oil safety valve massachusetts price

Under a new Massachusetts oil heating lawwhich went into effect on September 30, 2011, every homeowner with an oil heating system is required to install an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve in their system. The cost is approximately $150 to $350 depending on the system. The required upgrade is to prevent leaks from tanks and pipes that connect to your furnace. The upgrade will reduce the risk of an oil leak so by making a relatively small expenditure now, you can prevent a much greater expense in the future.

Owners of 1- to 4-unit residences that are heated with oil must already have or install an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with a protective sleeve. Installation of these devices must be performed by a licensed oil burner technician. Technicians are employed by companies that deliver home heating oil or are self-employed. It is important to note that heating oil systems installed on or after January 1, 1990 most likely are already in compliance because state fire codes implemented these requirements on new installations at that time.

those changes are in compliance with the oil burning equipment regulations; a copy of the oil burner permit from the local fire department may be used to demonstrate compliance.

Not only is complying with the new law required, it makes good financial and environmental sense. Homeowners who take these preventive measures can avoid the disruption and expense that can be caused by heating oil leaks. A leak may result in exposure to petroleum vapors in your home. If the leak reaches the soil or groundwater beneath your house, then a cleanup must be performed to restore your property to state environmental standards. Such a leak can cost many thousands to clean up. Leaks that affect another property or impact drinking water supply wells can complicate the cleanup and increase the expense. Each year, several hundred Massachusetts families experience some kind of leak.

The typical cost of installing either an oil safety valve or oil supply line with a protective sleeve ranges from $150 – $350 (including labor, parts, and local permit fees).

Here in Massachusetts we had a new law passed on Jan. 8, 2009 and I’m very excited about it and the great things that it will hopefully do. It’s called M.G.L. Chapter 453 and its alias is the ‘Oil Tank Law,” but many also call it the ‘Oil Line Law.”

It states that before July 1, 2010 insurers will have to make casualty insurance available to Massachusetts homeowners, and at a reasonable rate, for a spill caused by a leaking oil tank or failed line. This is the first time in many years that oil heated homes will be covered in the event of just normal wear and tear and aging of a fuel tank.

Homeowners must do their part. Every property owner of a one to four family residence must either replace his oil line in a non-metallic sleeve, or upgrade the line through the use of an oil safety valve. If the entire tank and line are below the pump nothing has to be done, but those jobs are very rare.

The absolute best way to upgrade an existing system is a new sleeved line, but the prv/osv valve makes a good option for many. Finally, oil companies and heating contractors can gain some much needed work and a simple permit signed by the installer and filed with the local fire department is all that is needed to comply. The permit must be made out, but the fire department doesn’t have to inspect it since the technician is the inspector, per se.

Sunstrand originally created the concept for these valves in the 1960s for high head and pressurized applications’the PRV-38, Pressure Reducing Valve – 3/8″‘and they were followed by Webster with their model. In 1976 Webster changed the name to OSV® (oil safety valve). Sundstrand bowed out of the PRV market in the mid-1970s since they just weren’t selling enough of them to keep making them, Suntec brought them back in the 1980s for use as the PRV/OSV.

The oil safety valve is a dynamic pressure reducer; it requires pressure or vacuum to work. As a pressure reducer (PRV), it’s invaluable in protecting pump seals under the high pressures needed to get oil up to burners located high overhead. Working with booster pumps, the PRV does a great job. As an OSV®, the valve works to protect us against underground oil line leaks. I was first introduced to these devices while working on oil lift jobs in the Air Force and found them everywhere, especially in aircraft hangers.

Basically, what most of us knew was if you put 30 psi on a PRV/OSV the pressure goes to about 10 psi. If you put three psi on it you’ll get about one psi out of it. That wasn’t new, but what Sam found was that if you put zero psi on it you got nothing out, but apply vacuum to it and it would open. Pressure is a positive force, vacuum is a negative force. If you have a PRV/OSV at zero pressure and you exert two inches of vacuum, it will open. As long as you keep a vacuum on it the valve stays open. Imagine your finger on a straw filled with liquid, the liquid stays inside because you’ve trapped it in a vacuum. But, if you lose vacuum, the valve closes and the OSV was born.

If you do a search of the PRV/OSV you’ll find the PRV/OSV mentioned all over the place because they work and do the job. Several states, Massachusetts and Maine, now have legislation mandating them and yet the industry still wonders about them. The Europeans use them and even have models that can be adjusted based on the height of the oil level and the pump, Figure 4. So what gives? Well, it’s like a lot of things; if we don’t understand, it we knock it. But the PRV/OSV is a device that can help you and truly do a lot to clean up oil heat’s image. By using the PRV/OSV you can prevent unseen, underground oil line leaks, and that’s a big deal today, as it always has been.

