Copper oil pipe...

[Whl4852]

Why do they use copper oil pipe underground? I understand protect above ground and I understand permeation (as in gas from joints) but why not use something cheaper underground? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Best]

As far as I know you can use the plastic oil pipe for that, obviously through a larger blue plastic water pipe for protection from damage. Can't run the plastic oil line into a building.

 

[Whl4852]

As far as I know you can use the plastic oil pipe for that, obviously through a larger blue plastic water pipe for protection from damage. Can't run the plastic oil line into a building.

Nice one mate, my college lecturer didn't know the answer so I turned to here. Thanks again!

 

[Roger Welton]

The (approved) plastic pipe can also not be run above ground, any below ground joints must also have means of access

 

[Best]

I am not fond of plastic plumbing, so I avoid it, but you do get plastic pipe for oil. The type I have seen is green in colour & there are copper inserts for it (to support the pipe for a compression joint).
Cost is obviously the benefit, especially for large diameter oil pipes. Also I am sure it won't rot from inside like copper can do when water & all sorts gets into the pipe & lies in low spots.

 

[Whl4852]

Thanks so much guys, this is much needed advice, if my lecturer doesn't know I need to know! Thanks guys

 

[Whl4852]

I am not fond of plastic plumbing, so I avoid it, but you do get plastic pipe for oil. The type I have seen is green in colour & there are copper inserts for it (to support the pipe for a compression joint).
Cost is obviously the benefit, especially for large diameter oil pipes. Also I am sure it won't rot from inside like copper can do when water & all sorts gets into the pipe & lies in low spots.

Im doing my level two at the mo, and its going quite well. I just find that my lecturer doesn't know a lot about oil so he just skirts around the subject. But where I live there is a lot of oil, so I'm gonna try and aim towards oftec maybe in a year? Does this sound like a plan?

 

[Best]

Im doing my level two at the mo, and its going quite well. I just find that my lecturer doesn't know a lot about oil so he just skirts around the subject. But where I live there is a lot of oil, so I'm gonna try and aim towards oftec maybe in a year? Does this sound like a plan?

The 101 exam is fairly basic & to do with commissioning & servicing, but the 105 oftec exam is more to do with heating systems. Most of the questions are open book & multi choice. As some have mentioned on this forum, there is a oftec 50 for someone new to heating.
No reason you can't do the whole lot, but would advise you get a lot of hands on experience with an oil engineer & read everything you can on oil burners, ventilation requirements, fire valve position, flues & oil tanks etc. Don't expect to learn much from oftec exams.

 

[Whl4852]

The 101 exam is fairly basic & to do with commissioning & servicing, but the 105 oftec exam is more to do with heating systems. Most of the questions are open book & multi choice. As some have mentioned on this forum, there is a oftec 50 for someone new to heating.
No reason you can't do the whole lot, but would advise you get a lot of hands on experience with an oil engineer & read everything you can on oil burners, ventilation requirements, fire valve position, flues & oil tanks etc. Don't expect to learn much from oftec exams.

thanks for taking the time to give me some good advice. I'm looking for books at the mo. got my first oil tank to connect up on weds, all in 10mm compression, I'm really looking forward to it, everybody has got to start some where!

 

[Best]

thanks for taking the time to give me some good advice. I'm looking for books at the mo. got my first oil tank to connect up on weds, all in 10mm compression, I'm really looking forward to it, everybody has got to start some where!

Hope you have the oftec 600a exam for oil tanks? :smile:
Compression joints should be kept to a minimum - pipe in one piece preferably between tank & outside fire valve.

 

[Whl4852]

Hmmm exam, might just turn a blind eye on this one. It's the fitting that comes directly out of the fitting already on the tank, just a 10mm 90 degree bend, should be straight forward enough. How long have you been working with oil. Just had some good news only ten mins ago, got a plumber to give me a couple of days a week! Feel great now.

 

[Dotty]

Not so much that son, where's the tank situated in relation to boundaries, watercourses, drainage, buildings, flue, terminal? Has it a proper base? And so on and so on. You really need to be aware of these sort of questions. And once you are, what you thought was ok you'll suddenly realise is completely shocking!

 

[Whl4852]

Not so much that son, where's the tank situated in relation to boundaries, watercourses, drainage, buildings, flue, terminal? Has it a proper base? And so on and so on. You really need to be aware of these sort of questions. And once you are, what you thought was ok you'll suddenly realise is completely shocking!

Its the same tank, the pipe work just got knocked out, I'm just connecting it back up. But I did ring my local councils asking for advice on regs, to be fair they said to do it, and if they had time when passing they would come and check. But thanks crop pie, this is about all I can manage at the mo, I'd never attempt to replace with a new tank. As for the concrete base, I've installed many other types of tank. Thanks mate

 

[Whl4852]

Hope you have the oftec 600a exam for oil tanks? :smile:
Compression joints should be kept to a minimum - pipe in one piece preferably between tank & outside fire valve.

Connecting the tank went smoothly! Was dead excited today, not a single leak! Thanks for your advice, now looking for a book about oil. Also starting with a plumber on Saturday, it's all coming together now!

 

[Best]

Glad you were successful! Keep learning & be fussy with everything you do.

 

[Whl4852]

Glad you were successful! Keep learning & be fussy with everything you do.

Thankyou

 

[kimbo]

Never take any shortcuts with oil, one small mistake could end up costing you thousands. I heard from the college where I retook my oftec that a couple ignored a small split in their oil tank and it went, and the clean up bill will cost them £40,000 and they have to borow the money to pay for it.

 

[Roger Welton]

One of my customers had a tree blown over onto his tank a coup of years ago, £60k bill to asses the contamination and clean up

Fortunately was covered by his household policy, but only after a bit of a battle with them and him proving he had trees assessed annually by tree surgeon.

 

[Best]

Seems to have been fairly common for insurance companies to have to pay for very expensive clear ups of oil leaks. Most of it I bet has been bad workmanship & / or neglect. Plastic oil tanks have split & some of them fairly new & under warranty, though.
Problem is, that once an insurance company gets involved, they must have the job done properly as it becomes a health & safety issue.