How To Prevent Home Heating Oil - Fuel Oil From Gelling and Freezing
JC Heating & Cooling provides all of our customers with a special additives to treat our home heating oil, it is still necessary to treat your home heating oil with additional additives under certain outdoor temperatures and conditions.
#2 Fuel Oil or Home Heating Oil is a very common fuel to heat hot water, homes and business in Bucks and Montgomery County, Penna.
Winter Anti-Gel Additives for tanks located outdoors.
When the temperatures drops below 32F the fuel oil begins to become "cloudy" but still flows readily. As the temperature drops below 26F, small crystals of wax or paraffin form in the fuel oil. These crystals collect on the oil filter and collect in the fuel oil lines, resulting in "no heat" emergencies. If your building is without heat for a few hours on a very cold day or over night, your pipes can freeze. The resulting no heat and possible water damage and cost to repair the pipes can be very expensive. The only way to thaw out an oil tank is to wait for the weather to warm up. Temporary emergency 5 gallon cans can be hook up to the heating system to provide some heat. The emergency service work required to restore heat or repair frozen pipes are not covered under a service agreement and may not be covered by your home owners insurance.
Water Eliminating Agent
Due to condensation that forms in outdoor heating oil tanks, excess water can accumulate in the fuel oil tank and oil lines freezing during extreme cold weather.
The gel point for home heating oil (Diesel Fuel or No. 2 Heating Oil) refers to the fuel or heating oil becoming so viscous that it "gels" and will no longer flow at all by gravity nor by pumping through the oil pump and oil lines.
We strongly urge you to enroll in our winter Anti-Gel additive program. Under this program, every time we make a delivery of heating oil delivery during the cold months we will add an anti-gel, water absorbing additive that is designed for outdoor fuel oil tanks. It will help to prevent gelling or waxing and freezing of the fuel oil.
Additional Tips To Prevent No Heat Calls
- Insulated the outdoor fuel oil lines with insulation that do not absorb moisture.
- Install Larger fuel oil lines. It will take longer for the larger lines to become clogged completely.
- Enclosed your heating oil tank in a tank tub or room. While this is a expensive solution. It will always help. JC Heating & Cooling sells a good looking oil tank tube that looks like a small garden shed, it also acts as a emergency containment if your oil tank was to ever leak.
We look forward to having the opportunity to serve you. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Call our oil department department at JC Heating & Cooling if you having any questions @ (215) 945-4833
Visit Our Easy Online Ordering Page 24/7 to Schedule Your Next Fuel Oil Delivery