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 Mobile ViewOIL STORAGE TANKS ABANDONING OIL TANKS ABANDONING OIL TANKS, EPA Details ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTIONS AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS AGE of OIL TANK ANODES & DIP TUBES on WATER HEATERS BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BOILERS, HEATING BURIED OIL TANK ADVICE BURIED OIL TANKS, FINDING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-BOILER DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS DIRECTORY of OIL TANK EXPERTS FILTERS, OIL on HEATING EQUIPMENT FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS FLAME COLOR, BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLOATING UP OIL STORAGE or SEPTIC TANKS FLOODED HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS FUEL UNIT, HEATING OIL PUMPS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAUGES ON HEATING EQUIPMENT HEAT LOSS in buildings HEAT TAPES, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up HEATING COST FUEL & BTU Cost Table HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS HEATING OIL CLOUD WAX GEL POINT HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HEATING OIL - OLD, USEABLE? HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SHELF LIFE HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL TANKS HEATING OIL USAGE RATE HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR HEATING SYSTEM NOISES HOME BUYERS GUIDE TO OIL TANKS HOT WATER HEATERS NO HEAT - BOILER NO HEAT - FURNACE NOISE CONTROL for HEATING SYSTEMS NOISES COMING FROM WATER HEATER ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS FROM HEATING SYSTEMS OIL BURNERS OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR OIL BURNER NOISE SMOKE ODORS OIL BURNER NOZZLE & ELECTRODES OIL BURNERS, RETENTION HEAD OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS OIL FILTERS on HEATING EQUIPMENT OIL FILTER MISSING OIL FUEL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS OIL & GAS PIPING OIL LINE CLOGGING FIX OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES OIL ODORS, LEAKY OIL TANK PIPING OIL PUMP FUEL UNIT OIL SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANKS OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE OIL TANK AGE OIL TANK, BURIED, ADVICE OIL TANK, BURIED, FINDING OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES OIL TANK FAILURE RATES OIL TANK FLOATING UP OIL TANK GAUGES OIL TANK INSPECTION, ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTION REPORTS OIL TANK LEAKS & SMELLS OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES OIL TANK LIFE OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS OIL TANK PRESSURE OIL TANK REGULATIONS OIL TANK REMOVAL COs OIL TANK REMOVAL FINANCIAL AID OIL TANK INSPECTION REPORTS OIL TANK SAFETY OIL TANK SLUDGE OIL TANK STANDARDS OIL TANK STANDARDS - Detailed List OIL TANK SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANK SUPPORT OIL TANK TESTING OIL TANK TESTING COs OIL TANK WATER CONTAMINATION OIL TANK WATER REMOVAL SOOT on OIL FIRED HEATING EQUIPMENT STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS WATER HEATERS More Information |
Shelf life of home heating oil: this document explains the shelf life or storage life of home heating oil (No. 2 home heating oil) and discusses what can and should be done with old heating oil found in unused or abandoned oil storage tanks. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. What is the Shelf Life or Storage Life of Home Heating Oil?Separately at HEATING OIL - OLD, USEABLE? we discuss how to move or make use of old heating oil. Proper oil storage tank abandonment requires the use of good engineering practices, including consideration of the future condition of the tank. While the original of this article focused on commercial oil storage tanks, the concerns and steps should be examined by those abandoning residential oil tanks as well. Readers of this page should see The Oil Storage Tank Website. Uses for and handling of used lubricating oils (not heating oil) is discussed in US EPA publication Managing Used Oil. Diesel fuel, which is basically the same as No. 2 heating oil, is said by sources we've read to have a shelf life of 18-24 months without any fuel additives having been put into the tank. (Diesel fuel is basically No. 2 heating oil PLUS some fuel additives for winter use in vehicle engines). Additives to diesel fuel are intended to be added when the fuel is put into the tank, not years later, and they claim to preserve the fuel's octane and combustion characteristics. How can we extend the storage life of heating oil in a tank?IF someone had put the proper additives into the tank of home heating oil when the fuel was delivered, it could have been reliably stored and then used up to two years later. Contact your heating oil delivery company to ask their recommended products for adding to and protecting the life of heating oil. Can a heating oil additive "restore" old heating oil and make it good to burn in our oil burner?Can an oil additive rejuvenate old stored heating oil? It's unlikely but we'd need to ask the chemical engineers who make those products. We speculate that products intended to be added to Diesel or perhaps to heating oil are intended to be added as preservatives at the time of delivery of the oil and that they are not designed to restore or rejuvenate old heating oil. We have found no indication that adding a diesel fuel additive, or a heating fuel additive such as 4-in-one hot™ (sludge breakup and water remover) to heating oil will "restore" the original properties of oil that has been stored for a decade. Remember that what was in the ground for a million years was not No 2 heating oil, it was a gooey ugly sludge crud that was then refined or cooked and purified at the oil refinery. Why does heating oil deteriorate while in storage?What might contribute to heating oil breakdown in an oil tank?
What Can we Do with Old Unused Heating OilUsed oils (not recovered "virgin oil") can be re-refined and used for various purposes according to the US EPA but we are doubtful that the volume of old virgin oil in a typical residential heating tank is enough to interest most large recyclers. Your heating oil company can remove and dispose of your unused heating oil, as we recommend just below. Concluding Advice for People who Find Unused Oil in an Old Oil Storage TankOil burners are tolerant of a range of oil quality, and it's possible that old heating oil would "work" in such a unit, but given the uncertainties and information we listed above, we would not risk a heat outage or an extra no-heat service call to make use of a couple of hundred gallons of heating oil. You are getting $600. or so of "free" home heating oil but you are risking $250. to $400. for a no-heat call, or a still greater expense if loss of heat leads to frozen, burst pipes in a building. The owner of the old heating oil should call local heating oil companies to ask if they'll pump out the oil - be honest with them that it's old (give the date of last oil delivery if it is known) - lest the oil be distributed it to someone and cause a heating problem. Removing the heating old oil avoids a future oil leak or environmental issue at the property - a potentially costly problem. It is improper to leave an abandoned oil storage tank with oil inside - the oil should have been removed and still should be removed now at this later point Be SURE that the tank filler and vent are totally removed lest you get an un-wanted oil delivery. Don't laugh, it happens. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about handling, using, or disposing of old heating oil or fuel oil Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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