FDNY COF P-98 COMPLETE EXAM GUIDE - LATEST QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS - UPDATED 2026
FDNY Certificate of Fitness P-98
# QUESTION ANSWER
1 What is fuel-oil generally used for in buildings? Fuel-oil is used in stationary equipment for two purposes: (1) to fuel
emergency generators, and (2) to fuel equipment used to heat the
building.
2 What Certificate of Fitness is required to supervise fuel-oil The P-98 Certificate of Fitness is required.
transfer in a building from one floor to another?
3 Is the P-98 Certificate of Fitness citywide or premise-related? The P-98 Certificate of Fitness is premise-related.
4 What does the word 'should' mean in the P-98 study materials? 'Should' refers to policies, procedures, and/or best practices
recommended by the FDNY; it may not be a codified requirement.
5 What does the word 'shall' mean in the P-98 study materials? 'Shall' refers to a requirement of the NYC Fire Code or the FDNY.
6 What must P-98 Certificate of Fitness holders do throughout the They must maintain all qualifications and comply with all
term of their certificate? requirements applicable to such certificate holders.
7 Under what supervision shall periodic inspection and testing of Under the PERSONAL SUPERVISION of the P-98 Certificate of
fuel-oil tanks and piping be conducted? Fitness holder.
8 Under what supervision shall the stationary fuel-oil storage Under the GENERAL SUPERVISION of a P-98 Certificate of Fitness
system that transfers oil above the lowest floor be operated? holder.
9 How often must fuel-oil storage tanks and piping systems be At least once WEEKLY.
inspected for leaks?
10 How often must fuel-oil storage tank float switches be tested? At least once WEEKLY to ensure they are in good working order.
,# QUESTION ANSWER
11 What three authorizations are required before oil burning (1) A Certificate of Compliance from NYCDOB, (2) compliance with
equipment may be operated? NYCDEP air pollution control code requirements, and (3) a permit for
the storage and use of fuel-oil issued by the FDNY.
12 What does 'NYCDOB' stand for? New York City Department of Buildings.
13 What does 'NYCDEP' stand for? New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
14 For which buildings is the P-98 COF required? For all existing and new buildings where fuel is being transported
from the lowest levels to tanks or equipment on upper floors pursuant
to the NYC Fire Code and Mechanical Codes.
15 If you need to change the grade of fuel-oil in a system, what Approval from the NYC Department of Buildings and FDNY is
approval is required? required before changing any grade of fuel-oil.
16 What is the purpose of the dike surrounding the oil storage In case of a leak, the diked area will contain the oil.
tank?
17 What are the characteristics of #2 fuel-oil in its normal #2 fuel-oil is thin and light and is easily pumped through the
condition? circulation system.
18 What does the suction pump do in a fuel-oil system? It circulates the oil throughout the system.
19 What is the purpose of the oil filter in the fuel-oil system? The oil filter removes most dirt and sediment contaminants from the
oil before the oil reaches the burner's strainer.
20 How far from the bottom of the tank must the suction line be 6 inches from the bottom of the tank, so that sediment is not
positioned? absorbed.
21 What is a vacuum gauge and what does it measure? A vacuum gauge is a device that measures pressure below
atmospheric pressure.
22 What do excessive vacuum readings on the vacuum gauge Excessive vacuum readings indicate an obstruction in the suction
indicate? line, such as a dirty oil strainer.
23 What should an operator do when the vacuum gauge shows Close the shut-off valve to stop oil flow, then clean the filter/strainer
excessive readings? or perform other maintenance.
24 What is the main fuel valve and what does it do? The main fuel valve is electrically operated and will open or close the
line leading to the atomizer. It shuts down the burner system if there
is a failure of ignition or combustion.
25 What is the purpose of the oil return line? Oil circulates through the piping system back to the storage tank
through the oil return line.
