What Size Oil Tank Do I Need For My Home?
Homeowners have a lot to think about to properly maintain their homes. This makes it easy to overlook their HVAC systems, including heating oil units. If you haven’t checked your oil tank for a while or you recently moved into your house, now is the time to check it.
Fuel oil keeps your home warm, safe, and comfortable. You do not want to run out of heating oil during the coldest months of the year. Due to delays, you may not be able to have your oil tank filled for several days when the weather becomes harsh. Therefore, you should be aware of your heating oil levels, especially if you use will-call or COD deliveries. Call when your tank is about 30% full.
Additionally, if you need to replace your heating oil tank, you may be wondering if you should opt for a different heating oil tank size. Oil tank size influences how often you need a delivery, overall heating oil prices, and more. Before opting for a smaller or larger oil tank, find out if your existing oil tank size fits your home heating needs.
In this article, we discuss more on oil tank sizing, when to upgrade your tank, and factors to consider if you’re due for an oil tank replacement.
The Importance Of Oil Tank Size
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If your home utilizes heating oil for home heating, you must become familiar with your heating needs. Knowing your fuel usage habits will help you accurately determine the oil tank size that works best for you. By knowing this information, you can also determine the schedule of your oil delivery ahead of time. Here are several other reasons you should know the size of your oil tank:
- Determine How Much Heating Oil Is Left: When you know your tank’s size, you can determine the amount of oil left in it. Some older tanks are not equipped with gauges that let you know when the oil levels are low. If this is the case for your home, you can use a simple calculation to find out the oil level in your tank.
- How Much Oil To Purchase: You can measure how much oil you need to buy to get you through winter if you know the oil tank size and how much oil is left. This lets you plan and budget appropriately.
- Understand Your Consumption Better: You can be a more conscious consumer when you understand your oil usage better. This also allows you to practice better heat conservation.
- Prevent Running Out Of Oil: Not running out of oil is the most important reason behind knowing your oil tank’s size. If your oil runs out, you have to suffer through frigid temperatures, which can pose health risks to you, especially to the children and elderly in your home.
When To Upgrade Your Home Oil Tank
Many factors need to be considered when you want an oil tank upgrade. It is also helpful that you know why you need to replace your old one, as it helps make finding the size you need an easier task. Here are some reasons:
- You may have an old or defective tank.
- Changes in your heating needs may require a tank upgrade. For instance, your family may have grown, so you need a bigger tank.
- You want to make the most out of the economies of scale. Bulk buying has more discounts, so you require a large fuel oil tank to accommodate this.
Common Home Oil Tank Sizes
When you want to know more about heating oil tank sizes, first learn about how measurements work. For example, capacity is how much oil can fill your oil tank. The capacity of residential oil tanks is measured in gallons. The size can also mean the tank’s measurements in inches by its height, width, and depth. Knowing these measurements means you can also know the tank’s capacity.
Determine your current tank capacity to know what oil tank size you need. Older tanks usually aren’t labeled with their size. Therefore, you need to use a measuring tape to calculate the size on your own. Modern tanks typically have labels where you can find their size, so it is easier for you.
Residential heating oil tanks have a standard size of 275 gallons. There are also other sizes, including 288, 340, 420, 500, 550, 675, and 1000 gallons. Tanks can also come in sizes as big as 30,000 gallons, which can be utilized in large commercial spaces.
Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Heating Oil Tank
Various factors impact the heating oil tank you should buy. However, the biggest factor is the amount of heating oil your home consumes. Here are a few considerations when looking for the correct heating oil tank size that best fits your home:
- Spacing Requirements: Determine your current tank’s physical size if you want to upsize it. This will let you know if you have the space to accommodate a bigger tank.
- Number Of Occupants: You need more heat when you have a bigger family. You will have a higher oil consumption as your family grows, so you require a bigger tank to ensure all your family members stay warm and comfortable.
- Home Size: A general guide to follow when searching for the best oil tank size to buy is the number of rooms your home has. A home with one or two bedrooms needs smaller tanks, while homes with five bedrooms require bigger-sized tanks.
- Consumption Habits: Keep the heating habits of your family in mind. You may be a conscious consumer who has a low heating oil usage. Take your vacation days into account as well. If you usually go out on vacation during winter, you will also save on heating oil use.
- Emergency Preparation: Have at least a 20% leeway on your fuel consumption. This is in case an emergency happens. For instance, a snowstorm may be preventing your next delivery from getting to you on time.
Use A Professional For The Oil Tank Installation
Once you have evaluated your family’s heating oil requirements, and have decided on the most suitable tank size for your household, call a professional heating oil tank provider for tank installation. An experienced technician will make sure that you make the correct size choice for your tank and that it will fit all your needs. They will also ensure that the installation is a safe and professional process.
Professional heating oil tank installers will ensure that the tank is installed in the best location on your property, so the tank is easy to access. They will also ensure that the tank is properly secured in a solid foundation. The tank’s placement is crucial because it ensures hazardous oil leaks do not happen. Professionals will ensure the tank is not exposed to hazards linked to temperature plunges which can freeze your heating oil system. A certified heating oil tank installer will consider all these risks with the help of the necessary industry-standard protocols.
Conclusion
Many factors must be considered before deciding on an oil tank for your home. Ensure that you call a reliable heating technician for professional assistance. This will ensure that the whole tank replacement process, from oil tank removal to installation, is an easy and convenient one.
Call R.F. Ohl For Fast & Affordable Heating Oil Deliveries
R.F. Ohl is a reliable HVAC company and heating oil supplier. We offer the most competitive heating oil prices in the region, and our deliveries are always completed in a timely and efficient manner. We offer many different delivery plans and financing options so that you can customize your heating oil deliveries to fit your needs. In addition, we employ only experienced, licensed HVAC technicians to complete any necessary oil tank replacements, heating tune-ups, and HVAC repairs so that you can reduce your overall energy costs.
At R.F. Ohl, we provide state-of-the-art HVAC repairs, replacements, tune-ups, and installations. Our professionals have the knowledge and experience to offer you practical and reasonably priced solutions for all your home comfort needs.
Contact R.F. Ohl as soon as possible, and we will be happy to schedule a complimentary, in-home estimate of your HVAC system. Likewise, call us today to find out more about our fuel deliveries.
Click here to contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.