Three steps for determining the right tank for your house

When was your home’s heating oil tank installed?

Since oil tanks can serve a home for over 30 years, there’s a decent chance that your tank was put in long before you bought your home. Many of our North Fork customers don’t know how old their tanks are.

While oil tanks can last a long time, they eventually need to be replaced. It’s a good idea to have them checked periodically by a professional since cleaning up a tank leak can be incredibly pricy.
Also, if you’re considering upgrading your home’s heating, that might affect your oil storage needs.

Today’s heating oil tanks come in a range of sizes and shapes. The home comfort pros at Burt’s Reliable can help you find the perfect tank and get it installed quickly and correctly. Here are three steps you should take when assessing your oil storage needs.

1. Assess your living space

The first factor you should consider when selecting a heating oil tank is the size of your home. Here’s a rundown of standard tank sizes:

For a larger home, you can multiply these tank volumes to come up with a ballpark estimate of your storage needs.

You also must consider the space restrictions of the room holding your tank. Some homes cannot accommodate certain tank sizes.

2.Think about your heating oil usage

The number of people in your house can significantly affect how much heating oil you use. If you plan on welcoming a child or inviting an elderly relative to live with you, this will increase your fuel usage. The same is true if you have recently started working from home. Working in your home all winter will require you to run the heat much more often.

While determining how much heating oil you’ll use, build in a safety margin. Cold snaps, nor’easters and persistent snow are facts of life in our corner of New York. A heating oil tank with 30 percent extra capacity will make a big difference when inclement weather rolls in. Plus, you won’t need to get a heating oil delivery quite as often!

3. Call in a professional

As a full-service heating oil company, we can assure you that you’ll save a lot of headaches — and avoid equipment issues down the line — if you bring in certified professionals to replace your heating oil tank.

Not only do we have a wide selection of state-of-the-art tanks and the know-how to install them efficiently; our technicians are also experienced in the best ways to transfer your existing fuel and dispose of the old tank. If you have an old underground tank, we’ll fill it with sand or foam to decommission it. We know Suffolk County’s regulations around walling and materials and can ensure you’re in compliance.

We’d love to connect and provide you with an estimate on a new tank. Contact our team today!