Heating Oil Tank Summer Care: 3 To-dos

Heating oil tanks are pretty simple devices, especially when compared to today’s high-tech home heating equipment. But they still do require at least some care and attention to run safely and reliably year after year.

Here are three things you should do sometime in the coming weeks to keep your oil storage tank working reliably well through the summer and into the next heating season.

Heating Oil Tank Ready For Summer Checklist

1. Give it a once-over yourself. Visually inspect your tank for obvious signs of wear. Some suggestions:
   • Check the tank legs and make sure they are not missing, rusted, buckled or bent.
   • Make sure the leg brackets are not cracked or separating from the tank.
   • Check the platform of the tank to ensure it isn’t cracked or deformed.
   • Look for signs of rust.
   • Run your hands over the tank and connectors to detect warps, dents, weeping or wet spots.
2. Get a professional inspection. The most thorough visual inspection won’t reveal what’s happening on the inside of your tank, but ultrasonic oil tank testing will. Look for professionals who offer this service: many steel tanks corrode from the inside out, often leaving few warning signs of a future leak or tank failure.
3. Schedule a heating oil delivery. 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.

Need a heating oil delivery in southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island? We can help. Contact Discount Oil Brokers today to schedule your heating oil delivery in RI and MA!