If you still can’t get the PRV/OSV to work look at your system. The purpose of the PRV/OSV is to protect property against oil line failures, but if there’s too much vacuum you probably don’t need it. Remember, when being used as an oil safety valve, it’s a gravity (vacuum) device, not a pressure device. Make sure you power vacuum bleed that pump too, and you can find the directions for that at my website, it’s my Field Note No. 6.

*George Lanthier is the owner of Firedragon Enterprises, a teaching, publishing and consulting firm. He is the author of over 25 books on oil heating and HVAC subjects. He can be reached at 608 Moose Hill Rd., Leicester, MA 01524. His phone is 508-421-3490, fax at 508-421-3477

A recent Massachusetts news story about a couple whose home heating oil tank leaked causing thousands of dollars in damage, has many homeowners wondering if their home insurance provides coverage for an oil tank leak.Home oil tanks contain hundreds of gallons of home heating oil. If your home heating oil tank leaks, it can cause extensive damage to your home, possessions, the environment and even your neighbors’ property.

All residential oil tanks and systems have the possibility of leaking, regardless of their age or any upgrades. According to Safety Insurance, “most home heating oil spills and leaks result from the delivery or supply line that carries home heating oil from the storage tank to the furnace.” (1)

The cost of remediation of a residential oil spill is expensive and depends upon how many gallons have spilled, how long the spill was allowed to continue, whether the concrete and/or ground below the tank has been affected, whether a water supply or neighboring property was affected, as well as other factors.  The costs of remediation can range from $15,000 to more than $150,000, which could jeopardize a homeowners’ financial stability.

If your home is heated by oil, with a tank either above or underground, it’s important to know what your homeowners’ insurance will or will not cover.

Most standard homeowners’ insurance policies provide coverage to repair or replace your home and its contents in the event of damage caused by fires, lightning strikes, windstorms and hail, theft or vandalism. However, there are some losses not covered by home insurance without a supplemental policy. Unfortunately, home heating oil tank leaks fall into this category.

Most homeowners’ policies have a pollution exclusion provision and don’t cover remediation for oil leaks without the purchase of an additional Escaped Liquid Fuel Endorsement.

Despite the law, few homeowners have invested in the optional coverage. In fact,environmental law attorney Susan Crane said only “7% of Massachusetts homeowners who heat with oil have the coverage in place.” (3)

The endorsements that are offered are based upon tanks and fuel oil systems complying with Massachusetts “Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law” (Chapter 453 of the acts of 2008, amended 2010)(2). The steps to add the endorsement will differ depending on your specific insurance company, but most require the following to add the endorsement:

You must have a visual inspection of the fuel supply lines for the heating oil storage tank completed by a certified oil technician. The oil technician must then sign and date a certificate of compliance Form 1A.

The cost of damage caused to your property by the sudden and accidental overflow/escape of fuel oil from an oil tank, or supply lines connected to your heating system.

Home heating oil leaks can not only be a pain to clean/remediate but can also be costly, cause environmental damage, and the fumes pose a significant risk to homeowners’ health.

Your Account Manager can review your current homeowners’ insurance to ensure sufficient coverage in the event of an oil heat related loss or make recommendations for adding the Escape Liquid Fuel Endorsement to your policy. In addition to home insurance, McSweeney & Ricci has provided car insurance, condo insurance, boat and watercraft insurance, as well as life and business insurance to thousands of Massachusetts individuals and families since 1964. Look to McSweeney & Ricci for broad coverage, competitive rates to suit a variety of budgets, and the local insurance support you deserve.

Homeowners with oil heating systems that were installed before 1990 will have to pay up to $300 to comply with a new state law that will take effect in July.

“This new law will definitely benefit all homeowners who use oil to heat their home,” said Wayne C. Perkins, an insurance agent and retired director of the state insurance Rating Bureau.

Before 1990, most pipes from the tank to the burner were buried in concrete. The new law calls for homeowners to either dig up the concrete and line the pipe with a non-metallic sleeve, or simply install the safety valve on the oil tank.

While the safety value is a less expensive route, Tony Coletti, owner of Coletti Brothers Oil Co. in Middleboro, calls it a “Band-Aid” solution and recommends the more expensive option.

Coletti said the average cost to install the safety valve is about $160, compared to a complete oil line upgrade in the $150 to $300 range, depending on the length of the pipe.

