Heating Your Home or Business - THE CHOICE SHOULD BE YOURS - Click here to read more...

What Size Heating Oil Tank Do I Need?

Posted: November 7, 2022

Count on Pioneer Oil & Propane for your heating oil needs!

oil tanks massachusetts Although heating oil tanks are designed to be durable, they will eventually need replacing.

If your heating oil tank is more than 20 years old, you should begin planning its replacement. Tank failure can be a huge inconvenience not to mention the expense that comes with repairing it—you don’t want to be caught off guard.

Pioneer Oil and Propane will take care of everything when it comes to your heating oil tank installation, from meeting all regulations and codes to obtaining any required permits, to disposing of your old heating oil tank. We’ll even make sure you’re aware of any municipal or state fees for tank disposal.

We offer Tank Secure heating oil tank protection plans.

Before you go shopping for a new heating oil tank, there are a few things to consider.

The size of your heating oil tank

The two figures you’ll need to know are the capacity of your heating oil tank (measured in gallons) and the dimensions of the tank. The capacity is usually stamped on the side of the tank, but if not, you can estimate it using its height, length, and width. Home heating oil tanks typically come in a 275-gallon size and are either vertical (275V) or horizontal (275H). They can come in either a horizontal or vertical orientation and have a dimension of 44 inches high by 60 inches wide and 27 inches deep. However, there are other tank sizes available that depend on the orientation of the installation, including:

Other factors when buying a heating oil tank

The most important step is to take measurements of the area where you will be installing your new heating oil tank to make sure that it will fit.

When installing a new heating oil tank, you can use this general measure: A 275-gallon tank is typically enough for a two-bedroom home while a three- to four-bedroom home usually requires one with a 300- to 500-gallon capacity. If you have a larger house, multiply these estimates according to the number of rooms in your house.

Talk to the heating oil experts at Pioneer Oil and Propane about your current and future needs. If you’re planning on expanding your family or having elderly parents move in, you’ll need more heating oil, so you may want a larger tank than your current one.

A larger tank can give you a measure of security during winter, as Central Massachusetts is vulnerable to nor’easters and other rough winter weather. This is because these situations prevent prompt refilling of heating oil in your tank, meaning that you are more likely to get through a bad snowstorm or cold snap without worrying over your heating oil supply. Having a larger tank also means that you won’t have to schedule heating oil delivery as frequently. This makes you less vulnerable to sudden price spikes during the heating season.

Have questions about your heating oil tank? Get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help!