Written on: September 18, 2018
Whistle While You Work: Why Refusing to Top Off Your Oil Tank is Safer!
It’s a fact of life- we’re all trying to get the most bang for our buck. Our time, space, and money are valuable! We’ve all been pumping gas into our cars and, usually while simultaneously reading the “DO NOT TOP OFF” sign, are trying to get that gauge to read a nice clean, round number. (Admit it… we all feel a little defeated when the screen reads $30.01!) But there’s a reason those signs exist!
At Broco Oil, our mission is to provide you with a clean, safe service. Topping off your heating oil tank could be very dangerous for you, and the environment. Why do we say this? Often times your tank may read 7/8 full after a fill up. This is because during a fill up, oil foams and vapors build pressure and it takes time for those to disappear.
How do we know when it’s safe to stop filling the tank? A whistle!
A tried and true method for oil tank delivery, is through the use of a whistle. Your fuel oil tank is equipped with a whistle located in the vent pipe. As oil enters your tank, the air that is present inside your tank is being displaced through a small vent. As this is happening, a steady whistling noise is produced. As long as your tank is whistling, the oil keeps flowing. When the whistling stops, oil flow is immediately stopped.
Think of it like a soda can being poured into a glass. As the soda rapidly enters the new container, bubbles and foam immediately collect at the top. Before you can pour the whole can, you have to wait for the bubbles to disappear. You know that once those bubbles are gone, you can fill more soda into the glass. But if you continued pouring before they were gone, your counter is suddenly flooded with a sticky mess. Same with your oil tank. If you were to top off your tank before the vapors and foam have dissipated, your tank could overfill and leak causing major issues for you, that are highly unsafe for the environment.
Broco Oil is on top of it! Our trained professionals have your best interest in mind and know how to properly fill your tanks so you can get the most out of every fill-up. If you’re tired of worrying about your oil tank levels, ask us about automatic delivery and we’ll take care of it for you!