You have a heating oil tank and you found that there is sludge in it. Now next question in your mind is when and how to clean sludge from oil tank. If you heating your home in winter, cleaning sludge from the heating oil tank is the periodic process for you.
If you ask a remedy for the sludge problem in the oil tank your oil provider technician, probably will advise you to change the heating oil tank.
Though it is the easiest way for him to provide free advice to you, it is an economical burden on you.
Is it possible to clean the heating oil tank or prevent the making of oil tank sludge? Here you will find solutions for both problems.
I will discuss here how to prevent the making of sludge in the oil tanks and the cleaning methods of sludge from the oil tanks.
You may notice due to nonmaintenance, your home heating is stopped on a fine winter morning. What will happen? It is better to take cognizance at an early stage and clean the sludge in the oil tank.
What is oil sludge?
Sludge is black, a thick, solid substance found at the bottom of a heating oil tank formed over a period of time.
It is a typical sedimentation phenomenon observed in heating oil tanks. It forms as a result of a chemical reaction. Oil sludge consists of rust formed in oil tanks, dirt, excess moister, and microorganisms sometimes.
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How does oil sludge form in the heating oil tank?
When oil is left in heating oil for a long time and gets exposed to the air, sludge making process may start. Moister enters in heating oil tank with air.
As soon as the moister enters the tank chemical reactions with oil and metal of the oil tank itself start.
The rusting process gets started after the reaction of moister with metal. It drops in oil in the form of flakes.
Also, water itself starts Water reacts with oil to degrade the oil.
This chemical reaction enlarges oil molecules so that they will grow big and heavier to settle at the oil tank bottom in the form of sludge.
Sometimes micro-organisms which survives on fuels can also be found.
Results of all this reaction are thick, gooey, black substance which we called as sludge.
Issues caused by oil sludge in the oil tank.
If sludge is present in the heating oil tank and the oil level in the tank is going at a low level, sludge may get sucked in the oil line.
As a result, the line may get choked which would ultimately lead to a halting in home heating.
Also, it may also damage the oil filters and plug of the oil supply line. It may reduce the efficiency of the heating system.
Ultimately it will be the reason for high fuel costs going from your savings.
Also, if sludge in the oil tank is neglected for a long time, it can damage the oil tank permanently. Again it is bad news for your pocket.
List of major supplies needed to clean oil sludge from oil tank.
Cleaning rags
Disposable containers
Water hose
Air hose
Portable air pump
Trisodium Phosphate or any other cleaner
Denatured alcohol
5 Steps – How to clean sludge from oil tank?
Step 1: Drain the oil tank completely
As soon as you decided to clean sludge from the oil tank, the first step is to drain the oil tank completely.
Drain oil in a container. Preferably drain oil in plastic containers like cans or buckets. Always take care that oil should not spill on the floor.
Keep a sufficient number of containers with you. If the size of containers is small, you may need multiple of them as per requirement.
Step 2: Clean oil tank sludge completely
After you get all the oil drained out, still there are some remaining majorly in the form of oil sludge.
Clean oil tank sludge completely by scrubbing the bottom and side wall of the tank. While cleaning the tank from the inside, also inspect the oil tank from the outside.
If you find any rust, clean the same and apply rustproof paint on the spot.
Step 3: Use oil tank cleaner such as Trisodium Phosphate
Now it is time to clean the oil tank by adding cleaner.
Trisodium Phosphate is mostly recommended to clean sludge from oil tanks.
Some states had banned oil cleaners containing phosphates.
In this case, you have to use any alternate cleaner. Trisodium Phosphate comes in powder form.
You have to mix one cup of Trisodium Phosphate in five gallons of water. Pour the solution into the oil tank and insert an air hose in the tank.
Turn on the air pump and let it work at least for 12 hours for the best results.
Step 4: Dry the oil tank completely.
First, drain the cleaning solution. Get rid of it completely. Though you cannot see, still moister is present in the tank.
Take a cloth and clean the tank with it. Next, you have to use denatured alcohol. It helps to remove moister completely.
Pour 3-4 gallons of denatured alcohol in the tank and run an air hose pipe into it. It will dry out within an hour or two completely.
Step 5: Refill the tank with oil.
You can now happily place an order with your oil supplier for replenishing the tank.
Please note that, do not fill the tank with oil you have drained from the oil tank before cleaning. This oil is contaminated and creates the same oil sludge problem for you.
Now you have oil sludge remaining with you. Arrange safe disposal of oil sludge you recovered from the oil tank. Don’t through it away anywhere. It causes harm to the environment.
As per my advice, preventive maintenance of oil tanks is always economical. Getting a new oil tank always has a huge cost.
In the installation of a new tank, you have to remove the old one first. It is a laborious task. So, it is always better to take care of the existing oil tank to save tons of money.
Precautions to be taken:
- Trisodium phosphate can harm your plants and surroundings. So safely dispose of cleaning solution after your work is done.
- Trisodium phosphate may be banned in your respective region. In this case, use an alternate appropriate cleaner.
- Dispose of the sludge safely as per local guidelines keeping in mind safety measures.
Conclusion: How to Clean Sludge from Oil Tank?
By now you must know how to clean sludge from the oil tank. You can now reduce abnormal heating of the oil tank. It seems that cleaning sludge from heating oil tanks is quite hard, but following this guide, you can defiantly do it.
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