Fuel Oil preservation

[CaddyUser]

Hi folks,

I did some searching about preserving fuel oil in the tank for the oil burner. We only burned a few gallons this year, mostly to be sure that the oil furnace was working and ready to go in the event that it was really needed.... Our tank is located in the basement.

I guess what I'm asking is what would you recommend to maintain / preserve the oil in the tank? Some are saying fuel conditioner / algacide, and some say keep an extra filter and nozzle around in the event of sludge buildup.

The condition of the actual tank shouldn't be a problem, as our homeowner insurance requires it to be replaced every 10 years anyhow....

Thanks in advance!

 

[Work Less Play More]

I have gone through a lot of diesel and heating oil (same basic things)... sometimes it sits for long periods of time, sometimes not. I have never used anything to preserve it. Also, never had any problems due to that. I have asked a few people that have much larger fuel tanks than I do, and none of them every have used an algacide.

Any problems I have had have been due to other issues... The best thing to do is not worry about it, and free up more time for sitting on the deck having a beer. If you determined to do something, replace the filter every few years. Since we know the tank will be in good shape, it's not like it's going to have rust inside of it. Having one on hand just adds to the clutter in the garage, and if you only replace when it's plugged, it's never a convenient time, ya know?

 

[Fred61]

I've had oil go bad on me a couple times so obviously I don't know how to stop it. I can say, however, that whatever those black particles are, do not seem to cause any problems as far as clogging goes. They go right through the filter so they also go through the nozzle. They will be stirred up into the solution and stay suspended for a day or so and then precipitate out. I suspect they are the dead bodies of whatever animal or organism is growing in there. I suspect there is a slight drop in the energy value of the affected oil.

 

[Dune]

Go to a truck stop, boat yard or plumbing/heating supplier and get a fuel stabilizer for diesel.

 

[Work Less Play More]

The black particles you see is from the algae. It's not the algae itself, but the after product of the algae. I see it in my tanks too, but as in your case, it has never been a problem.