My ex lives on Long Island , and her furnace quit . She called me to talk her through fixing it , and she was able to find the filter and change it , which got it going . Now she needs to drain the water out of the tank , and she says there isn't any drain plug on it. Can that be right ? She says she replaced the tank 6 years ago .
- Thread starter Dalex
- Start date
Yeah, I think it's typical for a basement fuel tank to have only one "bung" at or near the bottom, which is probably used to feed the furnace (unless it's a 2-line system with the appropriate fitting at the top of the tank.
She can either use a length of hose and siphon off of the bottom, are (if she is able) use up the fuel in the tank, prop up the far end a little, and drain it through the valve, after disconnecting the fuel line.
She can either use a length of hose and siphon off of the bottom, are (if she is able) use up the fuel in the tank, prop up the far end a little, and drain it through the valve, after disconnecting the fuel line.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
The oil tanks I'm familiar with have the drain on the side of tank about 1 above the bottom. Had a very old tank. The bottom of the tank had over 5 gallons of sludge. Tank was outside. One summer while empty,I removed bung holes on top, tipped the tank a little, used a pressure washer with a rotary nozzle and flushed the sludge out. What a mess. Then I had to use the wicking action of a rag to pull the water out of the tank. Stuck wet rag in drain hole so on the inside rag was touching the bottom. A week later, all the water had been pulled out of the tank by the rag.
I wondering in your Ex's case if there isn't something she can add to bond the water with the fuel. Like ethanol bonds to water and to gas and in small amounts burns in an engine.
I wondering in your Ex's case if there isn't something she can add to bond the water with the fuel. Like ethanol bonds to water and to gas and in small amounts burns in an engine.
Fawteen
Well-known Member
- Location
- Downeast Maine
I just went through the process of replacing my oil tank due to a leak.
The old tank had the feed connection on the end, about an inch off the bottom.
The new tank has the feed connection coming out the bottom via an ell.
I talked to my furnace guy about that. According to him the deal now is that they want whatever water/condensation that collects in the tank to be caught by the filter and/or burned by the furnace instead of building up in the bottom of the tank.
Neither of the tanks had a drain plug.
The old tank had the feed connection on the end, about an inch off the bottom.
The new tank has the feed connection coming out the bottom via an ell.
I talked to my furnace guy about that. According to him the deal now is that they want whatever water/condensation that collects in the tank to be caught by the filter and/or burned by the furnace instead of building up in the bottom of the tank.
Neither of the tanks had a drain plug.
When we cured tobacco with oil we had one tank that had problems with water getting in. The supplier would come by if we had problems and bring a vacuum cleaner that you could change the hose to blow air. He would run a hose to the bottom close to the outlet, then put the hose from the vacuum cleaner (blowing end) and pack some rags around the both so it would build up some pressure. It would send the water up the drain hose in to a bucket and when he saw oil in the bucket he would stop. Had to do that once a year. Worked every time.
Mark - IN.
Well-known Member
Changing the filter is about it. As for a drain plug, think about it for a second. When you take the drain plug out of something, what happens? Imagine pulling the drain plug out of a two or three hundred gallon tank with the weight of two or three hundred gallons of fuel oil at about 8 lbs per gallon trying to...drain. She's probably in good shape until next year. The frozen water in her old filter was condensation. Is there more in the tank? Probably. Enough to fill and freeze the filter again? Probably not until next year after the tank sets all spring, summer, and fall. Decades back I lived in a home that too used fuel oil and had the same problem annually. I'd mix Howes or PowerSource in the tank since fuel oil and diesel are said to be the same.
Good luck.
Mark
Good luck.
Mark
Cory Schmidt
Well-known Member
Of all the ones that got cut up for "projects" and/or scrap here, I don't ever recall a drain. The only thing on the bottom was the hole for the fuel line to the appliance. Can't help you about how to get water out.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
Think about it for a minute, The bottom of the tank is acting like a sediment bowl collecting all the crap and water in the tank. #2 diesel has a lot of crap that will accumulate over the years. You don't want to drain off the bottom, that's why the oil is taken higher on the side of tank. Not sure if anyone can clean tank. May want to install a larger oil filter to catch the crap. I'm just glad I got rid of my oil furnaces decades ago. Where I live, It's hard to get anyone to repair them. I hate getting the diesel on my hands, clothes, sometimes on the floor when working on the. Smells for days.
Charles in Aus.
Well-known Member
When I was a boy, more years ago than I care to reveal the ''tank man '' would come to school to remove the sludge from the one room country school house's drinking water tank .
He had a small funnel on the end of a hose and tied to a long rod , this went to the bottom , once the siphon started he ' vacuumed' the bottom . Two or three buckets of sludge and very little water later the tanks were clean . Same thing might work for the fuel tank .
Years later I bought that same school house , it celebrates the 100th year anniversary of its opening today , the first day of school for the year for young Victorians .
He had a small funnel on the end of a hose and tied to a long rod , this went to the bottom , once the siphon started he ' vacuumed' the bottom . Two or three buckets of sludge and very little water later the tanks were clean . Same thing might work for the fuel tank .
Years later I bought that same school house , it celebrates the 100th year anniversary of its opening today , the first day of school for the year for young Victorians .
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