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Top draw Roth problem

tombarton23
tombarton23 Member Posts: 2
in Oil Heating

New Roth. And two old outside 275 tanks with great gravity feed to a tiger loop. That's three tanks. Furnace fires up fine with the two older tanks. But never when the two older tanks are shut off. And the new Roth on. All three on /off valves in basement. Roth has one new line flared each end. No no feed from Roth. Gotta figure it out and use that oil as it's been in that tank for 2 years. Air lock? Will try disconnecting both ends and push air for clean out. Did a pebble slip in when the dog bumped my arm? Will find out when it stops raining. In the mean time, air lock? And if yes how too fix? Thx….thoughts?

Comments

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,260

    The the top feed on the Roth needs to be bleed extra to remove all the air in the loop to create a siphon …

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    Miata
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,351

    Start off by turning off the two outside tanks. Make sure they are really and truly off. Now. Can you prime the burner pump from the Roth? If not, you have a vacuum leak somewhere in that line and that needs to be found and fixed.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    HVACNUT
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,526

    Chances are you have a bad flare between the Roth and where it connects to the new system.

    But you may have another issue. With 3 tanks connected and the two old tanks being gravity feed and all tanks turned on the burner is probably going to pull from the old tanks as they are gravity feed and not from the Roth that needs a vacuum to get the flow started. Oil like electricity will take the path of least resistance

  • BDR529
    BDR529 Member Posts: 350

    Handy homeowner strikes again

    ChrisJ
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 11,032
    edited September 18
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1865155#Comment_1865155

    Not nice. This is called HeatingHelp.com. I don't see how your statement helps

    Tom indicated that there are some different possibilities …and some others.

    • Dirt fell into the fuel line during assembly
    • Leaking flare connection
    • Leaking pipe thread connection
    • The draw tube inside the Roth tank is not below the liquid and is just drawing air.
    • There is no draw tube inside the Roth tank
    • The Roth tank valve (that looks like a miniature hand pump handle) is in the off position.
    • There is a pinhole in the copper tubing between the tank and the tigerloop.

     I have a concern about your three tank descriptions.  This could be a recipe for disaster.   You may have it under control, but some day you may be on vacation, or in the hospital or just too old, and someone will “do you a favor” that does not understand how you have the tanks arranged.  They will open a valve and you will have all the oil from the outside tanks siphon into the roth tank.  Please tell me “that all the tanks are at the same level”  otherwise you may have this condition:

    Screenshot 2025-09-17 at 9.40.58 AM.png

    Of course if you have this setup, you are smart enough to never have all three fuel line valves open so the oil in the higher tanks can gravity flow into the lower tank then spill out thru the vent onto the ground.   I just wonder if your helpers will know that if you are not there for some reason when they do you a big favor and order two full tanks of oil so your pipes don't freeze while you are hospitalized …. you know what they say about no good deed

    Edward Young Retired

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

    HeatingHelp.comChrisJ
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,526

    @EdTheHeaterMan

    Not sure about this one. Obviously if the tanks are at different elevations as you drew it it will be a disaster.

    If the tanks are on the same level, I can't make up my mind.

    The burner pump runs and creates a pressure lower than atmospheric. All 3 tanks are under the same higher atmospheric pressure.

    So does it make any difference if one is top fed?

    Think I made up my mind, if the top feed line is full of oil and air tight I guess it makes no difference

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,989

    The Roth tank is new but the fuel in it is 2 years old? And why three tanks? The two outside aren't even twinned? Got a Push/Pull Pump?

  • HeatingHelp.com
    HeatingHelp.com Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 171
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1865155#Comment_1865155

    @BDR529, please follow site rules and be respectful of others. Thanks.

    Forum Moderator

    ChrisJEdTheHeaterMan
  • BDR529
    BDR529 Member Posts: 350

    Why is anyone entertaining tanks at different levels? But will draw the line with sarcasm.

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