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 How to Remove Water from an Oil Storage Tank
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
This article explains how we remove un-wanted water contamination from oil storage tanks in order to avoid oil tank corrosion, leaks, or loss of heat. This heating oil storage tank article series provides detailed information about underground (buried) oil storage tanks (USTs),
aboveground oil storage tanks (ASTs), above ground fuel storage tanks, reporting and cleaning up oil tank leaks, and choosing among oil tank leak testing methods.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
How to Remove Unwanted Water from an Oil Tank
- Dispersant / Bactericide Oil Tank Additives: small amounts of water contamination in an oil tank
can be absorbed by alcohol products and moved through the heating system
by adding "4 in one hot" or similar additives available from HVAC suppliers or through your oil company. See details about heating oil additives and chemicals at Additives for Outdoor Oil Tanks.
- Small amounts of water contamination in an oil tank can be removed from the oil tank using products like
the H2O Water Worm from H2O Control Products, Inc.
Quoting from the company's product literature:
The H2OWater Worm is a 36" x 1.5" cloth tube containing a small amount of our water absorbing desiccant.
You simply drop the Water Worm into the tank via any convenient opening, being sure to hold onto the attached 7' string. Secure the string outside of the tank. After settling to the bottom of the tank, the Water Worm will absorb any water that collects or has collected in the tank.
To check or remove the sock, simply use the attached string to pull the Water Worm out. If it is full and firm, it's spent; if not, put the Water Worm back in to collect more water. [Photo courtesy of H2O Control Products Inc.]
- Pump Out Large amounts of water in an oil tank such as several inches or more in the tank bottom
(water will stay at the bottom of the tank as water and oil don't mix), have to be pumped out by your oil company.
(They will leave the heating oil behind and intact). Simply call your oil delivery company or heating service company to arrange for them to check and pump water out of the tank. It's a straight-forward procedure that most oil companies know quite well.
- Clean oil supply and return piping that may have become soiled with sludge or water accumulating by using the CO2 cartridge oil line "blow-out" tool that is carried by oil heat service technicians. Alternatively it may be possible to clean the oil line by disconnecting it at both ends (you'll have to have the proper fitting on hand to plug the oil storage tank to avoid leakage), then blowing out the oil line with compressed air.
Watch out: don't try blowing compressed air through oil piping that is connected to your oil tank. Blowing compressed air directly into your oil storage tank risks that you over pressurize the tank, causing it to leak - a catastrophe.
- Clean the oil filter canister of water, sludge, rust, muck as part of normal heating oil service or when you are removing water from the oil storage tank.
- Test the oil burner fuel unit (fuel pump assembly) to be sure that the fuel unit has not been damaged by water. This is a good time to replace the screen found inside the fuel unit too.
Home buyers should be sure to review OIL TANK TESTING - Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
and Tank Legal Issues - Home Buyers and Home Owners Guide to Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - What to Do About & When to Report Oil Tank Leaks. Leaky Heating Oil Tanks.
Home owners who have old oil tanks above ground or any age oil tank below ground should also be sure to review OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE - Abandoning Commercial vs. Residential Underground Oil Storage Tanks (UST) - Procedures & Regulations
A separate website addresses Septic Tanks. |
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- "Preventing Water from Entering the [oil heating] Fuel System", Technical Information Bulletin, 10/15/1990, R.W. Beckett Corporation, 38251 Center Ridge Road, PO Box 1289, Elyria OH 44036, Tel: 440-327-1060, Email: sales@beckettcorp.com
 Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
- Home Inspection Education Home Study Courses - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference eBook, an electronic version for PCs, the iPad, iPhone, & Android smart phones.
Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
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- National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, PO Box 380, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
- "Homeowners Guide to Fuel Storage," Agway Energy Products, Verbank, NY, November 1990
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