Keep Heating Oil In Your Tank During The Offseason

Despite the temperatures we’ve been having the last few weeks, heating season is winding down here in New Hampshire – which means it’s important to prepare your heating oil tank for its upcoming summer siesta.

One of the most important things you can do to get your heating equipment ready for the offseason (besides getting a heating system tune-up, of course) is to make sure your oil storage tank is at least half-full.

You don’t want an empty tank during the offseason. 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 bacteria to multiply 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 doesn’t like condensation, and the feeling is mutual. By ordering heating oil now to keep your tank at least half full during the offseason, you’re much more likely to keep it healthy. You could also save some money, since heating oil prices are quite low right now, and often at their lowest point this time of year!

Need to top off your heating tank this summer? We can help you with an offseason heating oil delivery in and around Plymouth, New Hampshire! While you’re at it, why not sign up for our fee-free Budget Plan to set yourself up for more predictable fuel bills next heating season? Contact us today to learn more.