OIL STORAGE AND PUMPING SYSTEMS.
Before making the fuel oil installation, a fuel oil expert should be engaged. He should be familiar with the rules and regulations regarding the location of oil storage tanks enforced in the particular locality by the inspectors, fire marshal and insurance officials. These regulations Vary greatly in different states and countries. The accompaning illustrations taken from the official San FrancisCo Fire Department ordinances, will serve to give the reader an idea of the regulations for the installation of fuel oil storage.
Fig. 1 shows boiler in basement, the sidewalk being excavated and used as part of basement and the owner desiring to utilize all the space under the side walk for basement purposes. The top of the storage tank should be 4 ft. below the basement floor ; a brick or concrete wall not Jess than 12 inches in thickness should be constructed around the storage tank, ex tending from the bottom of the tank up to the base. ment floor. The space between the top of the tank and the basement floor should be filled with earth and the earth covered with the concrete flooring of base ment. Flooring at the bottom of the tank is optional.
Fig. 2 shows boiler in basement, the sidewalk being excavated and used as part of basement and the owner finding he cannot go over 4 ft. below the basement floor. The top of the storage tank should be at least 6 in. below the basement floor, a brick or concrete wall not less than 12 inches in thickness should be constructed around the storage tank, ex: tending from the bottom of the' tank up to 4 ft. above the storage tank. The space between the top of the walls should be filled with earth, the earth covered with at least 3 in. of concrete. The flooring at bottom of tank is optional. All oil pipes exposed in building should be fire-proofed, or under the concrete flooring from the tank to the pump.
Fig. 3 shows boiler on the first floor, no basement, sidewalk not excavated. The top of the storage tank should be at least 4 ft. below the sidewalk; a brick
or concrete wall not less than 12 in. in thickness should be constructed around the storage tank, extending from bottom of tank up to top of tank. The space between the top of the tank and the sidewalk should be filled earth covered with the sidewalk. Flooring at bottom of tank optional.
Fig. 4 shows boiler in basement, sidewalk not excavated. Top of the storage tank should be at least 6 in. in thickness. A brick or concrete wall not less than 12 in. in thickness should be constructed around the storage tank, extending from bottom of tank up to top of tank. The space between the top of the tank and the sidewalk should be filled with earth, the earth covered with the sidewalk. Flooring at bottom of tank optional.
All tanks should be of steel construction, thickness of plates as follows : Up to 5000 gallons, 3/16 in. shell ; 5000 to 10,000 gallons, 3/16 in. shell, with 5/16 in. heads ; 10.000 to 20,000 gallons, 1/4 in. shell, with 3/8 in. heads. Over 20,000 gallons tanks must be of standard specifications for oil tanks.
The situation of the oil storage depends largely upon the kind of tank. Steel and galvanized iron tanks are generally constructed on the surface, the oil flow ing by gravity to the oil pumping system, having been pumped from supply cars to the storage tanks.
Galvanized sheet iron tanks are sometimes placed under ground, though this practice is not to be recom mended because of the pressure caused by the sur rounding earth. Corrugated iron tanks with the cor rugations running around the tank are many times stronger than plain tanks and can be safely placed underground.
Re-inforced concrete tanks are used in many places. Great care must be taken in their construction, using only the best cement and clean sand. The bot tom should be on a 3 in. bed of oil sand and the in side should be finished with at least Y2 in. of cement, and coated with a good waterproof solution.