Do I really need an OSV
Roth tank outside with 9 ft. drop from top of tank to burner w tiger loop. Roth suggests OSV as does tiger loop. I am not questioning professional suggestions as I am just a homeowner. Have read many of the reasons why an OSV is a good idea. My question is has anyone in this forum experienced a pump seal leak or other problem caused by lack of an OSV due to a tank above burner creating too much line pressure.
Comments
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I have seen many times when the OSV saved someone from having a basement full of fuel. As far as pumps and lines go, the lack of an OSV does not cause a leak. Having an OSV prevents the oil from flowing out of the leak. As for the Tiger Loop, the OSV keeps the head pressure off of it. Also, when oil is delivered, the tank and fuel system components can get pressurized. The OSV guards against that and increases the life and safety of the Tiger Loop. They are truly a safety device and have avoided many a catastrophe.
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You are only dealing with one atmosphere of pressure bearing down on your oil supply if the tank vent is working correctly.
You could add a webster oil safety valve for $140.00+, but if you have a Fire-O-Matic valve at the burner you already have some protection. Keep in mind that adding the Oil Safety Valve will add six more flair fittings, one shut off valve and six more possible places for air leaks creating problems for you.
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Do I really need an OSV
Not if you switch to gas or electric.
If your fuel tank is above the oil burner and the fuel line leaks between the tank and the burner, or the pump seal fails for some reason, the OSV will not let the oil pass unless there is a vacuum on the outlet side of the OSV. Without the OSV the "one atmosphere of pressure" that @leonz mentioned, on that fuel line leak or failed pump seal will allow oil to leave the tank through the leak until someone finds the problem and resolves it, or your tank runs out of oil.
I have had hundreds of customers with above ground oil tanks connected to basement oil burners that did not have an OSV and only one had a major spill. I can tell you that the customer was not happy with the result. But the other customers never had a problem. You are probably just like one of those customers of mine. I just can't tell you which one from this chair that I am retired in.
Only you can tell after you have had the experience after you sell and move, without a problem, or if you have the problem my one other customer that was not happy had. I can tell you that some of my customers that do have OSVs on their oil line, never had the problem that my one unlucky customer had. Not one!
I would never suggest that you should not install a safety device. That would be stupid on my part. And my insurance carrier would drop me in a second if they found that I recommended that a customer not get a OSV and then there was a major oil spill at that location. Especially if the fuel spill was the type that an OSV would prevent.
So if you were to ask me, Professionally, I would reply YES. If you ignored my advise I would have no problem with that. I just would have my recommendation in writing in my records somewhere and that you decided not to purchase the OSV. Cover My ****
Just some ramblings from an old oil burner man that has seen a lot of stuff in the last 50 years
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
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The pressure on the fuel system increases dramatically when truck is filling the oil tank.
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I've noticed you have claimed this in a few posts. It’s completely false. Don’t know where you heard it.
Do you think for one second if that was even possible that:
A) there would’ve been tons of pump seal failures from deliveries.
B) every pump manufacturer, as well as NFPA, would demand an OSV in front of every fuel unit.
Please leave the comments to the professionals.
Back to the OP, put an OSV valve on because it’s cheap insurance. Just like a motorcycle helmet, or seat belts in a car, when you need it, you’ll be glad you put it on.
And another reason, the new fuel pumps by Beckett are made differently (cheaper) and are missing the internal check valve that would keep any inlet pressure from allowing oil to bleed thru.
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More nonsense. Firomatic doesn’t protect the pump from head pressure and adding an OSV doesn’t require 6 more flares, and an additional shut off.
I assume another non professional weighing in.
All the fittings are flares anyway so either you know how to make them correctly or you don’t.
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Oil goes in the tank. Air comes out until the whistle stops. There's no effect on the oil lines.
By your reasoning, with a basement oil tank six feet from the burner scenario. 1 pipe, off the bottom. Will the weight of a full tank (over 2,000 pounds) put tremendous pressure on the pump seal? Allegedly.
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I never said the fireomatic valve protected the pump.
2 flairs for the shut off valve, 2 flairs for the OSV, 2 flairs for the Fireomatic valve; 2+2+2=6 the last time I checked.
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@techforlife Said; "The pressure on the fuel system increases dramatically when truck is filling the oil tank."
If you are talking about filling a fuel tank @ about 60 to 80 GPM from the truck's pump, when the vent line is blocked or partially blocked, then you may be partially correct. I have delivered to a tank that had a partially blocked vent line that would continue to whistle for up to 90 seconds after the fuel truck hose valve was turned off. Every time I reported the problem to the service department, they sent a technician out and he put compressed air into the tank from an old refrigerant can (back when you could refill them and use them for air tanks), and report that the whistle was working. And nothing was ever done about the blockage. One day I forgot to turn off the switch for the pump speed accelerator on this delivery, so the tank was getting the full 80 GPM and the tank burst in the basement. (and the whistle was still sounding after the burst tank) So that particular fuel pump seal may have had a little more pressure than it was rated for. But it didn’t matter, the customer changed to gas heat right after the cleanup was completed.
A properly vented tank will have a vent pipe the same size as the fill pipe, so there should be very little added pressure from the delivering of fuel. So if a full tank of oil was about 10 feet above the fuel pump of an oil burner there would be about 3.6 PSI static pressure on the pump seal. And since most fuel lines are ¼” Inside diameter the added pressure of the fuel delivery would be reduced to about 15% of the pressure exerted on the top of the tank as a result of the escaping air thru the vent. If that air pressure was a high as 20 PSI, the added pressure on the pump seal would be about 3 PSI, and would not exceed the total maximum operating pressure of the fuel pump inlet/outlet chamber of 10 PSI
I went to Parochial School where we had to "Show the Work" on math problems, so my calculations are available upon request
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
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Use threaded fitting eliminates most of the flares that people apparently can't make anyhow.
The oil tank is vented to the atmosphere so any added pressure while filling is negligeable.
If the bottom of a 275 is a foot off the floor and the tank is roughly 4' high you have 5' of head. That is less than2-2.5 psi with a full tank
We could elimenate most all of the issues with check valves, tiger loops etc by using a two pipe system
One of the reasons a two pipe system works so well is if you submerge both oil lines to the bottom of the tank you have a sealed system. If the oil can't get out no air can get in.
But you still have to be able to flare tubing ALAS
Guess that is why compression fittings were so popular in the old days.
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Sure you did. Re-read your post. “... Keep in mind that adding the Oil Safety Valve will add six more flair fittings, one shut off valve…”
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We both know I was referring to the possibility of oil flow in the even of a burner or boiler fire.
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