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Oil line sucking air?

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bruce_21
bruce_21 Member Posts: 241
in Oil Heating
My customer/neighbor's oil tank is full, but the burner fired once for a minute and a half and then shut down. The one-pipe oil line runs UP from the burner to the basement ceiling and across the basement 30-40 feet to the new oil tank and into the top of the tank, see the picture. There is just a plug in the bottom of the tank.
Can this be remedied by going to two-pipe?

Comments

  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,149
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    Has the fuel filter been changed??
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,367
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    Double check all the connections for being tight. It may have a connection which leaks a bit of air -- it wouldn't take much -- under vacuum, and an over the top piping arrangement like that is going to be very susceptible to that.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    SuperTechMaxMercy
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    It would be better after checking for leaks to power purge it.

    A tiger loop is a band aid in my opinion. It does not fix the underlying problem. If it was my job it would be two pipe.

    Other opinions will differ.
  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,149
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    I agree with you Ed, I was just thinking that a 2 pipe system with a tiger loop and a combination check valve with vacuum gauge and Schraeder valve would be beneficial and simplify things.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    No tiger loop.

    If all the fittings are 100% oil tight, then no air can get in. If air can't get in then why do you need a Tiger loop which is a deaerator? It's a basement tank.

    Make the piping tight, no air leak the burner will run weather it is 1 pipe or 2 pipe.

    I was taught 2 pipes when you lift oil and that's the way I am staying.
    SuperTechIntplm.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
    edited October 2023
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    Looks like the wrong pipe dope. A vacuum gauge will help you with diagnosing.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    Intplm.
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,794
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    I would take the supply off the Bottom , valve and filter . Single pipe over , no fittings and valve above oil level with a Tigerloop at the burner....

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,977
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    @bruce_21
    Your picture seems to show compression nuts before the valve on the elbow. After the valve, it shows a flare fitting.
    I have replaced many a compression nut with a flare fitting for this type of problem. Compression nuts on oil lines can, at times draw in air. (Crazy). But I have done it in the past and the air problem can go away.



    Also. At that pumping/fuel unit to tank distance (30-40'from the tank?) You should have a two-pipe system fuel line set up similar to this picture.

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,794
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    That compression nut is holding the dip tune to set depth into the tank. We use a compression fitting with out a stop the copper slides though the fitting down into the tank ...

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    EBEBRATT-EdSTEVEusaPACLambIntplm.

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