Does Heating Oil Freeze?

Important Info for the Winter Months

Having an outdoor heating oil tank in the Hudson Valley means it’s vulnerable to the extreme weather conditions we experience during our four seasons. Now that winter is here, you need to worry about how cold it gets. Especially if you have an outdoor tank, you may wonder if heating oil freezes. Let’s take a closer look at the answer to that question and what you can do about it.

Does heating oil freeze? Yes. When heating oil falls below a certain temperature it gels. That means it freezes into a thick, sludge. However, it never becomes solid like ice. This gelling happens at around 16 degrees Fahrenheit and has an effect on several components of your heating system.

Heating oil gelling affects the following components of your heating system in these ways:

• Heating oil tank: When oil gels inside your heating oil tank, the sludge settles to the bottom, decreasing the space available and leaving you with less burnable oil.
• Heating oil lines: Gelled oil builds up on heating oil line walls, narrowing the passageway—not unlike a clogged artery. With less fuel reaching the igniter, your heating efficiency will decrease, leaving you with higher energy bills.
• Atomizing nozzle: The atomizing nozzle turns liquid heating oil into a vapor that can be burned inside your heating equipment. Gelled fuel can block that nozzle, meaning that less oil will get through to convert to heat. Once again, your efficiency suffers, and you end up with both higher bills and eventually needing repairs for your heating equipment.
• Fuel filter: As gelled oil is forced through the filter, it clogs quickly and needs to be replaced more frequently.

Can I Prevent My Heating Oil from Freezing?

There are steps you can take at your Hudson Valley home to protect your heating oil from freezing.

• Insulate your heating oil tank: Cover your heating oil tank with a shed that will protect it from the elements.
• Use treated oil: There are certain heating oil additives that can help prevent gelling.
• Bury your fuel line: If your heating oil line is above ground, burying it will provide some insulation.
• Install a wider fuel line: A wider fuel line will be less prone to blockages due to gelling.
• Keep your heating oil tank full: A fuller tank is also less susceptible to gelling, because the more heating oil in your tank the longer it takes to freeze.

Why is a Full Heating Oil Tank Best?

There are a couple reasons why you should keep your heating oil tank full. In an emptier tank, debris can clog your oil filters. Clogged oil filters reduce the efficiency of your heating system and can even cause it to fail altogether. Both of those scenarios will cost you more money in energy and/or repair costs. An emptier tank is also more susceptible to condensation. The water formed by condensation forms an ideal environment for bacteria to build up and create heating oil sludge in your tank. If that sludge gets into your filters, it will decrease your system’s efficiency or cause it to fail. Condensation can also cause rust, and that rust can cause your heating system to fail. A fuller tank is also less susceptible to freezing or gelling, because the more heating oil in your tank the longer it takes to freeze.

How full is full enough? Try to keep your tank at least half full (though fuller is better) all year long. Not sure how much heating oil to order, take out the guesswork by becoming an automatic delivery customer and we’ll do all the calculations for you to come up with the most efficient delivery schedule.

Quality and Affordability

Valley Oil delivers heating oil at the best price to the residents of Dutchess County, Ulster County, and the surrounding areas. We offer our customers quality, affordability, and dependability.

Valley Oil is a reliable provider of quality discount heating oil. Contact us today to order oil or sign up for automatic delivery.