Coletti said those who opt for the safety valve still have to contend with the old lines. He said concrete shortens the life expectancy of copper pipe, but surrounded by a nonmetallic sleeve, “There’s nothing to corrode it; it could last forever.”

She said the Fire Department will issue a certificate of compliance if homeowners ask for an inspection. The law also allows licensed oil burner technicians to certify that the upgrade has been done.

Homeowners are exempt from the leak prevention law if the oil burner is located above the oil storage tank and the entire line is above the top of the tank.

Bousquet Oil is a full service, family owned and operated environmentally sensitive oil company providing products and services of the highest quality to our Northern Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts customers. Our fleet of oil delivery trucks will provide an ample supply of heating oil to your home or business. In fact, with Bousquet Oil’s automatic delivery service, you will never have to worry about heating your home.

Please contact us for any of your oil heating needs.  Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives will set up an appointment to discuss the oil options available to you.

This is a one year contract that covers parts and labor pertaining to oil burner service; emergency night and week­end service, annual cleaning and tune-up consisting of replacement of nozzle and oil filter; adjusting burner controls; inspecting the interior and removing any soot by vacuum or chemical procedures.

This is not just a requirement for homes for sale in Massachusetts: it’s for any home (single family to 4-unit multi families) currently using oil heat. The fix is relatively small and pretty inexpensive, compared to the alternative of an oil leak which is VERY COSTLY!

According the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) website, Massachusetts has a new law to address oil leaks from home heating systems. This law has two major provisions that require:

• The installation of either an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve on systems that do not currently have these devices; and

These changes can be made by calling your local oil company or by searching for an oil burner servicer. The technician must be licensed in the trade to perform these upgrades. The estimated cost for this is around $150 to $350, as opposed to the DEP regulations of cleaning up an oil leak that gets into the soil or groundwater which can cost upwards of $10,000 to $15,000.

• Those changes are in compliance with the oil burning equipment regulations; a copy of the oil burner permit from the local fire department may be used to demonstrate compliance.

If a leak happens from your oil tank or supply line that could have been prevented by upgrading you will be responsible for the costly clean up. If it’s a small leak it can be as much as $15,000 but if the leak is not caught soon enough and it leaks deep enough to reach the groundwater there could be a cost of as much as $250,000 to clean it up.

• “First party coverage” of at least $50,000 for the cost of cleaning up a “simple” leak to soil or indoor air and reimbursement for personal property damage

So before learning the hard way, check your heating system now and determine if you have the valve and sleeve that is required. If you do not know how to check for it, call your oil delivery company and ask them to recommend a technician that you can call.

By September 30, 2011, Oilheat homeowners may need to upgrade their home heating system equipment to prevent leaks from tanks and pipes that connect to your heating system. By making a relatively small expenditure now, you can prevent a much greater expense in the future.

In 2008, Massachusetts passed a law to help prevent oil leaks from home heating systems (Chapter 453 of the Acts of 2008). This law has two major provisions that require:

1.  The installation of either an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve on systems that do not currently have these devices; AND

If you do not have an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with a protective sleeve in place, you need to have one or the other installed and certified by September 30, 2011. You may contact our company to arrange for a licensed oil burner technician to perform this work.

You may also want to consider buying insurance coverage for the cleanup of a leak. Determine if your existing homeowner’s policy provides oil leak coverage. If it does not, please consider calling your insurance agent to amend the homeowner’s policy to include this coverage.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) reminds homeowners who heat with oil of a new requirement under the Massachusetts Homeowner Heating Safety Law. The law mandates that all oil-burning heating systems either have an oil-safety valve or a protective sleeve on the oil supply line if the oil supply line is in contact with concrete, the earth, or other floor surfaces (see diagram below). The measure also gives homeowners the ability to voluntarily purchase oil leak insurance coverage.

“Taking a simple, preventive measure now will reduce the number of leaks and spills of home heating oil from residential heating systems, and result in fewer costly cleanups across the state,” said MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. “It will also result in fewer releases that have the potential to impact homes and contaminate our soil and groundwater resources.”

The law applies to owners of 1-to 4-unit residences heated with oil. These residences must already have or must install an oil safety valve or oil supply line with a protective sleeve for any oil supply line that is in contact with floor surfaces.

The cost of the leak prevention upgrades generally range from $150 to $350 per system, and must be installed by a licensed oil burner technician. Licensed technicians are employed by home heating oil delivery companies, or companies that service oil heating systems or are self-employed.

Homes constructed since 1990 with oil burners are likely to already have one of the oil safety devices consistent with the fire safety code on new construction. Also, many older homes where the heating system has been substantially repaired or upgraded, or where a new oil tank has been installed, may also already be in compliance.

