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You pour it in the tank, it's like the same thing as a fuel additive for your car or truck. Plumbing supply place should carry it. Maybe Home Depot or Lowes too, but I prefer to get it from the same place the pro's go.
What, exactly, is it called...do you have a brand name too ?
Thanks very much ! The puff back was 8 months of HORROR ! Between the insurance company and the vendors, it was a NIGHTMARE ! I don't want to repeat it !
Repair people must be idiots then...
If tank is full of sludge, it will have to be cleaned, however, most likely the filter is completely clogged or the feed tube has an obstruction or blockage. It'sa very simple maintenance procedure to get the burner to kick on. If it is a serious sludge build up problem then you will have intermittant problems with the burner not firing as the feed tube picks up sludge chunks.
If the repair company already serviced the burner(new filter, blow out line, new nozzle, etc)and it is still not firing, then you probabally have another issue going on.
If there is just a blockage or clogged filter, the burner should at least try to start and then kick off(trips the reset button). If nothing at all is happening then it is most likely an electrical or mechanical issue and not a sludge problem.
We have a 550 gal tank, too, old and underground. We had it vacuumed several times without success, and still need to turn off the burner and free-standing hot water oil heater for AT LEAST 6 hours! Otherwise, as we had happen in the past when we did not follow this practice, we would lose both domestic hot water and radiant heat because of sludge clogging in the valves and filter. This has been a ongoing challenge--we tried to change the tanks but Village ordinances said "no"--none in the basement and none facing an adjacent house or street. Maybe time for gas heating? It seems to be my only solution, as I am also terrified of developing a leak-then what!
i had my tank cleaned out and did the maintenance. I have not done the maintenance this year and the tank went close to empty. I got it filled to 194 gallons and still no clogs or problems. They also put zinc balls inside the tank for the rust. There is no problems... yet!
makes sense... my Meenan guy would question whether I just got a delivery whenever my burner stopped working (usually filter)... wasn't always the case that I got a delivery but the point is that they infer it can happen.
I don't turn it off but perhaps I should - problem is the delivery trucker comes and goes in stealth mode.
Would it help if you have a bottom feeder from the oil tank to the burner ? Gravity feeds it now, and there is no return line, there was one before as it was an underground tank. I put a new above ground tank and the install guys said that it (bottom feed / gravity feed) was much better because it will never build any sludge (he called it bacteria poop !!)
The little water that trickles down to the bottom of the tank will be burnt by the burner without an issue.
He said take the water due to condensation out of the picture and there is nothing to worry about. No stopping burner during refills etc....
My oil company calls me the day before we get a delivery, reminding us to turn off the burner as they will be coming to do a "big drop! I stay with them because of that courtesy!
Like all misinformed dumb dumbs I have 30 years of trial and many errors. I try to always shut down my boiler before fill! When I traveled we would run out of oil 6 kids and often one kid would get 50 gallons diesel in a barrel I set up for emergency. Over the years because it’s a grade level fill I bet my kids put 10lbs rock and dirt. You most definitely will suck up whatever is in your tank if your boiler kicks on or you turn it on before an hour at least depending on how bad you think your tank is. Your oil follows through a literal pin hole a piece of hair would disrupt the nozzle. I may not be an expert on boilers but I promise I’m a black seal engineer on mine.
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