Heating oil tanks are pretty simple devices, especially when compared to today’s high-tech oil-fired furnaces and boilers. But they still do require at least some care and attention to run safely and reliably year after year.
The first and most obvious way to care for your heating oil tank is to have it professionally inspected every year: an inspection will uncover any issues that need to be resolved to keep your oil tank doing its job more safely and for longer. The second way to care for your oil tank is a little less obvious: keep it at least half full during the offseason.
Why is it important to keep heating oil in your tank? Simple: in a tank that contains more air than fuel, condensation (water droplets) will accumulate on the tank’s interior walls as temperatures change. This condensation creates two big problems for your heating system: first, it encourages bacteria growth in your fuel, which will eventually transform your heating oil into a thick sludge that will jam your fuel lines and rob your system of efficiency. Second, accumulated moisture will eventually sink to the bottom of your steel oil tank (since water is heavier than oil) and corrode it from the inside out – a problem you won’t see coming until it’s too late.
The bottom line is that condensation is the natural enemy of your heating oil tank – and keeping your tank at least half full can help prevent it. Top off your tank now and it could prevent problems down the road.
If your steel heating oil tank is more than 20 years old, spring could be the perfect time to replace it. Today’s double-walled heating oil storage tanks from Roth and Granby EcoGuard, which include a non-corrosive fiberglass interior chamber, make the oil tanks virtually leak proof.
To learn more about heating oil tank installations in Central MA, contact the pros at Needham Oil Complete Heating & Cooling.
Need a heating oil tank installation or heating oil delivery in Montgomery and Norfolk County, MA? We can help! Contact Needham Complete today for more information, or to schedule your delivery or service.