As summer draws nearer here in the Hudson Valley, we’re looking forward to enjoying the outdoors, trips to the beach, and being together after a long, socially distanced year with family and friends.
However, there’s one thing you need to do before diving headfirst into the summer season: Fill your home’s heating oil tank!
You may think that you don’t need to fill your tank until fall when the heating season is approaching. After all, you don’t need to heat your home when it’s 80+ degrees out, right? That may be true—but—keeping your heating oil tank full over the summer helps protect your heating oil tank.
When there is empty space in your heating oil tank, condensation develops on the bare walls. The condensation eventually drips off the wall and sinks to the bottom of the tank because water is heavier than that of heating oil.
Once there, the condensation begins to make a perfect breeding ground for bacteria that can lead to the development of sludge. Heating oil sludge is a combination of dirt, rust, and oxidized fuel settled on the bottom of your heating oil tank. That sludge clogs your fuel lines, reduces the efficiency of your heating system, and, if the lines are fully clogged, your furnace or boiler won’t get fuel—leading to an inconvenient heating system break down. You’ll have no heat, and you’ll have a big repair bill at the worst possible time.
Condensation that drips into your heating oil can also lead to the development of sediment. That sediment can cause corrosion of your heating oil tank itself from the inside out.
If the corrosion causes a tank failure, you must not only replace your heating oil tank, but also have a professional safely remove your failed tank and clean up spilled oil to regulatory standards. No one wants to deal with any of that!
Condensation accelerates in warmer weather. Filling your heating oil tank now prevents the development of condensation through the spring and summer.
It also means you’ll have a full tank of heating oil when heating season returns. If there’s a cold snap early, you’re ready to roll!
Filling your tank now can also save you money, because demand is typically low, and prices typically aren’t as high as they are during peak heating season.
Keep your heating oil tank and your heating oil system functioning properly—without the risk or hassle of a breakdown or system failure. Contact us today to schedule a heating oil delivery!