In addition to preventing costly, environmentally-damaging oil spills, a key benefit of the Massachusetts Homeowner Heating Safety Law – passed by the legislature in 2008 and amended in 2010 – requires insurance companies that write homeowner insurance policies to make available to all homeowners in compliance with the safety provision, coverage for leaks from home oil heating systems. There is no requirement for homeowners to buy the insurance, however homes with the proper leak-protection must be given the option to buy this insurance coverage.

Preventable residential oil leaks occur each year in Massachusetts. In recent years the number of these leaks has been steadily declining; which may indicate the success of the oil safety valve or oil line protective sleeve installations in preventing such leaks. For example, during a 12-month period of 2010-2011, there were 145 such leaks compared to 183 during the same period in 2009-2010. Home heating spills can disrupt the lives of residents and in some cases neighboring property owners. In addition, the costs of cleaning up these spills can range from $15,000 to as high as $250,000 or more.

If you heat your home with oil, as so many of us in New England do, you should be aware of a new Massachusetts law regarding home heating oil tanks.  The law requires certain upgrades that make leaks from your tank less likely.  This may include either a safety valve or an oil supply line with a protective sleeve.  If these features are already part of your system, and if they were installed after 1990, you may not need to take any additional steps now.  But if you don’t have one or both of these important features, we urge you to have them installed.  It’s well worth the estimated $150 to $350 the upgrade will cost, and it’s the law.

Not maintaining your oil tank can have disastrous consequences.  When it comes to oil spills, we’ve seen it all.  Oil storage tanks in people’s basements that fail catastrophically at the seams, spraying oil all over the contents of the basement.  Floodwater in basements floating oil tanks upward until the feed line breaks.  Vent lines plugged by animal nests or leaves, causing the tank to overpressurize and burst during filling.  Imagine the heartbreak of tossing the entire oil-soaked contents of your basement into a dumpster, not to mention the cost of the clean-up!

To make matters even worse, a sudden release of more than ten gallons of oil to your basement may be reportable to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and you, as the homeowner, become liable for the cleanup.  Released oil often migrates quickly through cracks in basement floors to the soil below the house.  Cleaning up soil and groundwater impacts after an oil spill can be very costly.  MassDEP estimates typical residential oil releases cost $20,000 to $50,000 to clean up, while some sites run over $200,000.  That’s a pretty big unexpected expense to try to squeeze into your household budget.

Fortunately, the new regulations have a second part: an obligation for homeowner insurance companies to offer coverage for home heating oil spills.  Many homeowners are shocked to learn (sometimes too late) that their insurance doesn’t cover spills from their heating system.  The new coverage won’t be automatically added to your policy; you’ll need to ask for it, and pay a bit extra for the coverage.  In our opinion, it’s well worth it to avoid the nightmare scenario of a large oil spill in your basement that you end up liable for on your own nickel.  So contact your oil burner service company to see if you need an upgrade, and contact your insurance company to inquire about oil spill coverage.

Liquid fuel vent pipes shall terminate outside of buildings at a point not less than 2 feet (610 mm) measured vertically or horizontally from any building opening. Outer ends of vent pipes shall terminate in a weatherproof vent cap or fitting or be provided with a weatherproof hood. Vent caps shall have a minimum free open area equal to the cross-sectional area of the vent pipe and shall not employ screens finer than No. 4 mesh. Vent pipes shall terminate sufficiently above the ground to avoid being obstructed with snow or ice. Vent pipes from tanks containing heaters shall be extended to a location where oil vapors discharging from the vent will be readily diffused. If the static head with a vent pipe filled with oil exceeds 10 pounds per square inch (psi) (69 kPa), the tank shall be designed for the maximum static head that will be imposed.

When your home or business property needs oil tank installation or tank replacement, CommTank has the knowledge, experience and quality products for successful tank installation. Our service areas throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire are filled with satisfied customers. Our team of area installation technicians has all the information you need to gain answers to your questions.

Advancements in use of technology have resulted in tanks manufactured with corrosion-resistant materials such as polyethylene and double-wall steel. All fittings are now mounted on tank tops to eliminate risk of damage to fittings mounted below the fuel level. The amount of service life of today’s oil tanks can be as long as 50 years, if properly installed and maintained. We provide people with access to the best tank manufacturers in the industry: Roth and Granby.

Home oil tank installation by CommTank people ensures you gain the best service, the best products and the best warranties. We never want you to worry about your oil tank. It’s that simple. CommTank offers a one year labor warranty that’s unique in the industry. This one year warranty starts on the day of installation.

