Written on: May 24, 2021
The seasons are changing here in Connecticut and New York, and soon it will be time to give your heating system a well-earned rest for the summer. Before you do that, though, we suggest doing two things, if you haven’t done them already: schedule heating maintenance and top off your heating oil tank.
The first of these suggestions is probably obvious – you’re going to need annual heating maintenance anyway, so why not do it before the fall rush? But the second to-do on that list may be just as important, for one big reason: it could help prevent an oil tank leak.
Here’s why: as seasons change, condensation (water) will form on the walls inside your oil tank – a result of temperature differences inside and outside the tank (the same way condensation forms on a cold glass left in the summer heat). An empty tank is more prone to condensation build-up than one that contains oil.
Condensation is doubly bad news for your oil storage tank: first, damp conditions provide a perfect breeding ground for bacteria living in your heating oil; once they multiply, they turn your fuel oil into a thick fuel line- and burner nozzle-clogging sludge.
Second, water – which is heavier than oil – will sink to the bottom of the tank, causing rust that will eat away at your tank. That’s a big problem that could be difficult to see coming until it’s too late, and if you’ve ever been part of an oil tank clean-up, you’ll know it’s definitely something you want to avoid.
The bottom line is that a build-up of condensation is not good for your heating oil tank, and keeping oil in your tank during the offseason is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce it. Topping off your tank now could be a good way to save some money, too, since heating oil prices tend to be lower during the offseason.
Need to top off your heating tank this summer? We can help you with an offseason heating oil delivery in Northern Westchester and Fairfield counties! Contact Westmore Fuel Co. today to learn more.