Does Keeping Oil In My Tank Prevent Corrosion?

The seasons are changing here in Long Island, and soon it will be time to give your heating system a few months off for the summer. Before you do that, we suggest doing two things, if you haven’t already: Schedule Gold Plan annual heating maintenance and contact us for a heating oil delivery.

The first of these suggestions is probably obvious—after all, just about any home comfort equipment needs a once-over each year to keep it running efficiently and reliably. But why top off your tank when you’re not going to use your heating system for another few months?

The answer is that it helps keep your tank from corroding.

As seasons change, water (condensation) tends to form on the inner walls of your oil tank. This is a result of the temperature difference between inside and outside the tank (think of the way a cold glass builds up water on its sides during the summer).

In an empty tank, more water will form than in one that contains oil. Condensation is bad news for two main reasons:

1. First, the bacteria that already live in your heating oil thrive in damp places, and when they multiply, they turn your heating oil into a thick fuel line and burner nozzle-clogging sludge.
2. Second, water—which is heavier than oil—will sink to the bottom of the tank, corroding it from the inside out. That’s a big problem that could be both difficult to see coming and costly to remediate.

The bottom line is that a build-up of condensation is not good for your heating oil tank and keeping oil in your tank during the offseason months is one of the best ways to prevent it. 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 in eastern Nassau county and Central Suffolk County, NY! Contact Southville Petroleum today to learn more.