Roth tanks have a blow-molded seamless inner tank of high-density polyethylene, which is absolutely leak-proof and corrosion-resistant. The outer tank is made of galvanized steel, lock seamed and sealed with an oil and fire-resistant seal. The outer tank protects the inner tank, and offers secondary containment should the inner tank fail. Roth tanks feature a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty on parts and equipment.

A common heating oil tank size for home use across New England is 275-gallons. More options are available, however. People request larger or smaller tanks based on the home size they are heating as well as access to the basement or garage where the tank will be located. Basements with small doorways, sharp turns in stairways or low ceilings require low profile or smaller tanks. Storage capacity can be maintained by linking 2 or more tanks in a daisy chain. Here is the range of sizes currently available in a Roth Tank.

Local fire departments require heating oil tank installation permits to ensure work is performed in accordance with either their own code, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or the International Code Council (ICC). Massachusetts cities and towns charge anywhere from $10-$75 in tank installation permit fees. The fees cover the cost of inspection and record maintenance. After a new tank installation is complete, the Fire Department sends an inspector to verify the tank is installed to code, and signs off on the permit. Many New Hampshire cities and towns require permits for tank installations but do not charge permit fees.

Coverage for leaks from oil heat systems must be offered by insurance companies, as mandated by Massachusetts law since 2010. Unfortunately, many homeowners are not aware of the coverage because it is an optional purchase. Coverage includes response action costs and third party claims associated with oil spill remediation. To be eligible for coverage, you must meet these requirements:

The residential property owner must supply proof that the fuel tank has leak-prevention systems (either an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve).

CommTank installs Granby and Roth heating oil tanks using polyethylene-coated copper tube, which meets the leak prevention requirement. If you plan to add this optional insurance, we can provide a letter to your insurance company verifying compliance.

In July of 2010, the State of Massachusetts put a law into effect addressing oil leaks from home heating systems. The law had two major provisions requiring:The installation of either an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve on systems that do not have these devices

Some homeowners were exempt from taking these leak prevention steps if:The oil burner is located above the oil storage tank and the entire oil supply line is connected to and above the top of the tank OR

An oil safety valve or oil supply line with a protective sleeve was installed on or after 1/1/90AND Those changes comply with the oil burning equipment regulations; A copy of the oil burner permit from the local fire department may be used to demonstrate compliance.

The cost of cleanup of a minor oil leak in your home could be more than $15,000. The cost of a major breach may involve not only the cleanup of the interior of your home but also the cleanup of the grounds outside of your home. If the oil seeped into the ground and the groundwater, the costs could approach the six-figure range. In some instances, the EPA may get involved and may require the homeowner to move the home to access the ground underneath it. The homeowner could be looking at expenses exceeding $250,000. For more information on what is required by the state of Massachusetts regarding clean up, click here.

In the 11 years since the law went into effect, the majority of homeowners with oil should be in compliance and therefore eligible for coverage. While carrier requirements differ applying for this coverage could be as easy as providing a ‘certificate of compliance’ and a fuel remediation questionnaire.

This affordable coverage comes in at about a tenth of the low range estimated cost of remediation, making it a highly recommended coverage for homeowners heating their home with oil.

Cleveland Energy accepts all major credit cards. We can arrange to automatically charge your credit card for oil deliveries, budget payments and more. Visit our Contact page for paperless billing, automatic payment or to pay online.

The Massachusetts Legislature approved Chapter 453 of the Acts of 2008. This new statute mandates that by September 30, 2011 all residential property owners with heating oil tanks that have a fuel supply/return line in direct contact with a floor surface to either (A) enclose the line with a continuous non-metallic sleeve or (B) install an oil safety valve on the fuel line.

BOSTON — Homeowners would be required to get property insurance coverage to protect against home heating oil contamination under a new proposal that its backers say is aimed at shielding them from costly cleanups for spills.

Since 2010, Massachusetts law has required commercial property insurers offer coverage for leaks from oil heat systems and mandates that homeowners install leak-prevention systems, such as a safety valve or a supply line protective sleeve.

But the bill’s primary sponsor, state Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, says only about 7% of the nearly 700,000 homes in the state that use heating oil have the coverage for accidental spills.

Gobi said the proposal includes exemptions for insurers to deny coverages if it is determined that homeowners didn’t follow state rules for oil heating systems.

Massachusetts is the third-largest consumer of home heating oil in the nation, using an estimated 850 million gallons a year, according to industry figures.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@northofboston.com.