I went cold turkey this year, no oil in the tanks at all, not even a drop. I have 4 new 330 gallon tanks in the cellar (previous owner put them in), but I wonder if having them sit empty is going to cause them problem over time? I don't plan on using them, but you never know.
Leaving the oil tanks empty - will it ruin them?
- Thread starter MrEd
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If that is the case, it may be worth while to make sure there is no water left in the bottom. Most tanks are installed on a slant away from the drain(supply to appliance) to allow for water to settle and stay in the tank. I would still be worries about condensation from the outside air having access and temp changes may still get you some more condensation in the tanks.
How about removing 3 of the 4 tanks and the last tank leave filled or clean out and leave open to prevent condensation. Those tanks have to be taking up some serious room.
Getting rid of 3 of 4 is in the plan. I can't understand why someone would want to store that much oil in their cellar...if there was ever a leak with 1300 gallons in the cellar it would be catastrophic...and yes, they take up a lot of room.
AndrewChurchill
Minister of Fire
Code in Vermont only allows a maximum of 660 gallons connected to a boiler. You might be out of code by having that many tanks connected.
I used to have two tanks in order to take advantage of lower summertime prices, but I removed one to make room for my storage tank. Last spring when I got 100 gallons I put some stabilizer in with it.
btuser
Minister of Fire
MrEd said:
I would love to have that much storage. I hated having only one tank, therefore having to call every 20-30 days. If I were in your position I would keep two tanks because most oil companies will give you a deal if you load up (500+gallons) at a time. I shoehorned in an extra tank in my basement so now I get to ride the price a little more during the Winter. If you watch the price its amazing how often it drops RIGHT AFTER you and everyone else orders! Being able to make it to April last year saved me about $200.
From what I've heard an empty tank will wick moisture out of the air, as the hot and cold air displace each other. This happens especially when an outside tank is exposed to direct sunlight. I don't know how a tank in a basement would heat up. I think as long as it stayed the same temp it wouldn't generate air flow.
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