[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield 11-6-1974 by Ord. No. 992 as Ch. 68 of the 1967 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
OIL BURNER
Any device designed and arranged for the purpose of burning or preparing to burn fuel oil, as specified below, and having a tank or tanks with a total capacity of more than six gallons connected thereto.
OIL-BURNING EQUIPMENT
Shall consist of burners, storage tanks (internal and external), piping, wiring, pumps, blowers and all equipment and accessories connected thereto.
FUEL OIL
Any topped or distilled oil having a flash point of not less than 100° F. closed cup. The Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester shall be authoritative and shall be conducted in accordance with methods of tests as adopted by the American Society for Testing Materials.
A. 
Before any oil-burning equipment is installed, a permit shall be obtained from the Building Inspector. Application for such permit shall include a sketch showing plan and elevation of the proposed installation, showing tanks, piping and burner in their proper relation to lower floor, furnace and other pertinent objects. Specification must be in accordance with this chapter. With the above application there shall be submitted, if required, a manufacturer's illustrated catalog and specification of the proposed equipment. Such application may be made by the owner of the property in which the installation is proposed to be made or by his duly authorized agent.
B. 
The fee for a permit for the installation of any oil-burning equipment, whether in new construction or in the replacement of another heating device, shall be as stated in the following schedule:
Size of Tank
(gallons)
Fee
275 to 550 inclusive
$3
551 to 2,000 inclusive
$5
2,001 to 5,000 inclusive
$10
5,001 and over
$15
No oil burner shall be installed which has not been tested and approved by the National Board of Fire Underwriters or other nationally recognized testing laboratories.
A. 
Underground and overground tanks shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the National Board of Fire Underwriters as detailed below and shall bear their label of approval.
B. 
Tanks shall be constructed of galvanized steel, open-hearth steel or wrought iron of a minimum gauge (United States Standard) depending upon the capacity as given in the following tables. For liquids heavier than 35° API, tanks may be of concrete.
Underground and Enclosed Tanks
Capacity
(gallons)
Gauge
Minimum Thickness of Material
(pounds per square feet)
1 to 285
16
2.50
286 to 560
14
3.125
561 to 1,100
12
4.375
1,101 to 4,000
7
4.375
4,001 to 12,000
1/4
10.00
12,001 to 20,000
5/16
12.50
20,001 to 30,000
3/8
15.00
Inside Unenclosed Tanks
Capacity
(gallons)
Gauge
7 to 180
16
181 to 275
14
C. 
All joints shall be riveted and caulked, brazed, welded or made tight by some equally satisfactory process. Tanks shall be tight and sufficiently strong to bear without injury the most severe strains to which they may be subjected in practice. Shells of tanks shall be properly reinforced where connections are made. All connections shall be made through the top of the tank above the liquid level, except in tanks having a capacity of 275 gallons and less where one connection not larger than one-inch iron-pipe size may be made in the bottom of the tank. Unenclosed inside storage or gravity tanks of 275 gallons' capacity and less may be provided with an additional one-inch opening from the bottom of the tank for an approved key-stem gate valve to aid in cleaning the tanks.
D. 
Tanks for systems under pressure shall be designed for six times the maximum working pressure and be tested and proven tight at twice the maximum working pressure; maximum working pressure shall not exceed 50 pounds per square inch. Tanks shall be provided with a reliable pressure gauge and automatic relief valve piped to discharge outside of the buildings.
E. 
Underground tanks shall be thoroughly coated on the outside with asphaltum or other suitable rust-resisting material.
F. 
Inside and aboveground tanks and auxiliary tanks shall be coated with a good quality rust-resisting paint.
A. 
Outside tanks.
(1) 
Tanks shall be buried with tops not less than two feet below the surface of the ground and below the level of any piping to which the tanks may be connected, except that in lieu of the two-foot cover, tanks may be buried under 12 inches of earth and a cover of reinforced concrete at least six inches in thickness, which shall extend at least one foot beyond the outline of tank in all directions; concrete slab shall be set on firm, well-tamped earth foundation. Tanks shall be securely anchored or weighted in place to prevent floating where any substantial danger of flood conditions exists in the opinion of the Building Inspector. Tanks shall be placed upon a solid base to be approved by the Building Inspector.
