How To Keep Oil Safe During Winter

Now that winter has us firmly in its grip, companies making use of industrial heating oil on a regular basis need to ensure that their oil tanks are full and leak-free – or it could quickly become quite costly for both you and the environment.

It would be wise to keep an eye on your tanks regularly throughout the year so you can keep on top of any potential problems. Oil Care has a useful page on its website to help you monitor your oil situation, advising businesses to check tanks over at least once a month and each time they place an order to ensure it isn’t damaged or leaking.

When inspecting your tank, look for anything on or around it that could be a sign that you have a leak and that oil isn’t being lost to the environment. Check the base over for cracking or subsidence and ensure that the tank isn’t becoming overgrown with vegetation, as this could mask its true condition.

Make sure the tank has a working contents gauge and have a look at all visible pipework, filters and valves for signs of leaks like dampness or staining around the joints.

On metal tanks, look out for signs of pitting, rust and blistering of paint, as well as oil dampness on welds and seams. If you have a plastic tank, look for bulging or deformation and any whitening, cracking or splits in the material.

Something else to bear in mind is if you suddenly see a spike in your oil usage as this could be a sign that you have a leak. Check the tank and pipework immediately for any leaks and consider investing in a tank monitoring device as this can give you early warning of a quick drop in your oil level.

Remember that if any heating oil is spilled, it can cause very real problems, particularly for both soil and water, polluting rivers, contaminating both ground and drinking water, and even harming wildlife. Because clean-up costs can be astronomical, prevention will always be better than cure so keep regular maintenance of oil tanks at the forefront of your mind.

After an oil delivery, if you find that your tank starts leaking immediately turn off the valves to stop the flow of oil and do what you can to stop the oil from going down drains or soaking into the ground. You should then get in touch with your oil delivery company to arrange for the spills to be cleaned up.

Call your insurance company to alert them to the situation and always make sure that you never buy more oil than you can safely store.

If you’d like any further help or advice, get in touch with us at Re:Group today.