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Six million US homes utilize heating oil for heating. If you are a homeowner with an oil-fired system, you are aware that your oil tank is an important component. After all, it stores the fuel you need to generate heat to keep you and your loved ones safe. However, like all appliances, it will need a replacement when it has reached the end of its service life. When this happens, you will need to decide what heating oil tank size you need to buy. The size of your heating oil tank should an adequate for the space it needs to heat and the duration it can heat said area.
What Heating Oil Tank Size Do I Need?
Read on to determine what you need to take into consideration when selecting the right heating oil tank size for your home.
Fuel Oil Tank Size Options
Find out the current size of the tank you have at home before you shop for a new one. This information will help you decide the tank size you need and what other sizes are available. The two significant numbers you need to know are the tank’s capacity in gallons and its dimensions. The latter includes the width, height, and depth.
If you have a newer residential oil tank, look for the nameplate. This information is typically written there. However, these might not be as readily available if you have an older tank. You’ll need to estimate its capacity based on the tank’s dimensions.
Standard residential oil tanks installed above ground, like your basement or backyard, have a 275-gallon capacity. They typically have a horizontal or vertical orientation with a dimension of 44 inches high by 60 inches wide and 27 inches deep. However, heating oil tanks can also come in other sizes, including 288, 340, 420, 518, 550, 555, or 675-gallons capacity. Below-ground tanks also come in considerably larger sizes.
Deciding The Right Oil Tank Size For Your Home
When installing a new heating oil unit, the general rule of thumb is to have a 275-gallon oil tank if you have a one or two-bedroom home. You will need a 300 or 500-gallon tank if you have a three or four-bedroom home. If your home is larger than this, use this estimate and multiply it by how many rooms your house has.
However, keep in mind that you need to take into account other factors as well. For instance, you might have a home that cannot be installed with a larger heating oil tank. It could also be a case wherein your area has statutory requirements in place for heating oil tanks to be placed outside your home.
Consider Your Fuel Oil Consumption Habits
Think about how much fuel oil your household consumes as well. If the number of occupants in your home is likely to increase in the near future, you might want to add in the extra capacity now so that it won’t be a hassle to do it later when they arrive. If you are retiring soon or have children or the elderly in the house, you will likely spend more time indoors. Therefore, you will need extra capacity to achieve your heating needs.
Factor in emergencies as well. You might be living in an area that often has terrible weather like hurricanes or heavy snowstorms. These can derail the oil delivery company from refilling your tank on time. Therefore, have at least a 30% extra capacity as a safety margin. This way, you won’t run out of heating during this situation.
Hire A Professional For Your Oil Tank Installation
After going through a well-thought-out consideration process and deciding on the right tank size for your home, you will need to call a certified and trained heating oil tank provider. They can help you throughout the installation. First, a professional will ensure that the oil tank size you chose is the right one and that it can fulfil all your home’s heating needs. They will also handle the installation safely and accurately.
Professional heating oil tank installers will also recommend the most suitable location to install your tank. The ideal position should provide easy access and has a solid foundation. This way, the tank is secured and will not have leaks, which is very dangerous. An expert oil tank installer will also ensure that the tank is not exposed to any issues from sudden temperature drops. After all, this can cause your heating oil system to freeze. Having a professional oil tank company help you means that all risks are accounted for, and the installation process has gone through industry-standard protocols.
Call Tevis Energy For Your Home Heating Oil Requirements
Tevis Energy is a trustworthy heating oil delivery company that services central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. Our company offers affordable and the most competitive heating oil prices in the area. Our goal is to provide you with excellent products and services. When you choose us to be your oil supplier, you can rest easy knowing that you will have correct and prompt heating oil deliveries at the best possible prices. Furthermore, we offer various heating oil delivery plans and financing options, as a way to customize your oil deliveries. Be sure to call us today to learn more.
Tevis Energy has certified and highly trained HVAC technicians to cater to all your heating and cooling needs. We guarantee that each of our techs has the experience, skills, and knowledge to provide excellent HVAC services. Our team can assist you with installations, repairs, maintenance, and much more. Our superior HVAC solutions always come at affordable costs.
Call us today to learn more about the products and services our company offers. We provide free, in-home estimates.
You can click here to contact us now or call us at (410) 876-6800 to find out more!