Which Type of Aboveground Heating Oil Tank Is Best for You?

When it comes to installing a heating oil tank in your Rhode Island home, one of the most important choices you will have to make is what type of tank to choose.

There are three basic types of heating oil tanks available, classified by the type of construction materials they are made from:

• Steel tanks – These are the most commonly installed tanks. Built to stringent specifications, these workhorses have proven themselves over decades of use.
• Fiberglass tanks – Fiberglass tanks have become increasingly popular, particularly since they were deemed fire-safe for use in aboveground applications.
• Combination tanks – Another popular tank system is one that combines plastic and steel to take advantage of the benefits of each material (a plastic tank inner tank stores the fuel, surrounded and protected by an outside steel jacket). Tanks with similar designs have been successfully used in Europe for decades.

Safer and more leak proof than ever

Unlike some older heating oil tank models that traded bulk for brains, today’s aboveground heating oil tanks are precision engineered to be tough, leak-free, and long lasting.

How tough? Check this out: a steel heating oil tank is put in a diesel fire for 30 minutes; if it leaks, it’s back to the drawing board. Some modern steel tanks are even covered in composites that provide a second leak barrier, or feature double-bottom construction and sensors to virtually eliminate the chance of a leak.

Not sure which heating oil tank option to choose? We can help. Contact Vaughn Oil today to get a FREE, no obligation estimate on a heating oil tank installation for your Rhode Island home. Once you choose your heating oil tank, our expert technicians will work quickly, neatly, and in compliance with all environmental and building codes to get it installed – and your old tank removed, if needed.