In ground oil central heating tank with a blocked internal line

123bhc

Hi, I just bought a house in France which has an in ground 3000L oil heating tank.
I had 1000L of fuel delivered as it was almost empty.
The return line is clear but the flow line has nothing coming up up.
Looking at the top of the tank it has the two pipes going in.
How easy is it to remove the two lines to find out the issue is.
I spoke with a heating engeneer here and he says to just buy a new PVC tank and fit it in the basement.

Jamie Hall

You shouldn't need to pull the lines from the tank. You should be able to blow the offending pickup line clear -- it that really is the problem -- with low pressure compressed air.

However. An older underground tank is a liability. On the west side of the pond, the cost to clean things up if it should leak -- and eventually it will -- is between high and astronomical. If you have space in your basement, I'd kind of agree with your heating engineer.

Steamhead

Jamie Hall said:

You shouldn't need to pull the lines from the tank. You should be able to blow the offending pickup line clear -- it that really is the problem -- with low pressure compressed air.

However. An older underground tank is a liability. On the west side of the pond, the cost to clean things up if it should leak -- and eventually it will -- is between high and astronomical. If you have space in your basement, I'd kind of agree with your heating engineer.

This.

123bhc

I did try and blow out the flow line but thought it must have had an anti return valve, thanks for the advice.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@123bhc

In some location in the US they had a "foot valve" nothing more than a check valve on the suction line in the tank. It could also be a type of anti syphon valve.

Foot valve are use on gas station tanks.