(2) 
Any tanks installed under the driveway shall be covered underground with the top of the tank not less than three feet below the surface of the ground, in addition to which a cover of reinforced concrete at least six inches in thickness shall be provided and extend at least one foot beyond the outside of the excavation in all directions.
(3) 
Where a tank cannot be entirely buried, it shall be covered with earth to a depth of at least two feet and sloped on all sides, slopes to be not less than 3:1. Such tanks shall be surrounded by a properly sealed concrete dike of at least six inches in thickness, the height of said dike to be as approved by the Building Inspector. Such cases shall also be subject to such other requirements as may be deemed necessary by the Building Inspector.
(4) 
If tank cannot be set below the level of all piping to which it is connected, satisfactory arrangements shall be provided to prevent siphoning or gravity flow in case of accident to piping.
(5) 
No storage tank shall be located under the sidewalk or elsewhere outside the property line, except by special permission from the Borough Council.
(6) 
Outside storage tanks aboveground shall not be used or installed, except by special permission of the Borough Council as to location and capacity.
B. 
Inside underground tanks.
(1) 
When buried underneath a building, the tanks shall be buried with top of tanks not less than two feet below the level of the floor. The floor immediately above the tanks shall be of reinforced concrete at least nine inches in thickness (for tanks of 1,500 gallons or less, four inches in thickness) or some other type of construction of equivalent strength and fire resistance extending at least one foot beyond the outline of tanks in all directions and provided with ample means of support independent of any tank. All provisions applying to outdoor underground tanks shall apply to inside underground tanks except as provided above.
(2) 
The gross capacity of tanks shall not exceed 5,000 gallons. For use of greater capacity, permission shall be obtained from the Borough Council.
C. 
Inside storage tanks.
(1) 
Tanks shall not be located above the lowest story, cellar or basement of building.
(2) 
Tanks shall be located below the level of any piping to which they may be connected, or, if this is impracticable, satisfactory arrangements shall be made to prevent siphoning or gravity flow in case of accident to the equipment or piping. Note: For small installation where pipelines are one-inch or less, provisions which will break the siphon at time of fire, such as an air inlet held closed with fusible metal located at top of bend, may be acceptable. Weighted foot valves, enlarged pipe section on discharge side of siphon or air inlets at top bends controlled by pump pressure are provisions which may be acceptable in any size piping, depending upon the elevation of the tank and upon specific approval of the inspection department having jurisdiction.
(3) 
Steel tanks in units of not over 275 gallons' capacity each, having aggregate capacity not in excess of 550 gallons, may be installed without enclosure.
(4) 
When two two-hundred-seventy-five-gallon tanks are installed in the basement, they must be connected with a three-way valve so as to permit gravity flow from but one tank at a time.
(5) 
Steel tanks, except as permitted above, shall be placed in an enclosure of dimensions six inches greater on all sides than the outside dimensions of the tank. The walls of the enclosure shall be constructed of reinforced concrete not less than eight inches in thickness or of masonry 12 inches in thickness. The walls shall be bonded to floor and carried to a height not less than one foot above the tank, and the space between the tank and the walls and the roof of the enclosure shall be completely filled with sand or well-tamped earth. The enclosure shall be roofed over with reinforced concrete or equivalent construction not less than five inches in thickness.
(6) 
If located within a building, tanks shall not be within 10 feet, measured horizontally, from the boiler.
D. 
Auxiliary or service tanks.
(1) 
Gravity feed to burner from either auxiliary tank or two-hundred-seventy-five-gallon storage tank may be permitted if suitable automatic safeguards to prevent abnormal discharge at the burner are provided.
(2) 
Auxiliary pressure tanks having a capacity not greater than 60 gallons may be permitted if safeguarded as specified in Subsection D(1).
(3) 
Inside gravity and pressure tanks shall be substantially and rigidly installed on incombustible supports, equivalent to construction shown in Figure 1 (NBFU).
