Heating Oil Tank Care: What You Can Do Today

Heating oil tanks are built to last a long time with minimal attention – but minimal doesn’t mean no attention. To make sure they run reliably and remain in compliance with Vermont safety and environmental regulations* year after year, they need at least some regular care.

3 Tank Care Tasks

Here are three tasks to tackle in the coming weeks to keep your oil storage tank working well heading into next heating season.

1. Look for obvious signs of wear – Pay particular attention to the:
   • tank supports and leg brackets – Make sure they are not missing, rusted, buckled, bent, or separating from the tank.
   • tank platform – Look for cracks and other deformities
   • tank body and connectors – Look for rust, warps, dents, weeping or wet spots.
2. Keep your tank at least half full – When a tank contains more air than water, condensation (water droplets) can form on the tank’s interior walls as temperatures change from season to season. This condensation creates two big problems for your heating system: first, damp air encourages bacteria growth in your fuel, which will eventually degrade your heating oil to a thick sludge that will jam your fuel lines and reduce efficiency. Second, water will eventually sink to the bottom of your steel oil tank (since it’s heavier than oil) and corrode it from the inside out – a problem you often won’t see coming until it’s too late (unless you follow step three below).
3. Get regular professional oil tank inspections – Even the most thorough visual inspection won’t reveal what’s happening inside 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.

*Please note: whether your tank is new or old, according to Vermont regulations, an un-inspected fuel oil tank CANNOT be filled after August 15, 2020! You must confirm that your fuel oil tank has been checked by a Vermont Certified Tank Inspector within the past three years.

If your tank has not been inspected in that time frame, make sure to schedule an appointment with us soon! Our certified team of service technicians can assure your tank is up to speed and ready for the seasons ahead.

Need an oil tank inspection in northern Vermont? We can help! Contact Jack F. Corse today to learn more about heating oil tank inspections and heating oil tank installations in Lamoille, Franklin, & Northern Chittenden counties.