[greenfieldja]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I hope some folks can help me out.

I am in the US military stationed in Belgium working for NATO. My wife and I are renting a house here that is heated by oil.

The oil delivery company told us that we needed to add a whistle to our tank or they would not deliver again.

I bought a vent whistle and have researched how it works and where it should go. I originally thought it would screw onto the opening of the vent pipe on the outside of the house but my research shows that it should be mounted on the tank and the vent pipe mounted to the whistle.

My problem is both the vent pipe and the fill pipe are welded to the top of the tank instead of being screwed to a threaded fitting.

There is threaded fitting where the oil level gauge attaches that I believe I can attach the whistle to but then I will not have a gauge. Also, it may not be possible for the delivery person to hear the whistle as the tank is the basement of the house and the vent and fill pipes are on the side of the house...so I don't think that is the best solution though it might be.

Can I/should I cut the cord on my gauge and run the cord from the float up through the center of the whistle's tube and then tie the ends of the cord together and then screw the gauge to the top of the hardware the whistle is fitted into?

Any suggestions on how to install this correctly given the scenario?

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

-jeff

 

[beenthere]

Post pics of the tank where fill and vent the pipes are attached. Also a pic of the vent whistle you got.

 

[Guywithskills]

The whistle is to be heard while the delivery guy is filling, while filling, it vents air and whistle can be heard, whistle stops when fuel fills to cover whistle. The vent needs to be vented to outside and near fill pipe, the whistle can be heard very clear; like an old ship communication system.
Since it is welded, you can buy a 4-6" long threaded black pipe that matches existing diameter. Cut the nipple in half, screw each half (with teflon tape on threads 3 layers thick) into the whistle. Hacksaw out this whistle unit length from vent. Use fuel rated hose and dbl hose clamps on both ends of hose. 8 clamps total. This is automotive fuel filler hose (2 - 2" pieces.). Put whistle just above tank, so it goes quiet as soon as tank is full. Not that much expansion of fuel when minimal temp extremes.

 

[Guywithskills]

I mean 2- 4or 5" long pieces so u have 2" lap onto each side of pipe connection.

 

[Fuzzy]

Hold on now... we are talking about family and frends at risk here

I know this is an old post but this is a life safety concern.

1. Never use anything which will burn or melt in a fuel tank system.

2. When installed, the vent alarm's tube must extend down into the tank so that the fuel will block the tube when the tank is 90% full. For a UL80 vertical obround 275 gallon tank, the tube has to extent 6.25 inches into the tank.

3. The vent can only be used as a gauge if it is manufactured to do both.

The tank is installed in a manner which limits your choices to gauge alarms. Not vent alarms.

One such is a 918-TCP0500 alarm by Morrison Brothers. Sadly, it is more than $500 USD. I don't work for them.

Others are: "Hytek Battery Tank Alarm Kits With Relays";
"Battery Powered Overfill Alarm For Steel Tanks £67.87";
"Fuel Tank Alarm - Bund/Overfill/High Low Level Alarm (Battery Operated) Product Code: SWS1000 / SWS1001£137.70";
"PETRO Overfill Alarm EXE Rated / Intrinsically Safe"(sounds good), and;
"Atkinson Equipment Over-Fill Alarms"

I don't know anything about the companies or products.