Another oil furnace question
 

Hi,

So apparently when we had our furnace serviced a month ago, the repair man left the fuel petcock for one of our two oil tanks in the off position. As a result, the furnace ran dry after using the oil up in one tank. Normally, it draws from both tanks at once.

Today, I got an oil delivery, bled the air out of the line and now the furnace is up and running.

However, the oil delivery we got filled one tank, but didn't cross over to the other. Normally the two tanks balance when filled, because they have a common fill pipe, and the furnace draws oil from both. What's the deal? How come the oil isn't balancing between the two tanks? How do I get it back to normal?

I dont know if it was necessary, but I shut the petcock off for the empty one so it doesn't suck more air.

Okay, it seems like they are starting to equalize, just very, very slowly.

Observed that same thing at my buddies house, I was checking on it for him while he was away all winter on vaca. Didn't equalize, then finally did. This is a GREAT reason to follow accepted service procedure and BLOW OUT THE LINES periodically. I'm guilty of not doing it enough... S L U D G E

I wonder if a half barrel of bio diesel would clean things up... Just make sure you have a couple of new fuel filters on hand.

I run the furnace at my office on kerosene.

Pricey? Sure. But my tank is outside- so no winter problems. And the furnace, tank and lines stay CLEAN.

More $$ but cheaper long term? Maybe. Plus less worries.

It's real easy... turn off emergency switch, disconnect both ends of the fuel line, stick one end in a gallon jug, blast it from the other end with compressed air, reconnect line, connect catch hose and open bleeder, turn on switch run till clear fuel, close bleeder. Repeat every two years.

How much is K1 in NH? I have a Monitor 30 in my garage, and it's getting hard to find K1 in CT. I paid $5 a gallon at a fuel dealer, which beats the $10 a gallon at Home Despot.:eek1

We are just over $4/gallon.

A lifetime ago I delivered #2 heating oil. If the tanks aren't equalizing you usually have a vent problem. With a common fill, there should be two vents. If the second tank isn't venting or venting really slow, the delivery driver is hearing the first vent close and shuts down the pump thinking they [both tanks] are full. As mentioned, sludge can be a problem but since the tanks feed the system to empty it could cause the slow equalization but not the false full.


First your oil delivery company will probably check the vents for free as they want to sell you oil and it is easier for them to drop 500 gallons twice a season than 250 four times.


Generally next to the fill pipe are the vent lines. Pull the covers and see if critters have taken up residence in the vent, if so, clear and you're done.

Being that I'm from California and have only heated with natural gas...............


AND, being this is ADV and all............................................... ....................


I'm going to take a wild guess............................................. ......................





YOUR FURNACE IS TELLING YOU IT'S TIME TO CHANGE TO SYNTHETIC FURNACE OIL!!!!!











:jump:hide

Why does the East coast heat with oil? We've had natural gas here for 60 years or better. Are there no pipelines in New England?

The road I live on is 350 years old, nothing but rock and clay down there. We have natural gas in the cities... but rural areas not so much.

LOL and at $12 a QUART, I'll sleep better knowing the $100 Sundstrand pump will last 300,000 miles!

I don't understand how people here still have oil burning furnaces, either. I'm in this shitty rental for another week but have refused to fill up the 300 gallon tank with $4/gal kerosene (yeah, gasoline drops but not kero).

I tried earlier in the season just to see what the rate of consumption was. Yeah, I went through 10 gallons in 3 days keeping the house at 70F. Since then, I just purchased one of those small convection burners and seek shelter in the bedroom. It's 20ish outside and about 45 in the rest of the house.

Seriously, two seasons of filling up that tank will literally pay for a new heat pump system and pay itself off in no time.

I was talking with a HVAC guy and the waste oil subject came up and its mainly the old people that insist on fixing that old ineffient oil burner and forget trying to sell them a newer propane unit. I've got a 1699 sgft ranch that cost me 160 to heat last month and would hate to pay for waste oil