🔍 Key Concepts

• Fuel oil settling tank design – where water collects and how high vs. low suction lines are arranged • Effect of water in fuel on boiler combustion – what causes sputtering at the burner tip • Difference between changing pumps/heaters vs. changing suction level from a tank

💭 Think About

• If the fires are sputtering because of water, where is that water most likely entering the system from within the settling or service tank? • Would switching to a different pump or heater remove the water from the suction point, or just move the same contaminated fuel? • On a typical settling tank, which suction (high or low) is closer to the layer where water normally settles, and how does that affect what you would do first?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify where water normally accumulates in a fuel oil settling tank relative to the suction lines. • Confirm which action actually changes the location of suction away from the water layer instead of just changing equipment handling the same fuel. • Make sure the chosen option would immediately reduce water carry‑over to the burners rather than dealing with long‑term treatment.