(4) 
Auxiliary tanks shall be filled by pumping from the storage tank and shall be provided with an overflow connection draining to the storage tank, without a valve in the case of gravity tanks. Overflow pipe for auxiliary pressure tank shall be provided with interconnected valves or other means of venting tank when filling.
All storage tanks shall have an open or automatically operated galvanized-iron vent pipe of ample size to prevent abnormal pressures in case of fire or when filling. In no case shall this be less than one-and-one-fourth-inch iron-pipe size. The lower end of the vent pipe shall extend through the top of the tank for a distance of not more than one inch. The vent shall extend from the tank to a point outside the building three feet above the level of the highest reservoir from which the tank may be filled, measured vertically or horizontally from any window or other building opening. Outer end of the vent pipe, unless automatically operated, shall be provided with a return bend or weatherproof hood.
Filling terminal shall be equipped with a locking-type cap and shall be at least six inches above the ground level to prevent water infiltration, unless installed in a counter-sunk fill box. The filling pipe shall in all cases terminate outside of the building and shall be as remote as possible from the doorways or other building openings.
No glass gauges or any gauges the breaking of which will permit oil to escape from the tank shall be used. Test wells shall not be located within buildings and shall be closed tight with a metal cover or cap when not in use.
All pumps, whether manually or automatically operated, shall be of an approved type with check valves located as close to pumps as practicable and shall be rigidly fastened in place.
A. 
Standard full-weight wrought-iron, steel or brass pipe with substantial fittings or approved brass or copper tubing with approved fittings shall be used and shall be carefully protected against mechanical injury in a manner satisfactory to authorities having jurisdiction. In all piping systems, proper allowance shall be made for expansion and contraction, jarring and vibration.
B. 
Brass or copper tubing, where permitted, shall have a wall thickness of not less than 0.049 of an inch for small sizes and correspondingly heavier where necessary.
C. 
Supply pipe shall be not less than 1/4 inch in diameter, iron-pipe size, and when oil is pumped to burner, return pipes shall be at least the same size.
D. 
Pipe connections to tanks shall be suitably reinforced and proper allowance made for expansion and contraction, jarring and vibration.
E. 
Openings for pipes through masonry walls below the ground level shall be made oiltight and securely packed with flexible material.
F. 
All connections shall be made perfectly tight with well-fitted joints. Unions shall be used at burners to facilitate removal. All unions shall be of approved type, having conically faced ground joints.
G. 
Piping shall be run as directly as possible and, in case of pumping systems, so laid that if practicable the pipes are pitched back toward the storage tanks without traps.
H. 
Systems under pressure shall be designed for six times the working pressure, and installation when completed shall be tested and proven tight at twice the maximum working pressure.
A. 
Readily accessible valves shall be provided near each burner and also close to the auxiliary tank in the pipeline to burners.
B. 
Control valves shall be of approved type provided with stuffing box of liberal size. Valve shall be designed to close against the supply and to prevent withdrawal of stem by continued operation of the hand wheel. The use of packing affected by the oil or heat is prohibited.
C. 
Means for the remote control of the flow of oil through the burner shall be provided for in case of emergency, and a sign indicating its purpose shall be located at the control device.
A. 
Automatically operated oil burners shall be equipped with an automatic device to shut off the burner in the event of undue pressure or low water in a steam boiler or overheating within a hot-water boiler or warm-air furnace. All steam boilers shall be equipped with low water cutoff.
B. 
Electrical wiring used in connection with oil-burning equipment shall be installed in accordance with the National Electric Code.
C. 
No oil burner shall be installed in any boiler or heater until such boiler or heater has been inspected by the oil burner installer and found safe for such installation.
D. 
All boiler or furnace rooms shall be provided with adequate ventilation to assure continuous and complete combustion. In no case shall the area of ventilation be less than the free area of the chimney.
E. 
Previous to the installation of the burner, the ash door of the furnace shall be permanently removed or bottom ventilation otherwise provided to prevent the accumulation of vapors within the ash pit, unless the burner is of type which mechanically purges ash pit.
F. 
