Heating Oil Tank Summer Care Tips

As Labor Day creeps upon us here in Massachusetts, you’re probably thinking more about barbecues and getting in some last-minute visits to the Cape than you are about your heating oil tank.

But it’s probably a good idea to devote at least a little brain matter to that beast in your basement or backyard.

For one thing, a professional heating tank inspection should be on your late-summer to-do list, especially if you have an older steel tank that lacks the fiberglass inner lining of more modern tanks. For another, now is a great time to schedule your annual heating system maintenance, before everyone ELSE gets back from their Cape vacations and starts to book all the convenient appointment times.

But there’s a third thing you can do that is just as important for a healthy heating oil tank: schedule a heating oil delivery if your tank is less than half full.

Here’s why: an empty (or mostly empty) heating oil tank will accumulate condensation (water) on its interior walls as temperatures shift between seasons. This condensation creates “perfect storm” conditions for bacteria growth, which will eventually turn your heating oil into line-clogging, efficiency-robbing sludge. Condensation will also eventually rot the bottom of your tank, since water is heavier than oil and will sink once it falls from the tank walls.

The bottom line: Condensation build-up is bad, and inspecting and filling your tank with heating oil is the best way to prevent it. Schedule a heating oil delivery now and it could prevent problems down the road. It could save you money, too, since pre-season heating oil prices are often lower than in-season prices, when heating oil demand and market prices are highest.

Is your heating oil tank less than half full? Contact Scott Williams to schedule a heating oil delivery in MA today!