How Much Oil Can My Heating Oil Tank Hold?
Here’s Why “Full” Isn’t Truly Full
If you call to request a fill up for your tank, you might want to know how much oil your heating oil tank can hold. It’s particularly helpful if you are a will-call customer, so you can know when you need to order fuel, but it can also be helpful to know what to expect on your bill.
Most homes in our area have a 275-gallon capacity heating oil tank, but it really depends on the size of your home. Other common tank sizes include 340 and 420 gallons. Not sure what size your tank you have? The size is often indicated on the side of your tank, although older models may not include that information. We should be able to confirm the size based on your service records if you’ve been a customer for any length of time.
How Full Is Full?
It’s important to know that when we “fill” your tank, we don’t fill it to its official capacity. The reason is safety: It’s important to leave space in the tank for the oil to expand as it warms up. There also needs to be room for air in the tank, as well as debris and sludge that settles at the bottom of the tank.
What that means for you is that a 275-gallon tank is usually filled to about 225 gallons. So if the gauge on your 275-gallon tank reads half full, you actually have about 110 gallons left. That’s important if you prefer to call for your heating oil deliveries. You need to keep an eye on your tank gauge—and also be aware of the weather. When we have a stretch of extreme cold, like we saw in January, you’ll use more heating oil than you would under normal conditions.
Of course, if you’re signed up for our automatic delivery service, you don’t need to worry about fill-ups or run-outs, because we take care of scheduling your heating oil deliveries.
How to Read Your Tank Gauge
Even if you are signed up for automatic delivery service, knowing how to read your oil tank gauge is a good skill to have. It’s as easy as reading the gas gauge on your car.
The heating oil tank gauge is a clear glass or plastic cube marked F, ¾, ½, ¼, with a red indicator that shows the amount of fuel left in your tank. If the marker is at the bottom of the gauge or not visible at all, your tank may be empty.
If you think there’s a problem with your gauge, give us a call. But you can also check your heating oil level manually. All you need is a six-foot long stick or dowel, and a pencil.
- Remove the fill valve cap by turning it counterclockwise; the fill valve is the larger of the two caps on top of the oil tank.
- Slowly insert the stick into the fill hole until the end of the stick touches the bottom of the tank.
- Use the pencil to mark the stick where it meets the top of the fill hole.
- Pull the stick out of the tank; the oil mark will show how full your tank is.
- Replace the cap onto the fill valve hole, tightening until you can no longer turn it by hand.
Ready for a Delivery?
We understand you’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to heating oil dealers. There’s a reason so many of your neighbors in Bergen County and the surrounding areas choose Bolkema for all their home heating and cooling needs. We’re here for you 24/7, not just for heating oil deliveries, but for emergency repairs, maintenance, and heating and cooling equipment installations. We’ve got you covered with convenient services (like automatic delivery—and so much more!) that give you real value, not just a cheap price per gallon.
Contact us today to learn more and become a customer.