablishing a fire.
The customer's oil tanks had a 3/4 filled active and a totally empty, valved lockout in parallel to the filter.
Despite the recent single tank fill it appears that the second tank lockout valve was leaking, allowing the system to ingest air under successive lowered head pressure fill conditions to eventual prime failure.
Tightened both ball-valve stem packings to hopefully alleviate, but will suggest to customer that they either operate with both tanks self-leveling or leave some fuel in the empty to improve sealing.

Comments

  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
    If the 2nd tank isn't used anymore, why not take it out of the run.
    If you power purged the oil line, with an oil watcher or clear tubing on your vacuum gauge, you would see if there is any air ingress. Could also be a vacuum leak from a valve, fitting, filter, pump cover or flare.

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  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,477
    I would think an inactive tank is jut a cause of a potential problem. I would use it or remove it
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,019
    edited February 2022
    Is the oil supply lines and call equalizing lines to the burner top feed ?

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