fuel oil tank

Help!!! We have our heating oil fuel tank located in the back of our garage. For the last several years, our fuel oil company has filled it with no problem. Last year, the delivery driver left a note on his delivery card that he would not fill the tank until we ran a line from the tank to the outside of the house. My husband did this. I couldn't say for sure how he did it, but the line goes from tank to a capped off pipe to pour the fuel oil in. This was done with pvc pipe and it is about 7' from the ground up, attached to the outside of the garage. It makes sense to me to have it high for the fuel to travel at least

10 feet to the tank. After numerous calls to our fuel oil company, they finally came and filled the tank yesterday. NOW the delivery driver says AGAIN that they will not deliver until we lower the fill pipe and replace it with iron pipe. Is it necessary to use iron pipe and if we lower the pipe, won't that restrict the flow of fuel being poured in? I don't mean to sound ignorant, I just want to do what is right and get this straightened out once and for all. Any information you can provide would be most appreciated. Thank you Terri
Reply to
terri
Loading thread data ...

diesel fuel (fuel oil) degrades plastic. It needs to be black iron. Not galvanized. I assume this is an in ground tank? And if the man wants it lower, then frikkin lower it. It's his problem to fill it, not yours.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Guessing here but I think if it is at a steep angle and large enuff pipe the fuel wo'nt be restricted,,why not just ask the delivery guy or company for specs? On Your cars' gas tank the fill pipe diameter is much larger than the gas pumps' nozzel and is at a steep angle.. Dean

Reply to
Dean

Ask them to send someone out to look it over and discuss it with you personally. If they are reluctant to do so, tell them you'll put in a heat pump. If they continue to give you problems, find another oil company.

Do seriously consider their recommendations. 500 gallons of oil on the ground is a bad thing.

-rev

Reply to
The Reverend Natural Light

Iron pipe is a must. I don't know how high he wants it, but they should be able to tell you what height is best for them. Honestly, 7' is kind of silly. How would you pump gas into your car if the filler extended that high? I would want the maximum about 4' or so. The pipe should also be a size at least as large as the connection on the tank. It may require a standard cap on the end also.

As for filling in the garage, there are many new regulations for handling hazardous materials and there is a lot of liability for them to take an oil hose into a building. It should have been piped outside when originally installed. This is being done for your safety as well as the oil company.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Reply to
terri

For guidance ONLY, check this site and read about installation...YMMV

formatting link

Reply to
cavedweller

The opening of the pipe is 7 feet above the ground? What am I missing?

Reply to
mm

Another thing you might consider is another supplier. There's usually several in the area, and you should be price checking them anyway.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Yes, any filler ant vent pipe should be black iron pipe and well sealed so the PVC is certainly out of the picture. Remove all the PVC and call another fuel company to see if they will deliver to the inside. Of course you should have a vent pipe to the outside anyway, do you? I'm not sure about any code regarding filling the tank in the garage, but if nothing else I'm sure they are worrying about a few issues with that set up. You may have to just go with running iron pipe to the outside, ask the fuel dealer(s) exactly what they want to see before you do anything so you don't do a bunch of work again for nothing.

Reply to
jackson

Very good link. The installation manual says it all -- talks about what material the fill pipe must be made of (wrought iron, steel, brass), and that the fill pipe shall not be more than 3 feet above ground level.

Reply to
BETA-32

of the pipe is 7 feet above the ground? What am I

The same thing I am apparently. What no-one has mentioned in this thread is the obvious.

_The filler opening at the truck end has to be higher than the tank_. Assuming the delivery truck is sitting on the same level as the tank and the tank will be at least 5 ft high, then a reasonable slope to the pipe will put it at around 7ft over 20 or 30 ft run.

Definitely a case of talking to the company and getting their recommendations.

Oddly, I moved my tank about 25 years years, asked them then, "PVC is fine". Used it and haven't had any problems (yet).

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

That many drivers would have to bring a stepladder to hook on, reach the fill lever and listen to the tank whistle. Given the picture that I visualize the driver probably has to park on the driveway to have enough hose to pull around the house.

Bill

Reply to
Berkshire Bill

It is also helpful if the fill-spout is somewhere where the truck driver doesn't have to climb a ladder to get to it. 7' up seems excessive.

Reply to
Goedjn

fill-spout is somewhere

And if that is where it has to be to provide slope to the tank? Point is that physics may require it and nothing can be done to modify it. That is why the oil company needs to talk with the owner over the problem to see if they can come to a meeting of the minds.

I may be that the tank is lower than the driveway level or that the slope he used to install was excessive. Not enough information in the OP to tell.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.