As a homeowner, you always have to think ahead. You’re always worried about various emergencies that could spring up on you. Things like maintenance and repairs could crop up at any time. This circumstance makes it easy to ignore issues that are not directly in your face. The oil heating system in your home is one of those things.
If you just moved into a new home, you may not have put thought into your oil tank or the oil heating system. As you know, during winter, your oil heating system keeps the house warm. Running out of oil during winter will have an adverse effect on your family. If you get stuck indoors due to weather conditions, getting your oil tank filled may prove to be difficult. The situation could stretch from days to more than a week.
As the first step towards purchasing a new oil tank, you’ll need to figure out what size you need. You’ll need this information so you can calculate how much oil you’ll have to buy. Also, the tank you own at the moment may be outdated. This situation means that you’ll have to start looking at other options to suit your consumption needs.
Allentown Heating Oil Companies Near Me: Why You Should Find Out The Size Of Your Oil Tank
Many homes use oil as the primary heat source. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that an estimated 6 million homes heat their space with oil. Many use oil only for water heating. However, that is a much smaller figure. In general, heating oil is mainly a fuel source for heating home space.
Heating Oil Consumption Levels
Heating oil consumption depends on both the region and the season. Most use occurs during cold seasons: spring, fall, and winter. The Northeastern part of the USA carries the highest amount of heating oil consumption. On the other hand, the Western parts of the United States use the least amount of heating oil. The disparity in usage is due to the climate differences between the two coasts.
If you own a home in the Northeastern part of the United States, it’s likely that your primary heat source is heating oil. This makes it essential for you to understand what your heating needs are. As mentioned earlier, you must know what oil tank size you should get.
In case you don’t know what your home’s heating oil consumption is, here are a few points for you to consider. These points will act as a guide as you decide on the size of your tank.
What To Consider
Be aware of how much oil remains in the tank: When you know the capacity of your tank, you’ll know how much oil you’ve got. Many older oil tanks don’t come with gauges. This means you may not know when your oil supply is running low. In such cases, you need to calculate the amount left. We’ll take a more in-depth look at this shortly.
Be clear on how much oil you should buy: This is extra important during winter. When you know the size of your tank, and how much fuel you’ve got left, then you can calculate the amount of oil you need. This kind of planning and budgeting will ensure that you get through the season safely.
Understand how much you consume: Every family should know the levels of their heating oil consumption. You’ll be able to conserve more heat this way. As a conscious consumer, you need to be very watchful over how much oil you use.
Don’t run out of heat! This is the most crucial reason why you need to know what size oil tank you should get. You don’t want to run out of heating oil. During winter, this kind of situation can have damaging consequences – especially if there are little children or seniors at home.
Getting An Upgrade To Your Existing Home Oil Tank
A lot of information surrounds the process of buying a brand new heating oil tank. You don’t have to get overwhelmed by it all. It’s useful to have a clear picture of the reasons why you’re getting an upgrade to your heating oil tank. Here are some reasons why you might choose to buy a new oil tank.
- Your existing tank is outdated and/or may be faulty.
- Different heating needs now – your situation may call for a reduction or an increase in the amount of heat you use.
- You want to benefit from economies of scale – you will spend less money per gallon if you use a larger tank.
You may be buying a new oil tank because there are new members in your family. This would mean that you should get a larger tank. On the flip side, you may want to upgrade your tank for safety reasons. Once you have clarity on why you’re going to update, you can then decide on the right size oil tank.
Popular Oil Tank Sizes
Your first step to understanding oil tank sizes is knowing how the tanks are measured. Then, you need to learn what oil tank sizes you can choose from.
For a residential oil tank, you measure the capacity in gallons. The total capacity of the oil tank is the amount of oil it takes to fill it up. The height, width, and depth of the fuel tank are other dimensions used to talk about the size of the tank. You can use these measurements to get the tank’s capacity.
Before selecting the type of oil tank, it’s vital to find out the capacity of your existing tank. Older tanks don’t usually have a label indicating size. But, modern tanks come with a label, making your job easier. Of course, if there is no size label, you have to carry out the measurements and calculations yourself. It’s time to take out the measuring tape!
As you can imagine, there are various types of oil tanks. Oil tanks come in a range of standard sizes. For example, there are large tanks that can contain over 30,000 gallons of oil. Then, there are ones that are as small as 250 gallons. Residential heating oil tanks usually come at a standard size of 275 gallons.
When it comes to smaller tanks, they typically come in two orientations; wide(V) and tall(H). For instance, many describe a 275-gallon heating tank as 275H or 275V. Whether the heating oil tanks are installed above or below ground will affect the size as well.
