Written on: April 22, 2024
Spring has sprung — and homeowners throughout Burlington County are getting ready for garage cleanouts, blooming gardens and the thrill of outdoor activities in warmer weather.
At this time of year you might be putting thoughts of home heating oil in your rearview mirror — but don’t forget that the same fuel that keeps your place warm and toasty in the dead of winter may also be powering your water heater year-round.
That’s why it’s never a bad time to get a little knowledge about your humble but mighty heating oil tank. Understanding how much fuel it holds, how to check tank levels and when to schedule a refill delivery so you don’t run out is an important part of home ownership no matter the weather.
The size and type of heating oil tank you have depends on the size and demands of your particular home. Generally speaking, the typical tank for a smaller home has a 275-gallon capacity, whereas tanks for larger homes might have a 300- to 500-gallon capacity. Your tank might be vertical or horizontal.
The capacity should be shown on the tank and in your user manual. If for some reason you can’t find either one, you can always contact us and let us know your tank’s approximate size (height, width and depth) for help with determining the capacity.
One important thing to know about your tank, no matter its size: when heating oil companies deliver more fuel, they don’t fill the tank all the way up to its total capacity on purpose. Extra room is always left for expansion and for debris.
This part is fairly easy, because most tanks have a built-in fuel gauge that’s usually located at the top of the tank. To make it easier for people to understand, most gauges use the same type of system as your car’s gas gauge — with markings that mean the tank is either full (“F”), three-quarters full (“¾”), half full (“½”) or one-quarter full (“¼”). Normally a disk resting inside the gauge will indicate how much oil is left.
So how does this help you understand when it’s time to schedule a heating oil delivery? If the disk has settled just above or at the ¼ mark, you’ll want to call us soon for an “on demand” or “will call” delivery. But if the disk is close to the bottom — or worse, if you can’t see it at all — that means there’s very little left. In that case, you’ll need to call us ASAP for emergency delivery service to avoid a run-out.
Why take on the responsibility of having to check your heating oil tank gauge frequently and remembering to schedule refill service when you can let us take care of it all for you? We use remote monitoring to track your heating oil use, then stay on top of weather forecasts and your usage history to accurately predict when it’s time to refill your tank. This free service lets you relax knowing you won’t experience heating oil run-outs any time of the year.
Our neighbors throughout Burlington, Gloucester and Camden counties have been depending on us for decades to deliver their heating oil quickly and safely. We make things easy with automatic delivery — just give us a call to get started today!
