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Will installing a 1/8" flow meter in the oil line be a problem?

RobertJordan
RobertJordan Member Posts: 8
in Oil Heating

The firing rate is .6 gal/hr. This Istec 9204 is the only one I have been able to find capable of measuring flow that low. Will it damage the oil pump? It is only .02 oz./second. The pump is forcing oil through the nozzle. Should there be a second filter before the meter near the boiler?

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,751

    I suppose you can do that but there may be a better way. If you know the firing rate is a constant.6gph why not wire a timer in parallel with the burner motor or oil solenoid valve. .6gph x hours run =oil burned.

    If the burner is hooked up 1 pipe you could put the meter in the oil suction line. If hooked up two pipe you would need two meters.

    MikeAmannEdTheHeaterManIronman
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,190

    The flow through the nozzle is extremely constant. If you know the pressure from the oil pump and the nozzle specs., you have the flow. Why add a widget? And to be accurate at that flow rate, an expensive widget….

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Ironman
  • RobertJordan
    RobertJordan Member Posts: 8

    I have duplex and want to measure the heat used by each unit and associate it with the oil used. I plan to sell them as condos, one at a time. I have learned to charge for heat I am legally required to register as a public utility so I won't be doing that. Alternatively i can set the rent to reflect the tenants usage. As a condo there wouldn't be the need to be a public utility but each condo owner would want to know their usage. At least i will as long as I own one of the condos.

    Istec also has heat meters costing a lot less than the caleffi Conteca.

  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,363
    edited October 2024

    If your going to go through all that you may as well invest in two 275 gallon tank within a tank Highland Petrohoppers and two sets of petrometer oil level gauges so your other tenant can monitor and pay for thier own fuel use and have 2 oil storage tanks that will be safe for 50 plus years and be done with it for the 2 residences.

    RobertJordan
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 9,673

    Is this one oil burner operating two zones?

    OR

    Is this one oil tank feeding 2 burners?

    What does measuring the fuel oil used going to accomplish if both units are using one burner?

    If you have 2 burners, then get a second tank and the new tenant/owner will pay for the oil that goes into the tank that feeds their oil burner. The meter on the oil truck will be enough to satisfy your ability to calculate how much fuel each unit uses.

    There are no arguments that way. Any meter failure will be a constant cause of contention if it is not legally regulated. An oil tank is easy to do.

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    Ironman
  • rynoheat
    rynoheat Member Posts: 36

    If you're rigging something up anyway, how about something attached to the oil valve wiring. Whenever that's energized the oil is pumping. Something hooked to the burner I think will overcount because of pre and postpurge. It could probably even be a hall effect sensor and not even need to be wired in, just detect the magnetic field of the solenoid.

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