oil tank plumbing

[Deleted User]

i am new to the oil heating/plumbing world. so here is my question: supply line plumbed into tank from top or through bottom. witch keeps both tank free from sludge and supplies the cleanest fuel to burner? would love to read your posts.

kevin coppinger_4

bottom...

pitched to the outlet, w/ a very good filter....kpc

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Big Ed_3

Sludge free...

Take supply from bottom of tank Pitch tank down to supply tap. Install a general type filter at tank. at burner and install a hi micron filter near the burner.....To keep a tank free of sludge is to keep it free of water. Top feed tanks are a band aid . It just buys time Water and dirt will collect below the lines since the lines will not be the lowest point of exit . Most sit inches from the bottom. In years you will have inches of sludge. Sludge is produced when water sits below oil. A bug lives in the world between the two . It feasts on the oil and craps out the sludge. The sulfur in the oil , the bug can not digest . The bug poops out surpheric acids do do's. You do not want acid do-do's in the bottom of your steel oil tank, .

Now once a year change the general filter and dump the waste water that will now collect in the can and not in the tank ..Water will always collect , but now it will collect in the general filter which is easy to service . The filter will act like a water separator.... change the second hi micron when needed . What ever the general filter passes the hi micron will catch... You can install a set of vacuum gauges at both ends of the hi micron filer , and if there is a difference in readings when burner is running , filter needs a changing.... Show me sludge and I will show you water. Simple..

Dabbling in oil for 35+ years now . And over that time I seen every device and system to F#$& up a tank. Top feeds, snorkels, side feeds and bottom feed extensions .. Don't know why I am complaining the sludge keeps me busy. But to a friend or relative that I don't want problems .... Pitch it down and away...

D107

Don't Roth tanks take supply from top?

I'm scheduled to have a Roth 275 gallon tank installed next month and if I read their instructions right they have a top supply with a suction pump. How do they avoid the water/sludge problem you solve by bottom supply, downward pitch, etc.?

thanks,

David

Maine Ken

They don't.

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Al Letellier_9

sludge/ water in Roth

Treat the oil with a good additive and don't overbuy or store too much and there should be no problem. If sludge does develop, the large tappings make it easy to pump off and clean the tank. Have 3 of them in my basement. Great tanks and a lot easier to move around.

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Paul Fredricks_3

As I understand it, the inert material that the Roth is made of does not promote sludge developement like metal tanks do. I could very easily be wrong.

D107

You're right about inert material minimizing sludge

from all I gather.(HO) Just wished Roth had a bottom feed so that any impurities or particles that did get in the oil could more easily be filtered. Of the three inert-material tanks I've looked into --Roth, Granby/DeHoust and ZCL--only ZCL has the bottom feed. But as you can see from this thread and others so many wallies have Roth tanks in their own home that stay clean for so long, that it seems that with proper oil additives, sludge is not an issue. One should always find out though if your oil company is using their own additive--many do--in which case you should not have to add your own. I guess the cleaner unsludged oil--also with the benefit of a high micron filter at the tank and a fine, low micron filter at the burner--all goes towards efficiency as well.

Thanks,

David

D107

Al, do you recommend optional Roth fuel oil De-aerator?

Or does the oil additive provide the same function? Manual says:"...When using the Suction Assembly on 1-pipe systems we strongly recommend using an oil de-aerator such as a TigerLoop to ensure proper burner operation..."

Thanks,

David