, # QUESTION ANSWER
26 Why is a back pressure relief valve provided? For safety, in case the pressure becomes too great.
27 What are day tanks and where are they located? Day tanks are smaller fuel storage tanks that may be located
throughout the building above the lowest floor.
28 How many pumps are required per day tank? A separate pump is required for each day tank to supply each floor.
29 What is a leak collector and where is it stored? A leak collector collects oil in case of a piping leak. It is stored by the
storage tank and has an oil level gauge.
30 What does the oil level gauge on the main storage tank show? It shows how much fuel oil is inside the main storage tank or day
tank.
31 What is combustion? Combustion is the chemical union of the oxygen in the air with
combustible elements in fuel-oil (hydrogen and carbon), resulting in
the production of heat energy.
32 What are the two principal elements of fuel-oil? Carbon and hydrogen.
33 Approximately what percentage of fuel-oil is carbon? About 85%.
34 Approximately what percentage of fuel-oil is hydrogen? About 14%.
35 What is produced when carbon in fuel-oil unites with oxygen? Carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
36 What is produced when hydrogen in fuel-oil unites with oxygen? Water.
37 What is the end product of COMPLETE combustion? Carbon dioxide (CO2) is recognized as the end product of complete
combustion.
38 What is the end product of INCOMPLETE combustion? Carbon monoxide (CO) is the end product of incomplete combustion.
39 Why is carbon monoxide considered dangerous? In addition to being inefficient in the production of heat, the presence
of carbon monoxide is highly dangerous.
40 What does an oil burner do to fuel-oil before it enters the An oil burner vaporizes or atomizes the oil before it enters the
combustion chamber? combustion chamber where it is mixed with air in predetermined
proportions.
41 What is 'primary air' in an oil burner? Primary air is the air that contacts the oil prior to its leaving the
nozzle.
42 What is 'secondary air' in an oil burner? Secondary air is the air introduced from the blower or fan into the
combustion chamber after the oil has left the nozzle.
43 How much air do oil burners require per gallon of oil consumed? Approximately 2,000 cubic feet of air per gallon of oil consumed.
ANSWERS - UPDATED 2026
FDNY Certificate of Fitness P-98
# QUESTION ANSWER
1 What is fuel-oil generally used for in buildings? Fuel-oil is used in stationary equipment for two purposes: (1) to fuel
emergency generators, and (2) to fuel equipment used to heat the
building.
2 What Certificate of Fitness is required to supervise fuel-oil The P-98 Certificate of Fitness is required.
transfer in a building from one floor to another?
3 Is the P-98 Certificate of Fitness citywide or premise-related? The P-98 Certificate of Fitness is premise-related.
4 What does the word 'should' mean in the P-98 study materials? 'Should' refers to policies, procedures, and/or best practices
recommended by the FDNY; it may not be a codified requirement.
5 What does the word 'shall' mean in the P-98 study materials? 'Shall' refers to a requirement of the NYC Fire Code or the FDNY.
6 What must P-98 Certificate of Fitness holders do throughout the They must maintain all qualifications and comply with all
term of their certificate? requirements applicable to such certificate holders.
7 Under what supervision shall periodic inspection and testing of Under the PERSONAL SUPERVISION of the P-98 Certificate of
fuel-oil tanks and piping be conducted? Fitness holder.
8 Under what supervision shall the stationary fuel-oil storage Under the GENERAL SUPERVISION of a P-98 Certificate of Fitness
system that transfers oil above the lowest floor be operated? holder.
9 How often must fuel-oil storage tanks and piping systems be At least once WEEKLY.
inspected for leaks?
10 How often must fuel-oil storage tank float switches be tested? At least once WEEKLY to ensure they are in good working order.
,# QUESTION ANSWER
11 What three authorizations are required before oil burning (1) A Certificate of Compliance from NYCDOB, (2) compliance with
equipment may be operated? NYCDEP air pollution control code requirements, and (3) a permit for
the storage and use of fuel-oil issued by the FDNY.
