Originally posted January, 2018

Answers to "Buyer Beware" Code Violations

We had a fair response to our recent quiz about codes violations (See “Buyer Beware” blog, dated December 16, 2016). There were four brave customers who tested their knowledge of Massachusetts oil tank installation codes. One of them came very close to identifying all of the violations, but due to the poor quality of the pictures provided, was unable to see all of them. We gave all of our contestants the 10-cent discount for taking the time to respond.
 
Here are the seven violations or problems that we identified:
 
Oil Tank Leak - The biggest problem with these old oil tanks is that there is a large wet spot on the bottom of the tank on the right, which would indicate that the oil tank is leaking. This is not a code violation, but putting oil into a tank that is suspected of having a leak could lead to a whole host of problems. This is the reason that we inspect oil tanks before delivering to a new customer. The tank on the left also has a wet spot near the bottom, but it was determined to be a slight seeping from around the nipple. We did put oil into that tank with good results thus far.
 
No Vent Alarm (Otherwise Known as a Whistle) - When you look at the picture of the pipes at the top of the tank, the pipes in the foreground (or closest to you) are the vent pipes. It is acceptable for them to be manifolded (or connected together). What is missing are vent alarms, which should be installed into the top of the tanks with the vent pipes coming out from them. Some vent alarms are red, and some are silver, and there are even some that you cannot see that fit into the pipe at the top of the tank. Both tanks must have vent alarms, because it is the best way to ensure that the tank is sealed and that you are actually filling the oil tank and not the cellar. The vent alarm will make a whistling sound as the air escapes past it during the filling process, and when the oil comes up to the level of the whistle, the whistling stops. At this point, the alert deliverer of the oil shuts off the valve to stop the flow of oil. It does not happen automatically like when you are filling the tank on your car with gasoline. Most companies have a “no whistle, no fill policy,” meaning that if the deliverer doesn’t hear a whistle, they must shut off the flow of oil immediately and investigate the cause. How did the previous oil company fill these tanks without overfilling in the past you ask? Deliverers with good hearing and good luck! It is possible to fill a tank by listening and feeling the air escaping from the vent pipe and shutting off the valve when the foam from the oil starts to bubble in the pipe.
 
No Fusible Valves at Oil Tanks - When you look at the bottom of the oil tanks you see valves there, but they are gate valves and not the required fusible valves. Fusible valves are designed to shut off the flow of oil when the temperature near them gets over 165 degrees. This prevents the tank’s oil from coming out and feeding a fire and giving firefighters a reason to visit. You can identify these brass valves by the small silver wheel that can be manually turned off and removed. The most common manufacturer of these valves is a company called Firomatic. You can see one of these valves in the picture just before the oil filter. You should also see one of these valves at the other end of the oil line at or near your oil burner.
 
Unsleeved Oil Line - You can see a coil of copper tubing in the pictures at the bottom of the tanks after the oil filter. This is the oil line, which runs along the floor to the oil burner. It is required that all copper oil line that comes into contact with the earth, stone or cement be encased in a non-metallic sleeve. This sleeve protects the oil line from corrosives that will, over time, cause it to leak. There are alternatives to sleeving an oil line. One is an anti-siphon or OSV valve, which is installed right after the oil filter and will close if a leak develops in the oil line. The other way is to run the oil line overhead without coming into contact with the floor or cement walls. You are eligible to receive pollution coverage from your homeowner’s insurance company if your oil line complies with this code. Many insurance companies are beginning to require it as a condition of their continued coverage.
 
Fill Pipes Improperly Installed - The larger pipes coming from the top of each tank and manifolded in the background are the fill pipes. Current oil burner codes require that the fill pipes be equal to or smaller than the vent pipes, so an equal amount of air can escape and not pressurize the tank when filling. Another thing that is wrong with the way these fill pipes were installed is that there is no way to ensure that each tank gets filled. More oil could have gone into one tank than the other. The installer could have used one fill pipe for each tank or installed one fill pipe to the first tank and a larger crossover pipe into the top of the second tank. This would have saved on one vent alarm and the piping from it.
 
I hope this quiz was interesting and helpful to those who spent the time to look it over and read our answers. You can expect that I will blog when I encounter another situation that customers should know about.

Bob

Originally published January, 2018

What You Should Know About Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors When You Heat With Oil

You probably can’t tell from my picture on the Crowley Fuel website, but I am old enough to remember life before smoke detectors. When they became available I rushed right out and bought them, and I am probably on my sixth or seventh set now. For the safety of yourself and your family, you should have properly-installed smoke and carbon dioxide detectors, and you should always heed the alarms from your safety devices, and leave the building when they go off.
 
Over the years we have received many calls from concerned customers whose carbon monoxide detectors have started beeping. If this is happening to you, and there is a fairly long interval between the beeps, I suggest that you check the date stamped on the bottom. You may find that the CO detector is seven-years old and past its safe and useful life. If the unit is installed in a kitchen or close to a gas or oil-fired appliance, it may also be at the end of its useful life. This happens because the unit is constantly reading low levels of CO, which will use its life up faster. The end-of-life and low-battery alarms are often the same on most CO detectors, so changing the batteries may solve the problem.

Massachusetts codes require that homes must have smoke detectors on every level and CO detectors on every habitable level. For new construction and renovated homes, it is now required to have a smoke detector in every bedroom as well as in the hallways.

Combination units that have both smoke and CO detectors are the best, but don’t buy the cheapest ones! They must talk to tell you what is going on. The voice emitted from the alarm will say smoke (fire) or CO. Whichever message you hear, you must get out of the house. When you call 911, you can let emergency responders know whether it’s a fire or a CO leak. This will help them determine which equipment to bring.

Here are some important things to know:

• CO detectors with a digital read-out with a reset are the best
• Be sure that your detectors will speak to you and tell you what the problem is
• Follow the manufacturers’ specifications when installing your detectors

Most local fire departments will be happy to come into your home and help you figure out where to place your CO and smoke detectors. They love to come in before there is a problem!

Following state codes and having the correct detectors is a very small price to pay for protecting your family and property. Be Safe!

I would like to thank Chief Brad Gannon of the North Brookfield Fire Department for his help in putting this blog together.

Bob