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Just spent a happy few hours fixing our elderly HRM Starflow 50/85, turns out they don't run when the oil pump is full of gunk.
Went looking for the oil filter, turns out there isn't one. Or a non return valve. Or a fire stop. Or a shut off valve.
So, I'll be sorting that lot out, the only issue I have is the tank is lower than the burner and so when I have fitted the bits I'll need to draw oil up the pipe to prime the system. The proper hand pumps cost around £100, is there a cheaper alternative? I have a compressor and could make a bung for the tank to push the oil up, I also have an engine oil sucker thing which I could adapt to fit but I don't know if it has enough suck as it were.
Any ideas?
At a previous rental house, the tank was quite a long way away, the gauge broken and the dipstick not very accurate and the feed pipe in the tank positioned too high - resulting on the maintenance guy lying on the ground sucking the pipe to the boiler to remove an airlock 🤢 after it had been filled
Cheap rubber bulb type hand pump. Few quid on ebay.
Similar problem at our old place, though the was tank higher then boiler, pipe run had an high spot that air-locked if the tank ran to empty. A BSP threaded airline fitting (3/8"? female BSP to hose tail if I recall correctly) connected to hand pump input hose.
Oil feed tap closed, unbolt the flexy oil line at the burner pump inlet, screw to the hand pump, valve open, quickly pump through a pint or so of oil to clear the airlock, close valve, reconnect flexy to burner pump, open valve, fire the beast up!
I've got a petrol/diesel bulb primer pump, if that has got enough oomph that would be a better bet than sucking on it!
Yep primer bulb....
You could presure the tank but I'd be concerned about spliting it.
I'm amazed that something with such a small volume will work, but don't get me wrong, I'm also very glad!
£140 to Fuel Dump should see me right. Imagine, a filter, a stop tap, a fire stop! Luxury!
Wouldn't the line self prime if the oil level is above the pump inlet anyway?
Obvs if the oil level in the tank is low then it's going to be tricky, but should be fine with half a tank.
You definitely need the filter but surely there a stop tap on the tank outlet?
The tank is lower than the burner, so the oil has to go uphill to get burned.
You are assuming the installation was done by someone competent, but there is no stop tap at the tank, there are the remains of a fire stop but there is not one connected now, all I'm doing is getting it to some semblance of normal!
Edit. I'll be doing the servicing* and repairs, so by fitting a stop tap at the boiler end I'll be making my life easier in the future.
*A mate with the relevant kit and training will do the combustion tests.
When I was doing heating we always fitted a Tigerloop to lines from tank to boiler. Don't ask me how because I'm not sure I understand myself but somehow they help in situations where the tank is lower than the boiler. Maybe preventing air bubbles and losing prime, or reducing the amount of oil the pump needs to supply? If you don't have one fitted then I think new ones have to be non-flammable material, i.e. metal body, so don't bother with all the clear plastic ones you see for sale.
Could you prime it from the pump end with a bottle of oil... Push the airlocks into the tank?
If you don’t have one fitted then I think new ones have to be non-flammable material, i.
Isn't that an anticipated (2023) update to the bs rather than current.
Seems overkill given the tank it's self is manufactured of a combustible material.....
The tank is lower than the burner, so the oil has to go uphill to get burned.
You said. But if the actual oil level is above the pump inlet then oil should still flow to it unaided - it stops when the oil level in the tank drops to the level of the pump inlet. It's all about the 'head'.
+1 for the tiger loop - no idea how they work but you should fit one as they also help lift the oil when the tank is below the pump.
I'd be surprised if there was no stop tap on the tank - I thought tanks came with them fitted.
by fitting a stop tap at the boiler end I’ll be making my life easier in the future.
Why? I do my own servicing and at no point in the last 20 years have I needed a tap at the boiler end - maybe that's because the tank has a stop tap - but I can't remember ever disconnecting the fuel line. How are you going to fit the filter without a tank stop tap (or an empty tank)?
You will appreciate a stop tap at the tank when the copper fuel line corrodes and you can't stop a ton of kerosene contaminating your property.
The top of the tank is below the bottom of the burner, tiger loop already fitted and the tank just goes straight to pipe, no valve. If anyone knows how to fit a stoptap to a tank half full then I'm all ears as I agree with @Scienceofficer. The whole setup is very Heath Robinson, the previous owner's son in law did the "servicing" and that's the root cause of the issues.
If you have a tiger loop and it's needing bled.
Something else is wrong.
Tiger loops are self priming to around 30ft head.
The top of the tank is below the bottom of the burner
Ahhh!
Stop tap on tank: run oil right down, disconnect pipe and tip tank up to fit tap?
@sharkbait that's where I'm at! Have to whack the heating up for a month or two...
Sorted!
Fitted all the above parts, which let me see the air leak....
Turned out the 6mm x 3/8" fitting had a stripped thread (another inherited problem) and no-one locally keeps 6mm stuff.
So sleeved the pipe with some 8mm, new 8x10 fitting and yay!
Primed the system from the pump end of the vacuum pipe with my car engine oil extractor (worked a treat, can create a whoosh of pressure which cleared the gunk out of the pipe, then emptied and cleaned the filter, redid process until clear fuel arrived. Then primed with a lower vacuum and a high loop of clear hose, the bubbles burst in the pipe but you don't suck gallons of fuel out).
Burner started first time, 5 minutes later no bubbles in the filter or the tiger loop, burner sounding smoother than ever.
It even started this morning! Off with the slow group at the cycling club to celebrate.