Additives for your oil tank??

jim sokolovic

When I moved into my house that had a 40 year old in-ground steel 550 gallon tank, I had frequent problems with a thick, slimey, greyish colored snot clogging my filter, strainer, and nozzle. A consultant here told me it was a bacteria that clumps into big mass within the tank, and would be difficult to get rid of for good. I wound up putting in a new fiberglass tank, because the fill location was in a bad place, too - so thats how I dealt with it. In years of servicing other people's burners, I had never seen this before, though. Anyone else ever dealt with this?

anthony_7

Additives for your oil tank??

I was wondering any thoughts/feedback about putting additives in your oil tank to reduce sediment sludge and produce better results for the burner. What products are favorites out there??

Guy_5

Oil tanks

If you use a "normal" amount of oil each year, you probably don't need to add anything to the oil tank. Moving a decent volume of oil both in and out will stir up the tank and deliver any particulate to the filter. In some cases, using additives causes problems by breaking up debris that has been quietly laying in the tank, clogging the outlet and/or filter. If the tank is in a conditioned space (ie basement), the only suggestion that I have is to install a GOOD spin on filter. If the tank is in a cold, or changing environment (ie garage), it would be worthwhile to give it a dose of water inhibitor or anti-gel to sustain it through the cold season.

Guy_5

bacteria

I have seen it in the past. I called a company that we had used for other fuel treatments to get their input. One of the "older" gentlemen there set me up with a case of small (2oz) bottles of bright red, fishy smelling liquid. I know that I shouldn't be smelling it (if you smell it, it can kill you-haz mat rule #12 I believe). He said that it used to be a more popular item, but they hadn't much use for it lately.
Regardless, 1 bottle in the tank, 2 filter changes, and I wasn't back there for that issue again. I found it hard to believe that bacteria could survive in the fuel.

Firedragon_2

First of all and no matter what anyone

else says you must know what to treat for, the rest is pure voodoo and shooting a bean blower in the dark.

Go to Sid Harvey's and order a oil test kit. You send it to their lab in LI and they will tell you what's wrong. You can also send it to several other labs around too!

Once you know what you have you can treat it, FACT! I brought a 35 year old tank in my own home back to normal, with regular treatments.

Don't fool around with this, do it right or don't bother at all.

rudy_2

Give this guy a call

The most knowledgeable person I know in this field is Ed Kitchen. His company's web site and contact info is at:

http://fuelmanagementservices.com/

Good guy and really knows his field, I'm sure you'll learn alot from talking with him.