Carbon Monoxide – Your Safety
What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon Monoxide is a gas that is produced when carbon based fuels are not burned properly, such as natural gases like oil, wood, coal, and liquefied petroleum. They can also include fossil fuel burning appliances such as stoves, boilers, open fires and even BBQ’s can be known to let off carbon monoxide.
Carbon Monoxide is known as the “silent killer”, this is because it is colourless, odourless and even tasteless, but this can be extremely dangerous if it is not dedicated. When Carbon Monoxide comes into contact with humans or even animals, once in contact the gases can prevent blood from transporting oxygen around their bodies which can then lead to cell and tissue damage and sometimes can even result in death.
What are the symptoms? As this is known as the silent killer, the symptoms cannot always be detected making the gas even more dangerous. However, some symptoms can be mistaken such as nausea, breathlessness or even tiredness and erratic behaviour. Depending on the length of time the carbon monoxide has been in effect the symptoms can move to more severe symptom such as dizziness, loss of balance, headaches which can cause you to lose consciousness and sometimes even death. It has been known that the smaller the person or animal the quicker the CO can work into the bloodstream so it is extremely important that should you be pregnant, have a baby, a pet or even suffer from heart conditions, it is essential that you have an alarm installed for peace of mind.
How to prevent it: Because Carbon Monoxide cannot be detected easily, it is crucial that you do not attempt to carry out the work yourself when installing appliances, these must always be installed by an OFTEC professional. You must also have installed a Carbon Monoxide alarm to keep both you and your household safe.
We are here to help: Here at Suffolk Oil Solutions we value the safety of our customers, so we will be happy to discuss any of your questions or needs further.
Please contact us directly today with any enquiries or to purchase a carbon monoxide alarm.
Signs that your oil tank needs a service
Experts claim that on average, an oil tank can last up to fifteen years if it is well maintained and regularly checked. In order to keep your tank looking healthier for longer we highly recommend keeping on-top of your services to avoid any damage to the tank.
We recommend an annual service to help keep your tank well maintained.
Recently moved into a house that has an existing oil tank: If you have recently brought a house or moved into the property and there is an existing oil tank on the grounds, the first thing you should do if you have not done this already is to have that tank inspected.
Even if it looks to be running fine, to the untrained eye, there could be underlining issues which could result in a tank replacement. If you are unsure then please feel free to contact us directly and we will be happy to help.
Checks you can do before calling us:
- Check for cracks and splits on plastic tanks – To prevent cracks and damage to your tank, keep it well sheltered.
- Check for rust or bubbling paint on metal tanks – This can be caused from water, snow or other exterior factors.
- Check the environment around your tank – Be sure there is no undergrowth, trees or other obstacles to prevent damage
Be sure to get in touch to book your annual tank service with us, and if you have any problems with your oil tank or oil boiler please do not hesitate to contact us.
Tips for Tank Safety
We have come up with some quick tips to help keep your tank maintained during the summer season…
- Visually check your tank regularly for rust, splits, cracks, a strong oil smell, uneven base etc.
- Keep vegetation cut back and do not allow it to grow around your oil tank or pipework.
- Be extra careful when digging in the garden as the oil line could be running underground.
- Metal or steel tanks need annual painting, we recommend using something like Hammerite or metal paint to preserve their life.
- Report any leaks or spills – You can find our details for this on the welcome page, just scroll down and you will find the details to contact us – call us immediately if you think your tank or oil line is leaking. Try to contain any oil to prevent it going into soil or watercourse.
- Tank removal and safe disposal – We can assist with this you can find the details on the “” page
Battle of the sludge build up
During the summer months, humidity and condensation can build up within your tank therefore causing corrosion and damage to your tank.
When a tank is not filled up to the top (but still allowing for expansion space), condensation is created from air within the top of the tank. This creates moisture which is an ideal environment for growth of bacteria. The bacteria then creates sludge which is one of the biggest reasons for failure of oil tanks. While condensation cannot be eliminated, it can be reduced by making sure that your oil storage tank is kept topped up.
Consider refilling before it is too late
In order to keep a well-maintained tank, we advise you to refill at the end of each heating season. Some may feel this is an unneeded necessity, however, there are perks to doing this such as:
- SAVE MONEY ON OIl PRICES – You can save more money with purchasing off-season fuel. It is a known fact that oil prices tend to be the lowest during the warmer months. By ordering oil in advance, you can spend less to fill up your tank.
- SAVE MONEY SPENT ON YOUR BOILER – By keeping your tank topped up, you could prevent running out and having to have an engineer bleed it through once you have had a new delivery. This could also save ££s on boiler breakdowns and repairs.
- SAVE TIME – Order now to save on delivery time. The Winter rush would have slowed right down for a speedy delivery time.
Schedule your annual Tank maintenance
To keep your tank and filters in tip top condition, we advise you to book in your annual service. Contact us at info@suffolkoilsolutions.co.uk
If you have any queries regarding the condition of your tank including cracks and splits, please contact us directly for any help and guidance and to book in for a maintenance check.
What else do we do?
- Boiler servicing and breakdowns
- Boiler installations
- Emergency oil tank pump outs
- Oil tank installation and replacement
- Oil tank disposals
- Oil tank Maintenance
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Oftec consumer home guides for oil users
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