How to Drain a Heating Oil Tank

For homes that are not attached to the mains gas system, oil is used to heat them. This oil is kept in a heating oil tank near the property and refilled as and when it is needed. There are some occasions when the oil that is stored within the tank needs to be drained. It might be, for example, that the property will now be linked to the mains gas system, or it might be to repair or clean the tank itself.

Heating oil tanks, over time, accumulate debris, water, and other bits and pieces such as rust. This eventually transforms into sludge which then collects in the heating oil tank. It is important that to ensure that the system works properly, the tanks are cleaned on regular occasions, and for them to be cleaned, the tank needs to be empty.

If you are getting a new tank, or want to clean or repair your old tank, you will need to empty it. One option that you have when you are needing to empty the heating oil tank is to use the oil up. This is, however, potentially wasteful, costly, and time-consuming. A better way would normally be to empty the tank out and then refill the new tank or refill the old tank with the existing oil once it has been cleaned or repaired.

How to Drain an Oil Tank

The most obvious way to drain the heating oil tank is to let it drain out of the bottom. Most heating oil tanks will have a drain nozzle on the bottom of the tank. This nozzle can be opened to drain any liquid that is inside the tank, but it is important that you keep an eye on the place where you are draining the oil so that it does not overflow!

If you are going to empty your own heating oil tank, remember that you should wear protective safety equipment. You might want to wear protective clothing to prevent the heating oil from getting on your clothes, gloves to protect your hands, and something to protect your eyes.

How to Siphon Oil from a Tank

Another option that you have for emptying the heating oil from the heating oil tank if you cannot just drain it is to use a siphon pump. The process is simple:

1. First, remove the vent pipe and fill the pipe from the tank. They are about two inches long and you will normally find them on the top of your heating oil tank.
2. Put the end of the pump’s inlet hose into the tank so that it is fully immersed in the oil and the other end into the container where you want the oil to go. You might need to extend the length of the hose so that it reaches the container. This can be done by clamping some extra hose onto the end of the existing hose.
3. It is then safe to turn the pump on if it is powered by electricity or pump it manually if not.
4. Pump the tank until it is empty
5. You can then remove the pump, replace the vent pipe and fill pipe, secure them properly, and go about repairing, cleaning, or swapping to a new tank.
6. If you are changing tanks, make sure that you dispose of the original tank properly and within the guidelines of the law.

Siphons can be bought in a range of different sizes and remember that if you are not going to use the oil that has been removed, you will need to follow the guidelines on the safe and legal ways to dispose of it.

Transferring Heating Oil

If, for example, you have a new heating oil tank, it makes economic sense to move the existing oil that you have in your original heating oil tank, into your new tank. In order to do this, instead of emptying the tank into a reciprocal such as a bucket, simply put the hose straight into the new pump. If this is a problem, you can empty the reciprocal into the new tank once you have emptied the old one.

For the heating oil going into the tank, put the hose into the inlet hose on the top of the tank.

Heating Oil Draining Costs

It is unusual to pay someone to solely drain the oil from your heating oil tank, but far more likely that you will pay someone to replace your entire tank. There are a number of different factors that can affect how much you are likely to pay for this, including:

• The type of heating oil tank – plastic single skin, steel single skin, plastic bunded, or steel bunded, for example.
• The location of the tank – will it be underground or overground, for example?
• The complexity of the tank’s installation
• Where you live and how accessible it is
• Whether there is oil in the tank that needs to be drained first (this will normally cost around £350)
• Whether you need new oil pipes plumbing into the house