Rule-Of-Thumb
As a rule-of-thumb in the industry, 275-gallon tanks are the typical heating oil tank size for one-to-two-bedroom homes. 300-500 gallon range is usual for larger, three-to-four bedroom homes.
Some homes don’t have enough space to accommodate large heating oil tanks. The size of your home, as well as the amount of space you have, are two factors you’ll need to keep in mind. These will help you figure out what size of heating oil tank you need.
What To Look Out For When Buying A Heating Oil Tank
Choosing the right size of the oil tank to buy is affected by many factors. The amount of heating oil you intend to buy is the primary factor. The process here is different from buying gas for your car. Here is the thing; you use your vehicle on a regular basis. This makes it easier to know your consumption needs. You can then efficiently plan for increases or decreases in your consumption.
Every year, you’ll have to address the issue of heating oil consumption. Seasonal changes make it challenging to stay on top of your consumption needs. This means you will not know how much oil you need to purchase. Furthermore, lack of understanding will make it hard to choose the right oil tank size.
The good news is, all you need is a bit of planning and critical thinking. You want to get the right tank the first time.
A few factors to consider when choosing heating oil tank sizes:
- How much space do you have? You have to look your existing oil tank size. If you have run out of oil in the past, you may be tempted to get a larger tank. But, you need to make sure you have enough space for a bigger tank. This will help you avoid shortages of oil during winter. Based on the size of your existing tank, figure out if you can replace it with a larger one.
- The size of your family: this is crucial for newlywed couples. As your family grows, you will need more heat. Your heating oil system will have more rooms to keep warm. Make sure you plan for your future needs.
- How big is your home? How many bedrooms does your house have? What you want here is to be sure of the amount of space that needs to be heated. This will help you find the answer to what size of tank you need. Five-bedroom homes require larger tank sizes, while one-to-two-bedroom homes need smaller tanks.
- Your consumption habits: As a conscious consumer, you will want to limit the amount of heating oil you use. Things like winter vacations may come into consideration as well. Knowing that you won’t be around for some weeks can lead to savings on heating oil. On the other hand, if you are going to use heating during spring, you’ll have higher consumption needs.
- Emergency situations: The weather cannot always be predicted, especially in the Northeastern region. You must always think of your family’s safety. During winter, try to have at least 20% more fuel than what your usual needs would be. You cannot tell ahead of time if you’ll ever get stuck indoors for an extended period. Nothing could be worse than not being able to keep your house warm while there is a blizzard outside.
Installing Your New Oil Tank
So you have an idea of the right tank size. You also know what heating oil consumption level works for your family. Your next step is to get in touch with a certified heating oil installer ( and provider ). They will help you purchase a tank of the right size. They will also install it for you.
Professional heating oil tank installers understand all safety needs. They know how to prevent any dangerous situations, such as leaks. They will also secure your fuel tank to a solid base or foundation. Also, your installers will help mitigate any climate hazards. For example, very low temperatures can cause your system to freeze. There are industry-standard protocols to ensure that you are not affected by such risks.
Getting Your Old Oil Tank Removed
Removing and then disposing of your old oil tank is part of the installation process. You’ll need professional oil tank removal if your existing tank is an underground one. It’s essential that you work with a company that can handle this safely. With older underground heating tanks, there is also an increased risk of oil leaks. That’s one of the reasons why the law requires a professional to take care of your oil tank removal.
Experts have the necessary certification, tools, and equipment needed to handle the whole process. They will also dispose of your old tank at a qualified disposal and recycling location. Be sure to search for “home heating oil companies near me” or “fuel oil delivery near me” to find a reputable dealer in your area. Be sure to find a company that offers the best heating oil price per gallon along with knowledgeable and professional service.
Conclusion
To find reliable and fast heating oil suppliers in the Lehigh Valley, contact the Better Home Heat Council. We can connect you with one of our fuel oil suppliers that offer the most affordable oil prices and impressive delivery times.
Our suppliers offer a lot more than extraordinary fuel oil deliveries. They also provide HVAC services by knowledgeable and experienced licensed technicians. They have the ability to ensure that your equipment is performing as efficiently as possible and that it can keep you comfortable even when the weather is extreme.
The fuel delivery companies that we partner with are known for providing the best prices, an unsurpassable level of skill, and high-quality oil. If you have any concerns that pertain to your heating system, fuel oil prices, or oil delivery options, give us a call or contact us today.
Some of the areas we service include Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Whitehall and these zip codes: 18101, 18015, 18042, 18052, as well as all surrounding areas in the Lehigh Valley.