While oil-powered residential furnaces aren't very common in comparison to their alternatives, they're nonetheless a great source of consistent and reliable warmth. It's important, however, that you take care of all the external parts of your heating system that aren't protected by your furnace's metal panels. To prevent any unnecessary problems with the oil storage tank for your furnace, practice these three effective habits.
Wash The Tank Out With Soap And Water Every Time You Have To Refill It
Your storage tank will certainly function even if you don't wash it every time you have to fill it. However, the longer that oil's been sitting in your tank, the more likely it is that a part of it has solidified at the bottom. This solidified oil, if left as it is, will gradually eat away at your tank from the inside until a hole is made.
There's no need to use any fancy cleaning chemical that's specialized for cleaning oil storage tanks. Solid soap, in fact, is often more effective at cleaning off oil gunk because you're forced to press the bar hard against the inside surface of the tank.
Don't Disconnect The Tank From Your Furnace Unless It's Absolutely Necessary
A residential oil-powered furnace is designed in such a way that oil is only supposed to flow from the storage tank when the furnace is turned on. But since it's possible that the flow of oil leading from your tank will be slow to respond to the power going off, don't risk a huge mess and safety hazard by disconnecting anything.
Every time you disconnect your storage tank, you're also wearing down the latches that hold it in place. So if you want your storage tank to last as long as possible without requiring repairs, learning to perform ordinary maintenance tasks while the tank is still connected is even more important.
Keep Paper Towels Around For Minor Oil Spills
No matter how careful you are, dealing with an oil storage tank is messy business. If you don't have paper towels on hand when you inevitably spill oil on the floor, it's unlikely that you'll be able to completely clean up the oil before it spreads all over the room.
A storage tank that contains oil should always be handled with care. In the case of a storage tank for an oil-powered furnace, a few good habits will go a long way toward decreasing future messes, repair bills, and safety hazards.
Share19 January 2015
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