A printed copy of the rules and instructions of the manufacturer shall be conspicuously posted near the oil burner.
G. 
Dampers which may entirely close the chimney uptake are prohibited. No damper area shall be greater than 80% of the internal cross-section area of the uptake.
H. 
No oil burner shall be installed in any boiler or heater unless said boiler or heater is connected with a chimney having an approved flue lining and sufficient draft at all times to ensure the safe operation of the burner.
I. 
An electric control switch or remote control switch shall be placed in the kitchen, hall or other room leading to the door to the cellar or basement stairway and shall not be placed in the cellar or basement proper or on the walls of the cellar or basement stairs. Such switch shall be in addition to a knife switch in the cellar. Any satisfactory type of flush or snap switch 10 amperes, single-pole type, with a switch plate in red, will be approved.
A. 
Clearance from boilers and furnaces. The clear distance between a hot-air furnace, hot-water or low-pressure steam boiler and combustible material, including plaster on combustible base, shall be not less than four feet at the top or front and not less than three feet at the sides and rear, provided that when the appliance is encased in brick or has an incombustible protective covering not less than 1 1/2 inches thick, such distance may be three feet at the top and two feet at the sides and rear.
B. 
Smoke pipes. The smoke pipe shall not pass through any combustible partition. The clear distance between a smoke pipe or metal breeching and combustible material or construction, including plaster on combustible base, shall not be less than 18 inches, provided that the clearance may be reduced to nine inches when the smoke pipe or breeching is protected with not less than one inch of asbestos or equivalent protection or such combustible material or construction is protected by sheet metal or equivalent covering placed at least one inch from the surface to be protected and extending the full length of the smoke pipe and not less than 12 inches beyond it on both sides.
A. 
The owner or lessee, or agent of either, or the architect, engineer or builder employed by him, shall give reasonable notice to the Building Inspector before covering tanks and piping and also when the work is completed.
B. 
Whenever the Building Inspector shall have reason, because of the emanation of smoke or odor from any building or for any other reason whatever, to believe that any oil-burning apparatus therein is not functioning properly, it shall be his duty to make or cause to be made by his duly authorized representative an inspection of said apparatus, and it shall be the duty of the person in possession of any premises, upon request, to admit said Building Inspector or his representative into said building at any reasonable hour for the purpose of making such inspection. Whenever said Building Inspector or his representative shall, upon such inspection, find any such apparatus to be functioning imperfectly, whether because of inadequate ventilation to assure continuous and complete combustion, broken, defective or ill-adjusted parts or because of the use of a grade of fuel to which the apparatus is not adapted or adjusted, it shall be his duty to advise the owner or occupant of the building just what should be done by way of repair, renewal of parts or adjustment of parts, or otherwise, or changing the grade of the fuel, to make the apparatus function properly and at the same time notify such owner to do, within 48 hours thereafter, that which is so required to be done to ensure the safe and effective operation of said apparatus. This subsection shall apply to old or new installations. The refusal of the owner or occupant of any building to permit the Building Inspector or his duly authorized representative to make an inspection of such building at a reasonable hour or his refusal or neglect to obey any such order as shall be served as aforesaid as a result of such inspection shall constitute a violation of this subsection.
C. 
The Building Inspector shall render a monthly report to the Mayor and Council stating that he had inspected the oil-burner application presented to him and the approval or rejection of the installation.
[Amended 3-25-1985 by Ord. No. 1281; 6-28-2010 by Ord. No. 2133]
A. 
If this chapter of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield provides for the licensing or permitting of the violator, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield reserve the right to revoke such permit or license.
B. 
Any person found guilty of violating this chapter of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be subject to a penalty consisting of a fine or imprisonment, or both, subject to the discretion of the Judge, the maximum of which shall be the maximum fine or term of imprisonment permitted to be imposed by the court having jurisdiction over the violation of this chapter of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield; provided, however, that the fine shall not be less than $100 nor more than $2,000 per offense and the prison term shall not exceed 90 days in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:49-5.
C. 
In the event of a continuing violation, each day shall constitute a separate offense.