Hi all, I'm replacing my heating oil tank this weekend, and was looking at different options for installing the firomatic valve. The new tank has a 1/2" NPT on the bottom, and my plan was to buy this and thread the new filter housing directly into it:
This has the 1/2" NPT for the tank and the 3/8" NPT out which would fit the filter and would certainly simplify the install, but I've been reading that a lot of guys put a ball valve in front of it in case this valve leaks or fails closed. Is this common? I've never seen a firomatic valve fail but I'm not a pro either. If this valve fails, it would be a pain in the caboose to replace with any oil in the tank. A ball valve would isolate it but I'd have to use more fittings and a straight through firomatic.
If this was your install, how would you plumb in the firomatic valve? If you would add a ball valve, what fittings would you use to simplify the install. Thanks.
John
This has the 1/2" NPT for the tank and the 3/8" NPT out which would fit the filter and would certainly simplify the install, but I've been reading that a lot of guys put a ball valve in front of it in case this valve leaks or fails closed. Is this common? I've never seen a firomatic valve fail but I'm not a pro either. If this valve fails, it would be a pain in the caboose to replace with any oil in the tank. A ball valve would isolate it but I'd have to use more fittings and a straight through firomatic.
If this was your install, how would you plumb in the firomatic valve? If you would add a ball valve, what fittings would you use to simplify the install. Thanks.
John
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