Taking Care of Your Oil Tank

At the Dandys Derrynoose, our home heating oil prices are the most competitive that you will find for many a mile.  But even at our amazing prices, we appreciate how precious a commodity home heating oil is. You would never want it to be wasted.  Your home heating oil tank is where you place all this trust.  Having a sturdy, strong kerosene tank is very important.  Making sure that the tank stays free of damage is an easy step towards keeping that precious heating oil safe and warming you and your family on these chilly days.  A leak in the tank is a blow to you financially but could be a bit of a disaster if there is environmental damage too which could mean a costly clean up on your own property and that of any neighbours that might get effected.

Here are a few simple tips for keeping your oil tank in tip top shape and your home heating oil safe.

Avoiding Leaks

An oil tank should be checked regularly for tears, cracks, bulges or any signs of physical wear.  Plastic tanks can split and crack spilling domestic heating fuel.  Corrosion or rust on metal tanks is a red flag that the tank may not be fit for purpose anymore.  Make a quick inspection of your oil tank every now and again as part of your routine house maintenance and you may well avoid a difficult situation. Check the boiler end of the system too, the flexible hose and the fuel feed lines. Look out for any wear or tear, especially on an older system.  If you have placed the tank under trees or around creeping ivy, or even near a runoff from a gutter then there is a danger that dripping water may take its toll on the tank.   Cut back any overgrown vegetation so that the tank is clear of obstructions and out of danger from falling branches etc.  Make a note of where the feed lines go so that no one digs around them.  Good maintenance on the tank and surrounding areas, including the plinth it might be on, is a preventative measure you will be thankful for in the future.

Cleaning the Tank

It is advisable to have your home heating oil tank cleaned every few years. Sludge can build up in the bottom of the tanks and mess up the heating system. A good fitting tank lid helps to keep out pollutants, rainwater etc that will contribute to contamination and sludge. There are products available for preventing a build up of sludge, rust etc and for helping the kerosene burn more efficiently through the system. A good heating contractor can advise on your best options.. Like a fuel tanks, it is never advisable to allow it run dry.  The dirt at the bottom will go through the lines and you can get stuck with those tricky restart buttons on some reluctant old boilers. Luckily at our prices at the Dandys Derrynoose, it’s a bit easier to get that top up of home kerosene when you need it.

Always use a qualified heating engineer for any work to the tank, feed lines or heating system itself. 

The signs of a leak

If there is a strong smell of kerosene or a diesel like odour around the tank, or you can see the dark tell tales signs of a leak on the area around the tank, you need to call the experts in!  Leaking heating oil could be causing untold damage to your house, seeping through the foundations, or damaging the land around the leak.  A call to an oil leak specialist for an urgent inspection will you know if further action is needed.  

An ounce of prevention

A little attention to the condition of your heating oil tank is an easy enough task and has the big payoff of making sure you and your family stay toasty warm and cozy.  Off season is the perfect time to give your boiler, tank, and home heating oil system a bit of tender loving care.  An ounce of prevention could make life around the heating oil tank remain as sweet as it is.