What's pukka for jointing fittings (compression and straight threads)
for heating oil? I heard that PTFE tape was not OK. My Purimachos
green stuff says it's OK for oil but I wonder if it'd be that
effective - I don't think it gets thick and sticky over time like the
white stuff.

Also: it's a gravity feed system and it'd be easier to arrange the
pipework with a rise & fall to accomodate the filter and a butterfly
valve, as below:

________
| |
| tank |
|________|--- ___________
| ___?_ | |
| | | | |
-------------------------- ---| appliance |
|___________|

Should I have an air bleed at a high point in the pipework? (the point
marked ?)
Or should I try not to have a fall at all (do-able, but awkward).

tia

Stan the Span

(Stanley Spanner) wrote in message . com...

Also: it's a gravity feed system and it'd be easier to arrange the
pipework with a rise & fall to accomodate the filter and a butterfly
valve, as below:

________
| |
| tank |
|________|--- ___________
| ___?_ | |
| | | | |
-------------------------- ---| appliance |
|___________|

Should I have an air bleed at a high point in the pipework? (the point
marked ?)
Or should I try not to have a fall at all (do-able, but awkward).

I believe that would be fine as youve drawn it. All that matters to
the oil is the relative heights of start and finish, and length of
pipe. Sharp bends would add more resistance to flow. As long as your
high point is below the top of the oil in the tank there is no
problem.


Regards, NT

Grunff wrote in message ...
Stanley Spanner wrote:

What's pukka for jointing fittings (compression and straight threads)
for heating oil? I heard that PTFE tape was not OK. My Purimachos
green stuff says it's OK for oil but I wonder if it'd be that
effective - I don't think it gets thick and sticky over time like the
white stuff.

Compression fittings (all of them, oil, air, water) are exactly
that - they work by compressing metal against metal. The olive
is the thing that makes the seal. There is no need for *any*
goop or tape.

In theory :-)

I usually put some green stuff on even new joints, and always on old
ones - belt & braces.

If you make a compression fitting and it leaks, it's because
either you didn't make it right, or you haven't tightened it enough.

- or there's [been] a bit of grit in the joint, which has scored the
metal surfaces so they don't seal perfectly. (That's with those of us
who don't plumb in clean-room conditions :-)

Huge wrote:

If you make a compression fitting and it leaks, it's because
either you didn't make it right, or you haven't tightened it enough.


.... or too much!

Good point, and it's more easily done with 8mm and 10mm fittings.

... and soft-as-butter fully annealed table Y tube grrr

All my oil compression fittings were made without any joining
compound or tape, and none have leaked.

As for tapers, then PTFE tape is absolutely fine.

What about parallel threads? (The filters and butterfly valves all
have these.)

Normally I'd use PTFE: the panel at Plumb Center reckoned that was out
for oil; but I've just checked Treloar who says "Petroleum resisting
compounds and PTFE tapes which remain slightly plastic make the most
satisfactory joints; hemp and hard-setting jointing compounds should
be avoided". I assume he means PTFE tapes in general, not 'Petroleum
resisting PTFE tapes' as I understand PTFE is pretty inert stuff and I
doubt it would be bothered by heating oil.

OTOH he also says soft soldered joints are out, which means I've got
more &%^* compression joints to make on soft tube :-(

cheers

Stan the Span

Stanley Spanner wrote:

What's pukka for jointing fittings (compression and straight threads)
for heating oil? I heard that PTFE tape was not OK. My Purimachos
green stuff says it's OK for oil but I wonder if it'd be that
effective - I don't think it gets thick and sticky over time like the
white stuff.

Also: it's a gravity feed system and it'd be easier to arrange the
pipework with a rise & fall to accomodate the filter and a butterfly
valve, as below:

________
| |
| tank |
|________|--- ___________
| ___?_ | |
| | | | |
-------------------------- ---| appliance |
|___________|

Should I have an air bleed at a high point in the pipework? (the point
marked ?)
Or should I try not to have a fall at all (do-able, but awkward).

tia

Stan the Span


Compression, but beware that they are weak at the normal pipe diameter.
PTFE tape doesn't work well - use Red Loctite to seal. Try to avoid up
and under routing - you will just have to bleed it - don't put bleed
valves on, just steel yourself and suck the bloody pipe full and then
never ever let it run dry again

N. Thornton wrote:

(Stanley Spanner) wrote in message . com...


Also: it's a gravity feed system and it'd be easier to arrange the
pipework with a rise & fall to accomodate the filter and a butterfly
valve, as below:

________
| |
| tank |
|________|--- ___________
| ___?_ | |
| | | | |
-------------------------- ---| appliance |
|___________|

Should I have an air bleed at a high point in the pipework? (the point
marked ?)
Or should I try not to have a fall at all (do-able, but awkward).


I believe that would be fine as youve drawn it. All that matters to
the oil is the relative heights of start and finish, and length of
pipe. Sharp bends would add more resistance to flow. As long as your
high point is below the top of the oil in the tank there is no
problem.



I used to think so, but it sadly proved not to be the case. I still do
not understand why, but with an arrangement very similar to the above, I
had to suck the bloody stuff through. Total drop of 1.45m over 50 meters
of pipe, and as far as I knew only down underground then up to the
fliter/boiler. All I can sday is that with air in it, it would not flow.




Regards, NT

Huge wrote:

(N. Thornton) writes:

(Stanley Spanner) wrote in message . com...


Also: it's a gravity feed system and it'd be easier to arrange the
pipework with a rise & fall to accomodate the filter and a butterfly
valve, as below:

________
| |
| tank |
|________|--- ___________
| ___?_ | |
| | | | |
-------------------------- ---| appliance |
|___________|

Should I have an air bleed at a high point in the pipework? (the point
marked ?)
Or should I try not to have a fall at all (do-able, but awkward).

I believe that would be fine as youve drawn it. All that matters to
the oil is the relative heights of start and finish, and length of
pipe. Sharp bends would add more resistance to flow. As long as your
high point is below the top of the oil in the tank there is no
problem.


Just so long as the rise in the pipe does not go above the level of
the oil in the tank, in which case you will have to suck/blow the oil
through initially, and you are asking for air-locks.




I repeat, common sense is on your side, bitter experience - or rather
diesel tasting experience, is on mine. On a long run, any uphill run is
a problem, no matter what the final height is. Once full of oil, both my
pipes ran freely under gravity, and no point in the pipe was above the
final outflow point. BOTH refused to flow with air in the pipes. I do
not understand this either.

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...

Compression, but beware that they are weak at the normal pipe diameter.
PTFE tape doesn't work well - use Red Loctite to seal. Try to avoid up
and under routing - you will just have to bleed it - don't put bleed
valves on, just steel yourself and suck the bloody pipe full and then
never ever let it run dry again

Plstic bag loosely over end of pipe before sucking would make life
less unpleasant - but I can just imagine some incompetent person
breathing the bag up and choking. So I'd best say dont.

Regards, NT

N. Thornton wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...


Compression, but beware that they are weak at the normal pipe diameter.
PTFE tape doesn't work well - use Red Loctite to seal. Try to avoid up
and under routing - you will just have to bleed it - don't put bleed
valves on, just steel yourself and suck the bloody pipe full and then
never ever let it run dry again


Plstic bag loosely over end of pipe before sucking would make life
less unpleasant - but I can just imagine some incompetent person
breathing the bag up and choking. So I'd best say dont.


Well bugger me. Why didn't I think of that. I am sure there are some
used condoms as well around somewhere...



Regards, NT