outdoor aboveground oil tank -- sludge?

[casturbo]

Originally posted by heaterman61
....If you swap a burner, a tank, or a boiler you need a new line.

In my opinion, installing a new line with the new boiler/furnace is smart. It adds little cost to the overall replacement and who wants a new boiler/furnace sucking on dirty line? Should the new unit have any issues drawing off the old line, you'll have to go back and take care of it...FOC, of course.

[sfry]

if you live in a very cold climate, have kerosene not fuel oil in your outside tank. over 20 years not a bad idea to replace tank. water in tank, outside fitler should be on low side of tank, so water can be drained out. get a gerber filter, or something good. run out of oil lines hsould be blown out, new nozzel, oil filter and strainer, most companies don't do all that. keep tank full in the summer

[casturbo]

Originally posted by sfry
if you live in a very cold climate, have kerosene not fuel oil in your outside tank.

Yes, kerosend works, but is soooo very expensive. Like $2.30 a gallon where I'm at. Plus, if you run just kerosene in the winter but then fill up with #2 fuel oil the rest of the year, the burner runs way too lean with kero, very inefficient. There is less BTU in a gallon of kero too, compared to fuel oil...so you need to burn all that much more expensive kero in place of #2 to do the same work. But it don't gel up like #2, but if there is water in the tank, kero or not, it will freeze up.

Originally posted by sfry
....water in tank, outside fitler should be on low side of tank, so water can be drained out. get a gerber filter, or something good...

Never install a filter outside. Filters are a collection point for water and in the winter the filter will freeze rock solid. If you got an outside tank, filter needs to be inside, usually at the burner.

A Garber filter is an excellent secondary filter, but never a primary. They filter so well they will plug in no time used as the only filter, especially on an older tank. [/B][/QUOTE]

[sfry]

would you rather your filter freeze or the parts of the entire oil line freeze. tourch the filter and the tank valve and the oil will usually start to flow again. i've had some where you replace the whole line b/c you can't get the ice blown out, and who knows where it is hiding. outside tanks in cold climates are not the ideal place for them, but many times no choice. you can make a point for many setups for and outside oil tank and they will all have a problem of sorts.

kero is expensive, but compared to the whole tank jelling, it is very cheap. a mix is really the way to go if it is offered. changing from one to another depending on season could be bad, a cold snap in the spring or fall can give you problems.

if you have a gerber filter and it plugs up real quick then you have a major sludge problem. have used them many times with great sucess.

[Edited by sfry on 02-20-2005 at 12:58 PM]

[simpleman]

I once arrive at a service call,when I was coming down the road i could see out in the middle of the field was a oil tank on fire.just happen to be the house that call for no heat.I asked what happen,the old man said I was out there with the touch trying to unthraw the filter.

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by simpleman
I once arrive at a service call,when I was coming down the road i could see out in the middle of the field was a oil tank on fire.just happen to be the house that call for no heat.I asked what happen,the old man said I was out there with the touch trying to unthraw the filter.

And how did that make him feel????LOL.

[indian]

Originally posted by simpleman
I once arrive at a service call,when I was coming down the road i could see out in the middle of the field was a oil tank on fire.just happen to be the house that call for no heat.I asked what happen,the old man said I was out there with the touch trying to unthraw the filter.I understand oil, only wish I could have been there...what a sight!

[simpleman]

I wished you were there to engine..you could teach me how
to make those cool smoke signal.

[cashug]

Hi,

Thanks for all the information.

I found out that my outside tank was installed in 1998. A few more questions: I read somewhere that it's a good idea to get rid of the water and sludge yearly. Is it possible for my oil company to clean out my tank? They've been telling me it's old and I need a replacement but until last Friday I couldn't tell them for sure how old it was.

I been seeing you all been talking about unprotected oil lines. Are you talking about underground lines or above ground? Mine goes from the bottom of the tank to the foundation wall (about 18 inches) and then along the top of the crawlspace wall to the furnace which is upstairs. Is that ok? the only protection that I see is some pipe insulation on the outside portion.

Thanks again!