Replacement of a fuel oil tank valve

ArtM1

I have four 250 gal. tanks in the bsmt. of an 8 unit apt. bldg. The second tank from the filter has a valve that doesn't close , making the changing of that filter next to impossible. I've considered running the boiler until the tank is drained or creating a negative pressure with a shop vacuum. These two methods seem to be viable options , but I'm wondering about the possibility of plugging the inlet of the valve from inside the tank ( using a rubber plug fastened to the end of a bent piece of thin wall elect. conduit). I couldn't replace the valve using the third method , but thought it might be a way that I could at least change the filter that needs to be replaced and do the valve replacement in the spring/summer. What do you guys think ?

HydronicMike

I’d get it below 1/2 and do the vacuum thing

ArtM1

The valve is an OTV 100

EBEBRATT-Ed

If you vacuum down that tank you will have to shut the valves on the other tanks as well. In fact why not shut the other tanks off now and pull oil out of the tank with the bad valve. When you get the level as low as you can disconnect and change the bad valve.

ArtM1

Thought you might appreciate knowing what I ended up doing. I bent a piece of 1/2" elect. conduit with an offset equal to the distance (horizontally) between the vent bung on top of the tank and the valve opening in the bottom. Screwed a tapered cork into a short wooden dowel hammered into the end of the conduit, and used that to plug the valve from the inside , I left the valve in place (it was stuck open) and installed a ball valve just before the filter. Now I can change the filter with a single valve, instead of four.

ArtM1

Thanks for all of your comments , guys!

EBEBRATT-Ed

Usually by code your supposed to have a firomatic valve at the tank that springs shut in case of fire.