oil tank

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bill@nkapc

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Located in a basement of a single family dewelling unit is an oil tank filled with home heating oil, deisel fuel. Can a service panel be located within 5 or 10 ft. The enclousure in a nema 1, general purpose box. Can general purpose 4" boxes be located within the same area?
 
bill@nkapc said:
Located in a basement of a single family dewelling unit is an oil tank filled with home heating oil, deisel fuel. Can a service panel be located within 5 or 10 ft. The enclousure in a nema 1, general purpose box. Can general purpose 4" boxes be located within the same area?
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There should be no isue with the 4" sq. box. As far as the panel I will go out on a limb and say it may be questionable since art.240.24(D) will not allow an overcurrent protection near easily ignitible materials. The question remains as to whether or not the fuels in a tank can be considered easily ignitible.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The question remains as to whether or not the fuels in a tank can be considered easily ignitible.
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I don't know if it matters, but diesel is kind of hard to ignite. You can drop a match in a can of it and the liquid will extinguish the match. No Boom. However, if you can blow a lot of air on it (say with the output of a shop vac) and *then* get a flame into it then you can get a pretty cool show.

Do not try this at home.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I will go out on a limb and say it may be questionable since art.240.24(D) will not allow an overcurrent protection near easily ignitible materials. The question remains as to whether or not the fuels in a tank can be considered easily ignitible.
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Is the oil any more volitile than a garage full of chainsaws, lawn mowers, weed wackers and the fuel for them?

...along with the cardboard box full of oil rags from oil changes and such...and the dozen or so 1/2 gallons of paint?
 
celtic said:
Is the oil any more volitile than a garage full of chainsaws, lawn mowers, weed wackers and the fuel for them?

...along with the cardboard box full of oil rags from oil changes and such...and the dozen or so 1/2 gallons of paint?
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Celtic-- what's your point. I am only trying to relate the code issue not if it makes sense. We went through this entire argument before about OCD in closets with people saying exactly what you just said. That does not necessarily change the meaning of the code. I also said it may be questionable because I think the code is a little unclear.

If the fuel is not easily ignitable then I don't see it as an issue esp. since it is in a container but I am not sure what the codes intent is here.
 
Clarity,clarity, clarity! HO's have it that way because they don't know any better/don't have the government living in their business. Soon as you have a business, and the government will inform you that to protect your employees, when you X amount of flammable liquid, in comes the yellow closet.

As far as it being really hazardous...it's probably not. However, due to the liability implications, my bet is that the box gets a no go from the AHJ.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Celtic-- what's your point.
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That kind of is the point.

What's the difference if the location has a 4" JB or a panel....the oil is less ignitable than a garage full of various gas-powered products and such.
 
celtic said:
That kind of is the point.

What's the difference if the location has a 4" JB or a panel....the oil is less ignitable than a garage full of various gas-powered products and such.
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The difference may be the code. I can have a 4" jb in a clothes closet but I cannot have a panel with OCP in it.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The difference may be the code. I can have a 4" jb in a clothes closet but I cannot have a panel with OCP in it.
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Ture...the code limits the location of a light in that closet - but not in the garage or basement.
 
it this new or replacement...in NJ, there is no issue with a replacement...the rehab code is quite liberal...
 
bill@nkapc said:
Located in a basement of a single family dewelling unit is an oil tank filled with home heating oil, deisel fuel. Can a service panel be located within 5 or 10 ft. The enclousure in a nema 1, general purpose box. Can general purpose 4" boxes be located within the same area?
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There is no rule against this. You can mount the panelboard right next to it as long as you comply with Article 110.26. The tank has to be vented to the outside which minimizes any potential hazard. :smile:
 
Non issue, Diesel is not considered flammable.

Flash points of liquids that burn below 100? F are considered flammable and above 100? F are considered combustible.

Flammability is the ease with which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. Materials that will ignite at temperatures commonly encountered are considered flammable, with various specific definitions giving a temperature requirement. The flash point is the important characteristic. Flash points below 100 ?F (37.8 ?C) are regulated in the United States by OSHA as potential workplace hazards. Examples of flammable liquids are gasoline, ethanol, and acetone. Diesel fuel is in one of the less heavily regulated flammability categories, and biodiesel is considered nonflammable with a flash point usually over 300 ?F (150 ?C) even though biodiesel will combust inside a diesel engine

just make sure you have your 30" wide working clearance and nothing sticking out more that 6" from the wall or floor under the panel.
 
electricmanscott said:
Who heats with diesel fuel?
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Fuel oil is not much different then diesel, they are interchangeable, although now that they have low sulfur diesel that may have changed. (Kerosene is also close but thiner)

But fuel oil is dyed and if your caught running a motor vehicle on fuel oil you will be subject to tax evasion as you will not have been paying the road use tax that is in the cost of diesel.

On occasion when I have let my homes oil tank go dry I have put diesel in to hold me over till the delivery.
 
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