Thread: Oil Burning Shed Heaters - pumping oil to header tank

HI Ron, why pump at all? Hang the drum on a pulley system and lower it to fill it, then pull it back up to the required height. Cheers, Ross.

Mainly because i hadn't thought of it - and I was planning to use copper pipe for the plumbing.

Originally Posted by p38arover

! Can you see why I'm not putting a 60 litre drum up there?

I've been given a McNaught hand pump so I will give that a try. I hadn't thought of an NRV. A good point, Derek.

You might want to consider a Soft Seat Non Return Valve. It is difficult to get a seal with a metal/metal seat.

How much fluid head does the burner need?

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

How much fluid head does the burner need?

Almost none. The oil drips into a shallow conical pan where it burns. The idea of the conical shape is to self-regulate the flame. If there's too much oil, the flame diameter gets bigger and burns it off thus reducing the oil and flame diameter.

Have a look at the principle of a drink dispenser, as the level in the dispenser drops it is topped up by the reservoir.

This maintains a constant head from the outlet regardless of the volume of liquid contained within the reservoir.
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