Massachusetts Oil Burner License Practice Test

If the oil level is 4 feet below the fuel unit and 10 feet away, what vacuum should you expect?

1. 1 - 2 inches

2. 3 - 4 inches

3. 5 - 6 inches

4. 7 - 8 inches

The correct answer is: 5 - 6 inches

In assessing the situation where the oil level is positioned 4 feet below the fuel unit and located 10 feet away, one must consider the principles of fluid dynamics and the effects of both vertical and horizontal distances on the created vacuum. To maintain proper fuel delivery in an oil burner system, a certain level of vacuum needs to be established in the fuel line to draw the oil to the burner. Each foot of vertical lift typically requires about 1 to 2 inches of vacuum to overcome gravitational forces pulling the fluid downward. In this case, since the oil is 4 feet lower than the point of delivery, you need to account for approximately 4 to 8 inches of vacuum just for the vertical lift. Additionally, for the horizontal distance of 10 feet, there are friction losses and additional vacuum requirements to maintain flow. Each horizontal foot can add a marginal vacuum requirement, but typically a range of a few inches will suffice. When you combine both the vertical and horizontal components, the total expected vacuum would realistically fall within the 5 to 6 inches range described. Thus, understanding the details of the situation leads to recognizing that a vacuum of 5 - 6 inches is adequate to ensure that the oil can be effectively drawn from the lower