With temperatures rising, you’re probably thinking about being outside, taking in the sunlight, and not thinking about heating oil very much. Even though the weather is warm now you want to make sure your heating system is ready when cooler temperatures return. Keeping your oil tank full (or near full) helps protect your tank and heating oil system over the summer. Here’s why.
CONDENSATION
As outside temperatures warm up, oil tanks experience greater temperature fluctuations which will pull moisture from any air inside your oil tank and cause condensation to accumulate on its inside walls. Of course, the more oil there is in your tank, the less surface area there is inside for condensation to form! Outdoor tanks that are not shaded and take on direct sunlight are especially prone to condensation.
Why is condensation bad? Condensation is water, and because it’s denser than heating oil, it settles to the bottom of your tank. There, tiny micro-organisms that always seem to find their way into everything, even heating oil tanks, begin to breed. These organisms live in the water, and as they multiply and die off, they create sediment which can build up and clog fuel lines and the burner nozzle. At the very least, this will cause the system to operate inefficiently. At the very worst, it can even cause your heating system to fail. A repair bill usually comes along soon after. Not good.
As if that’s not bad enough, sediment also has a corrosive effect on a fuel oil tank. The sediment, still containing water, causes the tank to rust from the inside out. This can seriously weaken your tank. Considering that one gallon of heating oil weighs approximately 7 pounds, a 150-gallon delivery weighs over 1,000 pounds! Why take the risk? An extra heating oil delivery during summer months is worth the cost to help minimize condensation and the damaging corrosion it can cause. For added protection we also offer an additive that will disperse any accumulation of water in your tank. Ask us about adding HOT 4IN1 Heating Oil Treatment to you oil with your next delivery.
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