Help - anyone got oil drums and pump?

[Jam_s160]

Okay folks, oil heating stopped working, oil tank ran out and we took delivery to fill it up today. However despite all efforts to get oil flowing from the tank to the outside fire valve has failed. I fear running our tank empty by accident has allowed debris to to create a blockage. I think I need to pump out the oil into some drums and see what / where the blockage has occurred from the tank.

Anyone got spare oil drums and suitable pump? In Aberdeenshire are?

Long shot! But thought I would ask

Cheers
James

[thinfourth]

1 one IBC and 1 pump

South of stonehaven


BUT

You should have an isolation valve on the oil tank outlet which is unlikely to block

Also you are unlikely to pump out the crud in the bottom of the tank as it is at least 2 inches below the outlet


>dons cowboy boots<

Get the wife and send her to the shops

get hoover preferably of the bagless type with a lovely clear container so you can watch your dust sin round and roundand empty it

Get duct tape

Remove oil feed to boiler

Attach hoover to oil line

Switch on hoover

Watch through the clear crud catcher for oil to appear

Stop hoover

Refit everything

>removes cowboy boots<

[Super7]

I like your style thinfourth!

[Jam_s160]

Now that's a possible solution indeed... Tomorrow morning I will be trying all sorts to figure it out before resorting to emptying. I genuinely have an old dyson in my garage that could do the trick!

[C7Steve]

Now that's a possible solution indeed... Tomorrow morning I will be trying all sorts to figure it out before resorting to emptying. I genuinely have an old dyson in my garage that could do the trick!

Remember the cowboy boots too Jamie


Steve.

[kerryxeg]

A few more ideas for you as I've had to sort out similar for friends.

From your tank you should have an isolation valve then a filter. the filter can get dirty which makes it more difficult for the line to the boiler to fill. If your line was emptied it may not self fill i.e. may need to be primed, I've used a pressure sprayer pump attached to the line to fill. you may also have a second filter close to the boiler, again if its not been cleaned it may be difficult to get the line to refill. Finally the boiler will have some air so it can take many attempt to restart before it will finally be pulling 100% oil.

If the line has emptied there are a number of issues which cause blockage like problems, I'd work through them as systematically as possible.

[Jam_s160]

thinfourth - your cowboy boots worked! a couple on seloc also recommended this route

so heres my cross post

Well at 6.30am this morning (mainly because the kids woke me up at 5.30am) I trundled outside with my head torch on. Once again disconnecting the oil line coming out of the ground to the fire stop safety valve. No oil naturally flowing. With my cowboy hat on... I opted to go for the vacuum solution first before trying the compressor route. Out came the karcher from my garage and gaffa taped the oil line to the karcher flexible tube.

Press on... suction initiated

45 secs later we strike oil!... then i let it flow into a bucket to make sure no more gunk or air.

Happy days...

Reassembled everything carefully, then bled the remaining pipe through to the boiler in the house.

Press on... heating and hotwater is restored

Happy days...

My karcher vacuum needs a good clean but it will live again

Thanks for all the advice folks, I would never have connected a vacuum or thought of the compressor route.

Seloc & Scottish Elises at their best

[C7Steve]

Nice one Jamie


Steve.

[douglasgdmw]

We have one of these fitted to our oil tank so that we know when it is running low and have to re-order:

http://www.sensor-systems.com/products/ ... sonic.aspx

Absolute godsend as our tank would always be running dry if we did not have one of these.

George

[tut]

Absolutely backs up the difference between men and women.

"Woman", get the man in.

"Man", fcuk off not paying for that.

"Woman", you will make it worse.

"Man", no chance, I have S_E, they can sort out anything.

Been there, seen it, done it.

tut

[tut]

We had the same George, at our rate of consumption in TT we were filling up 3,000l very eight weeks so the electronic gauge was essential, so in twenty years we never ran out.

I left it behind for the buyer of TT which was a pity, as if I had known he was a twat at the time I would have given it to James.

tut

[Jam_s160]

We have one of these fitted to our oil tank so that we know when it is running low and have to re-order:

http://www.sensor-systems.com/products/ ... sonic.aspx

Absolute godsend as our tank would always be running dry if we did not have one of these.

George

We also have one fitted and actually said our tank was half full, hence not worrying about filling up. Seems it was sending the wrong information

I put some new batteries in just in case again this morning

[Jam_s160]

Absolutely backs up the difference between men and women.

"Woman", get the man in.

"Man", fcuk off not paying for that.

"Woman", you will make it worse.

"Man", no chance, I have S_E, they can sort out anything.

Been there, seen it, done it.

tut

To be fair on Georgie... I was actually away yesterday in Denmark and she totally got in their via multiple Skype calls and I guided her to check everything, disconnect the oil lines and reassemble things over the call. Very impressed

[douglasgdmw]

We had the same George, at our rate of consumption in TT we were filling up 3,000l very eight weeks so the electronic gauge was essential, so in twenty years we never ran out.

Blimey I never realised Tut Towers used that much !!!

We were using about 100l every 8-12 days last winter (and even less in the summer). Hoping it will last even longer this winter now we have decent insulation in the attic and getting new double glazing sash/case windows in the front of the old house.

George