Oil Tank Fill lines

Originally Posted By: anatol polillo
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Hello,


I did an inspection this morning in Baltimore Md. The house originally had an oil fired boiler which had been replaced with a gas forced hot air furnace. The tank had been removed, but the filler and vent pipe for the tank were still installed. I thought to avoid a major oil spill, they were required to remove these pipes. Of course, I advised the client to have them removed.


Anatol

sorry just realized, probably in the wrong forum, but I don't know how to move it.


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: arosenbaum
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Or put a sign that says “NOT IN USE ANYMORE”


j/k... but cement works, too... and a lot easier if they are hard to move (which most times they are)....


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: dfrend
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This is actually pretty common in the Baltimore area.



Daniel R Frend


www.nachifoundation.org


The Home Inspector Store


www.homeinspectorstore.com

Originally Posted By: dsmith1
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It’s happened in my area that a basement was filled with oil because the delivery man went to the wrong address. I agree in recommending that they be removed, your covered if the same thing should happen.


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: jmyers
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I like the concrete idea! There is this vision of the oil man gettting blasted with oil. Bet ya he gets the right address the next time!


Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Kevin,


Having delivered a few gallons here and there myself, I must say that you must be all of 100 pounds soaking wet. I have dragged enough hoses across lawns to know you really made that sound terribly difficult.

Maybe you don't have hills over there! ![icon_cool.gif](upload://oPnLkqdJc33Dyf2uA3TQwRkfhwd.gif)

Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Kevin,


Keep your shorts on! I was just razzing you. Of course your story meant a hill of beans, how much did you want it to mean? ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)

We get lots of snow around here which makes the pull much harder, since you really can't get any good footing in the ice and snow.

Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: dkeogh
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Oil fill pipes should always be removed if they are no longer in use. In PA the fill pipes must be steel or iron no copper. And now some of the new fill trucks have more pressure and the vent pipe needs to be 2" ID the same as the fill pipe. Some of the suppliers in my area are charging $700 to change the pipes.


Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Dan,


No copper? Where did you pull that from?

Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: kluce
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Originally Posted By: dkeogh
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PA Dept. Labor and Industry


Bureau of Occupational and Industrial safety


Title 37 The Flammable and Combustible Liquids Handbook


Section 13.52


This went into effect Oct. 1998

To answer to your question is a speaker from a local oil company came to my NAHI Chapter meeting a few months ago and shared this information with us.

The issue is fire. Oil can only exposed when it is in a vapor.

Basement fire heats oil in oil tank until it steams. Heat from basement fire melts solder on copper pipes. BOOM! At least that what I've been told.

So for above ground tanks in basements its steel or nodular iron.


Originally Posted By: rcooke
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Last year I changed from oil to gas . I did most of the work and had a gas fitter do the gas piping . He would not put in the gas pipe till I had removed the oil fill and vent . He also would not put his name on the certificate till I had cemented the gap around the gas furnace exhaust. He claimed it is code here in Canada . Sounds good to me a great way to avoid oil on the floor . It also makes sure the gas exhaust is firm and locked in place . Roy Cooke sr Brighton Ont Canada.


Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Dan,


Mine is copper, no leaks which is much more than you can say for steel and iron and I certainly won't be changing it anytime soon. That sounds like a pretty far stretch bringing the department of labor and industry flamable material regulations into this industry. Would they not have more to do with worker safety in work place (industrial) than in the residence?

Further, it is my opinion that a fire in a house with an exposed oil tank is prone to BLOW UP anyway, no matter which material is used to fill and vent said tank.

Dan, have you been working too hard? ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)

Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Kevin,


Sorry dude, I did not mean to strike that already wired nerve. Like I said, I was just razzing you. Maybe I should keep my opinion to myself since I am a pretty opinionated person too! ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)

Tell them to restock their own freezer, since they were stupid enough to put it on GFCI protection!

Just a friendly inspector hint for future reference. Trip all the GFCI's next time and check to make sure the refrigerators and freezers are not on the same circuit. If they are make sure you inform the client, or you will be getting one of those calls from them when they come home to a frig full of rotten food.

If it makes you feel better, call me some names or shout some obscenities my way. I can assure you I have been called a lot worse by people I have known even less!

Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: dkeogh
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The PA Dept. Labor and Industry has jurisdiction over flammable liquids. That just the way it is. Copper pipes wouldnt leak unless the solder melts. And many oil companies inspect oil tanks before they fill for new customers as per NORA recommendations. Also NORA does not recommend copper pipes.


I think the point is you want your client to be informed about possible issues before they buy the house. As long as they know the issues you've done your job. You don't want your client to buy a home and find out latter that there oil company wants modification to the tank in order to fill it.


Also Joe keep in mind that copper pipes are much thinner then iron or steel.