How to Drain Heating Oil Tank & Clean Sludge
Sludge is terrible for your tank. It clogs the oil pipes, safety valves, and filter noses, blocking the oil flow. It contains chemicals that corrode the inner wall of the tank, which, if left unchecked, shortens its useful life. Sludge is also dangerous for your health. If it leaks out, the contaminants in it pollute the environment and can also cause fires. This is why it is vital to remove sludge from your tank periodically.
You do not need a professional contractor to clean sludge from your heating oil tank. Cleaning sludge from a heating oil tank is a simple job you can accomplish without much effort if you are prepared to get your hands dirty.
You will need the following supplies:
- Plastic buckets
- Cleaning agent
- Water Hose
- Air hose
- Air pump
- Cleaning Rags
- Denatured alcohol
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to clean sludge from an oil tank:
Step 1: How to drain the heating oil tank
The first step in cleaning oil tanks is to drain the tank completely. If you haven’t cleaned the tank for a long time, there may be a lot of sludge to drain out. Don’t worry about the oil left at the bottom; it is useless anyway. Place a plastic bucket under the tank’s drain valve and remove the valve cap. Let all the oil and sludge flow from the tank into the bucket. When the outflow has stopped, remove the bucket and place it somewhere it won’t be a hindrance. After that, put another bucket under the drain valve and spray clean water into the tank. Let the water drain out until you see clean water, and then close the valve.
Step 2: Clean the tank
Scrub the inside of the tank with cleaning rags to remove obstinate pieces of sludge and grime. Once you are done, fill the tank with fresh water and add an adequate cleaning agent, such as trisodium phosphate cleaner. The amount of cleaner to be added should be given in the instructions with the cleaner. Insert an air hose into the tank, start the air pump, and leave it for 12 hours. That should give the solution enough time to work. Open the valve and drain the solution out of the tank. All the remaining sludge is washed out of the tank. Once it’s empty, spray the inside of the tank with clean water using a water hose.
Step 3: Dry the tank
The tank may look empty, but moisture remains in it. If excess moisture is not removed, it can compromise the quality of heating oil later. Letting the sun and air do the job won’t do. Pour a few gallons of denatured alcohol into the tank and splash it to hit every inch of the inner walls. Denatured alcohol does an excellent job of absorbing the tank’s excess moisture. Insert the air hose into the tank, turn on the pump and let the alcohol evaporate with the moisture captured. Complete the oil tank cleaning process, which will take less than an hour.
Step 4: Refill the tank
Once you are finished cleaning the fuel oil tank, you can refill the tank with heating oil. Ideally, you should clean sludge from your heating oil tank once every five years. This ensures that the quality of your heating won’t be compromised.
If you have decided that cleaning sludge from a heating oil tank is not a task you want to perform yourself and need a reputable heating oil tank cleaning contractor, feel free to call All American Environmental in NJ anytime. One of our certified and licensed personnel will be happy to assist you.
All American Environmental is a full-service environmental company in NJ that can provide services such as cleaning, sweep, removal, and installation to meet your oil tank needs.
We hope you have gained valuable knowledge in reading our blog “A Guide to Cleaning Sludge from a Heating Oil Tank”
Contact All American Environmental NJ Today!
Visit our Facebook page.
