Preventing Home Heating Oil from Freezing

Make sure your home stays comfortable and safe

Winters here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island offer a lot of great things: weekend ski trips, snowball fights, ice skating and beautiful scenery.

However, if you have an outdoor heating oil tank, winter can create a problem when the temperature plummets. That problem is that when the temperature of the heating oil stored in your tank drops below a certain temperature, it freezes into thick, viscous sludge. Oil doesn’t freeze solid like water does.

This condition is called gelling, and it can impact several components of your home heating system, including your:

Heating oil tank: When heating oil gels inside the tank, the sludge settles down at the bottom of the tank. That shrinks available space and leaves behind less burnable oil.

Heating oil lines: If gelled oil gets into the heating oil line, it can build up on the walls of the line. Like a clogged drain, the passageway to the igniter is narrowed. Less fuel gets to the igniter, which means you’ll have less efficient heating. That causes higher energy bills.

Atomozing nozzle: This is what turns your heating oil into a vapor that is burned to create your heat. If your heating oil gels, it can block the nozzle. Less oil will get through to be used for heating. Again, this reduces your heating system’s efficiency and will increase your heating costs. You’ll also end up having to shell out for repairs.

Fuel filter: Gelled air that’s forced through the filter will clog it. You’ll need to replace it more frequently.

Prevent heating oil gelling

First, let’s talk safety. NEVER tamper with your heating oil OR your heating oil equipment! Let trained professionals like the experienced and skilled professionals at Wesco Oil do any repairs or maintenance you need.

Here are six things you can do:

1. Have your heating system professionally serviced every year. The saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has endured ever since Ben Franklin came up with it in 1736 for a reason. It’s true. Preventative maintenance is critical to staying on top of gelling and other problems that may crop up with your heating system. If your furnace or boiler hasn’t had its annual tune-up this season, it’s not too late! Schedule a service with Wesco Oil today.
2. Have a heating oil treatment added. Outdoor heating oil tanks need an additive to prevent heating oil from gelling. Wesco Oil offers one! Contact us to learn more.
3. Cover your heating oil tank and fuel line. Build a shed around the heating oil tank to protect it from the elements. If your heating oil line is aboveground, have it buried to provide insulation in the cold.
4. Install a wider fuel line. This can minimize the blockage caused by gelling.

Learn more about how to take care of your home’s heating system. Get in touch with us today!