Fuel stabilizer for long term?

newtonkid88

The heating oil in my 275 gallon oil tank has been sitting for over a year now as I am renovating the house. It’s about half full.

A coworker mentioned i should put fuel stabilizer in there.

Any recommendations for what kind? Thank you

Dave Carpentier

Unsure about stabilizer, but you might be collecting water via condensation inside the tank during thermal swings. That will sink to the bottom and start corroding from the inside. I think methyl hydrate helps with that. A better solution is to keep the tank full (less air volume available in and out as it "breathes" during thermal swings). Imho, the best solution is to keep the tank empty, tipped towards a bottom port exit and left open for any water to run out. But since you have the oil already, you cant really do that.

newtonkid88

The tank is already angled toward the oil filter. So maybe I can bleed it every now and then to drain any water. 

STEVEusaPA

When you’re ready to put the system back in use, I would disconnect the oil line, bleed out the bottom of the tank of all water. Add stabilizer and fill the tank to mix it.
Reconnect the oil line at the tank, take the line off at the closest connection to the burner. Open the tank valve and bleed oil line until clear of any water. Reconnect line, and replace filter, strainer and nozzle. Power vacuum bleed & perform combustion test.
I use FPPF Hot 4 in 1. Sid Harvey has a house brand. I use them often to disperse water, lower pour point, etc. But do they work? I think so.
But let me put it this way, hopefully not to offend with my analogy. They’re like condoms. You use them but you don’t know if they work. You only know when they don’t work.

newtonkid88

Thanks I just bought a couple of bottles of Fppf

newtonkid88

STEVEusaPA said:

When you’re ready to put the system back in use, I would disconnect the oil line, bleed out the bottom of the tank of all water. Add stabilizer and fill the tank to mix it. Reconnect the oil line at the tank, take the line off at the closest connection to the burner. Open the tank valve and bleed oil line until clear of any water. Reconnect line, and replace filter, strainer and nozzle. Power vacuum bleed & perform combustion test. I use FPPF Hot 4 in 1. Sid Harvey has a house brand. I use them often to disperse water, lower pour point, etc. But do they work? I think so. But let me put it this way, hopefully not to offend with my analogy. They’re like condoms. You use them but you don’t know if they work. You only know when they don’t work.

Dave Carpentier

Oh.. this is an indoor tank ?
My comments about condensation probably dont apply if it's a conditioned space.