If your home uses home heating oil, you must ensure your system is safe and well-maintained all year round. This is essential to protect the environment, keep your home and family safe and ensure that your oil usage is as efficient as possible. Getting the most out of your home heating oil system is simple when you have a reliable supplier and follow best practices, and we can help you every step of the way.
How to Properly Store Home Heating Oil: Safety Tips and Best Practices
If your home uses home heating oil, you must ensure your system is safe and well-maintained all year round. This is essential to protect the environment, keep your home and family safe and ensure that your oil usage is as efficient as possible. Getting the most out of your home heating oil system is simple when you have a reliable supplier and follow best practices, and we can help you every step of the way.
In this article, we’ll explore how you can ensure the safety of your system and protect against any problems. Maximising energy efficiency will save you money and time, and understanding the implications of factors such as global events on the oil industry can transform the way you manage your home heating and help you reduce stress and keep warm throughout the year.
Storing Your Home Heating Oil: The Safety Tips You Need
Home heating oil has been used for centuries and recent years have seen the introduction of new technologies that increase its energy efficiency and offer a more sustainable solution. Some noteworthy developments include:
- Find out about your oil tank. If you’ve just moved into your property or aren’t familiar with the system, you should find out what sort of tank you have and whether it is double-walled to give you extra protection against cold weather and leakage. You should know what your tank is made of, and ideally, this will be a strong and durable material such as steel or purpose-designed plastic. The size of your tank will be determined by your heating needs so you will require a bigger tank for a larger home, for instance. This means the capacity of the tank will be suited to your lifestyle and you will not need to refill the tank too frequently.
- Ensure your oil tank is located in the best place. If your tank has been in place for many years, it is probably not realistic to re-site it but you should check that it is positioned in an optimum position that is safe and stable. If you are replacing your tank or fitting a new one, you should seek advice on the best and safest location for it. If your tank is underground, it must be installed by professionals to extend its life and prevent corrosion and leaks. If it is above the ground, it will need to be placed on a non-combustible, level surface such as concrete. Your tank and the area around it should be dry and well-ventilated to reduce the risk of rust and it is a good idea to install a cathodic protection system to protect against corrosion.
- Inspect your oil tank. It is important to inspect your oil tank regularly to make sure there is no rust on the tank. You should take note of any dents, cracks or bulges in the walls of the tank and seek professional advice if any of these are present. Ensure that your tank is inspected on an annual basis by a licensed professional who can assess the fittings and connections as well as the structural integrity of the tank and its surroundings. If your tank needs to be replaced, you will need to dispose of it carefully, complying with the local regulations and considering the best location for your new tank carefully.
- Keep your oil tank clean. As you would expect, your oil tank can become sludgy and debris can accumulate and may lead to blockages in your heating system. A regular clean, usually every 3-5 years, is the best way to prevent problems from building up and you can speak to your oil supplier about this. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of your tank, especially if you have recently moved into your property and are not sure when the tank was last cleaned, a tank inspection will give you an expert opinion on whether a clean would be beneficial.
- Monitor your oil tank. Ensuring that your tank functions correctly will reduce wastage and ensure safe operation within your system, and this is not complicated to do. You can use a gauge or a monitor to prevent spills by monitoring the tank as it is filled and ensuring that it is not overfilled. A drip tray or a containment barrier will handle minor leaks and spills and alert you to any potential problems, which could be catastrophic for the local environment if undetected. It is also important to check the fittings, including the pipes, the seals and the valves to ensure that they are fully tightened and check for signs of wear.
- Protect your oil tank. There are several measures you can take to protect your oil tank, such as painting it with a rust paint or rust inhibitor to protect against corrosion and insulating any pipes that are exposed to ensure that they will not freeze in the coldest weather. To protect against freezing, you could also consider installing a tank heater, which will help to maintain the viscosity of the oil, preserving its quality and ensuring good performance all year round.
- Use safety features to prevent problems with your oil tank. Overfilling your oil tank can lead to damage to the environment, as well as undetected leaks. You should use an overfill alarm so that you will know immediately when the tank is full, and you should have a leak detection system that can detect any leaks quickly. In case of a spill or leak, you should have a plan to clean up spilt oil as soon as possible. You must familiarise yourself with the regulations for oil management in your area as this may have implications for your storage systems and your emergency clean-up plans.
- Use quality oil in your oil tank. Of course, one of the biggest factors in keeping your tank in good condition and your system running smoothly is the type of oil you use and ensuring that you use a reliable supplier will make a big difference. Good quality oil will perform better and the risk of sludge building up due to impurities in the oil will be reduced. Delivering high-quality oil means we minimise the risk of damage to your property and the environment and we ensure that our customers get the very best performance from their oil, every time.
Taking care of your home heating oil system will extend the life of your tank and ensure your system functions as efficiently as possible, saving you money and reducing your carbon footprint. Your system should always be compliant with the safety and environmental regulations in your local area, and safe usage will reduce the risk of fire as well as the risk of damage to the environment.
Order Your Heating Oil from East Cork Oil
At East Cork Oil, we are committed to supplying the best quality fuels for your home and workplace. We are your local supplier of quality-assured fuels, delivering to homes and businesses across the Southern counties of Ireland on a flexible schedule so that you always have the fuel you need. We offer an emergency ‘out of oil’ same-day service for emergencies, and we can also help you plan and budget for your oil so that you never run out. Our payment plans are designed to give you versatility and ensure you aren’t faced with large fuel bills that are overwhelming.
We offer a full range of oils, lubricants, tanks and accessories, and we will be happy to share our expertise with you to ensure your system is functioning correctly and is maintained in optimum condition. Our smart tank monitoring systems can take the stress out of the process and can help us ensure that you and your family stay warm and cosy all year round.
We have been supplying oil across Ireland since 1974 and we know our business inside out so we can always find the best fuel solutions for you. We also supply agricultural, marine and road diesel to our customers in agricultural and commercial premises in the local area, and we are committed to excellent customer service that always exceeds your expectations. Our team are friendly and professional and we will always be happy to help you find the best solutions for your home and your business.
