Why Is It Important to Keep Heating Oil in My Tank During the Offseason?

Now that we’ve finally bid a final goodbye to heating season (for a few months, anyway), it’s important to prepare your heating oil tank for its summer siesta – and one of the simplest ways to do that (besides getting a heating system tune-up, of course) is to make sure your tank is at least half-full.

Here’s why: in the months between heating system uses, condensation is more likely to form inside an empty heating oil tank than inside of a tank that contains more fuel than air. That’s great news for the microorganisms living in your heating oil, who LOVE breeding in the moist environment that this condensation creates. Eventually, these microorganisms break down whatever heating oil is in your tank, jamming up your fuel line and burner nozzle with efficiency-robbing sediment.

Need a second reason to keep some heating oil along for the ride in the months to come? How about tank failure: the same condensation that led those tiny critters to proliferate in your heating oil can also sink to the bottom of your tank (since water is heavier than heating oil) and corrode it from the inside out – a big problem that could be difficult to see coming and extremely costly to remediate, especially if your tank is underground.

The bottom line: your heating oil tank is not a fan of condensation, and keeping it at least half full during the offseason is one of the best ways to keep it healthy. Topping off your tank now could also be a good way to save some money, since heating oil prices are often at their lowest during the offseason.

Need to top off your heating tank this summer? We can help you with an offseason heating oil delivery – and why not sign up for our fee-free EZ Pay Budget Plan while you’re at it to set yourself up for more predictable fuel bills next winter? Contact us today to learn more.