12 What does 'NYCDOB' stand for? New York City Department of Buildings.
13 What does 'NYCDEP' stand for? New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
14 For which buildings is the P-98 COF required? For all existing and new buildings where fuel is being transported
from the lowest levels to tanks or equipment on upper floors pursuant
to the NYC Fire Code and Mechanical Codes.
15 If you need to change the grade of fuel-oil in a system, what Approval from the NYC Department of Buildings and FDNY is
approval is required? required before changing any grade of fuel-oil.
16 What is the purpose of the dike surrounding the oil storage In case of a leak, the diked area will contain the oil.
tank?
17 What are the characteristics of #2 fuel-oil in its normal #2 fuel-oil is thin and light and is easily pumped through the
condition? circulation system.
18 What does the suction pump do in a fuel-oil system? It circulates the oil throughout the system.
19 What is the purpose of the oil filter in the fuel-oil system? The oil filter removes most dirt and sediment contaminants from the
oil before the oil reaches the burner's strainer.
20 How far from the bottom of the tank must the suction line be 6 inches from the bottom of the tank, so that sediment is not
positioned? absorbed.
21 What is a vacuum gauge and what does it measure? A vacuum gauge is a device that measures pressure below
atmospheric pressure.
22 What do excessive vacuum readings on the vacuum gauge Excessive vacuum readings indicate an obstruction in the suction
indicate? line, such as a dirty oil strainer.
23 What should an operator do when the vacuum gauge shows Close the shut-off valve to stop oil flow, then clean the filter/strainer
excessive readings? or perform other maintenance.
24 What is the main fuel valve and what does it do? The main fuel valve is electrically operated and will open or close the
line leading to the atomizer. It shuts down the burner system if there
is a failure of ignition or combustion.
25 What is the purpose of the oil return line? Oil circulates through the piping system back to the storage tank
through the oil return line.
, # QUESTION ANSWER
26 Why is a back pressure relief valve provided? For safety, in case the pressure becomes too great.
27 What are day tanks and where are they located? Day tanks are smaller fuel storage tanks that may be located
throughout the building above the lowest floor.
28 How many pumps are required per day tank? A separate pump is required for each day tank to supply each floor.
29 What is a leak collector and where is it stored? A leak collector collects oil in case of a piping leak. It is stored by the
storage tank and has an oil level gauge.
30 What does the oil level gauge on the main storage tank show? It shows how much fuel oil is inside the main storage tank or day
tank.
31 What is combustion? Combustion is the chemical union of the oxygen in the air with
combustible elements in fuel-oil (hydrogen and carbon), resulting in
the production of heat energy.
32 What are the two principal elements of fuel-oil? Carbon and hydrogen.
33 Approximately what percentage of fuel-oil is carbon? About 85%.
34 Approximately what percentage of fuel-oil is hydrogen? About 14%.
35 What is produced when carbon in fuel-oil unites with oxygen? Carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
36 What is produced when hydrogen in fuel-oil unites with oxygen? Water.
37 What is the end product of COMPLETE combustion? Carbon dioxide (CO2) is recognized as the end product of complete
combustion.
38 What is the end product of INCOMPLETE combustion? Carbon monoxide (CO) is the end product of incomplete combustion.
39 Why is carbon monoxide considered dangerous? In addition to being inefficient in the production of heat, the presence
of carbon monoxide is highly dangerous.
40 What does an oil burner do to fuel-oil before it enters the An oil burner vaporizes or atomizes the oil before it enters the
combustion chamber? combustion chamber where it is mixed with air in predetermined
proportions.
41 What is 'primary air' in an oil burner? Primary air is the air that contacts the oil prior to its leaving the
nozzle.
42 What is 'secondary air' in an oil burner? Secondary air is the air introduced from the blower or fan into the
combustion chamber after the oil has left the nozzle.
43 How much air do oil burners require per gallon of oil consumed? Approximately 2,000 cubic feet of air per gallon of oil consumed.
