Apparatus for cleaning an oil tank heater system

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning components of a conventional oil tank heater includes a pair of containment drums, a drop cloth selectively mountable over the burner end or exhaust end of the heater tube for deflecting debris into the associated drum, and a high-pressure water hose having a nozzle with rearwardly-directed discharge ports. With one drum mounted over each of the heater tube's burner and exhaust ends, and with the drop cloth mounted over a selected one of the heater tube ends, the nozzle may be inserted under the drop cloth and into other end of the heater tube and manipulated as required within the heater components. High-pressure wash water streams exiting the nozzle ports are thus directed against the inner surfaces of the stack or other heater components traversed by the nozzle. The high-pressure water streams dislodge accumulated contaminants, which are deflected by the drop cloth into one of the collection drums and conveyed therefrom to a collection vessel. Manipulation of the nozzle within the burner's exhaust stack and other components is facilitated by propulsive forces generated by the high-pressure water exiting the nozzle's rearwardly-directed discharge ports.

1 . An apparatus for cleaning components of an oil tank heater, said heater having a heater tube with an open burner end and an open exhaust end, an exhaust stack with a top end and a bottom end, said bottom end of the exhaust stack being in communication with the heater tube near the exhaust end thereof, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) first and second containment drums, each having a top opening and a drain, said first drum being mountable over said burner end, and said second drum being mountable over said exhaust end;    (b) debris-deflecting cover means selectively mountable over the burner end such that said cover means can deflect debris exiting the burner end into the first drum through the top opening thereof, or over the exhaust end such that said cover means can deflect debris exiting the exhaust end into the second drum through the top opening thereof;    (c) drain conduit means extending between the tank drains and a debris-receiving means; and    (d) a hose connected at one end to a nozzle, said nozzle having a plurality of discharge ports, the other end of said hose being connectable to a high-pressure water source.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the discharge ports are rearwardly-directed.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the discharge ports are angled outward from the nozzle.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the debris-deflecting cover means is a drop cloth.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the drain conduit means comprises two primary conduits, each of which extends between one of the containment drum drains and the debris-receiving means.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the drain conduit means comprises two primary conduits extending from each containment drum drain and joined to a secondary conduit by means of a tee fitting, said secondary conduit being connected to the debris-receiving means.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the debris-receiving means comprises a vacuum apparatus, for sucking washings from the containment drums into a vacuum tank.  
   
   
       8 . A nozzle having a front end, an inlet end adapted for connection to a hose, a sidewall enclosing an interior chamber in fluid communication with said inlet end, and a plurality of discharge ports extending through said sidewall.  
   
   
       9 . The nozzle of  claim 8  wherein one or more of the discharge ports are rearwardly-directed.  
   
   
       10 . The nozzle of  claim 8  wherein one or more of the discharge ports are angled outward from the nozzle.  
   
   
       11 . The nozzle of  claim 9  wherein one or more of the discharge ports are angled outward from the nozzle.