Your Heating Oil Tank Offseason Checklist

Heating oil tanks are built to last with minimal care and attention – but minimal doesn’t mean no care and attention. To make sure they run reliably year after year, they need a little TLC – especially in the offseason.

3 To-dos before heating season:

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

1. Give it a once-over – 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. Call in a pro – 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.
3. Get a fill-up – When a tank contains more air than water, condensation (water droplets) will tend to form on the tank’s interior walls as temperatures change. 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 won’t see coming until it’s too late.

Need a heating oil delivery or heating oil tank inspection in the Hudson Valley? Bottini’s got you covered! Contact Bottini Fuel today to schedule your heating service or heating oil delivery in Hudson Valley, NY.