Did you know that your oil tank is most likely equipped with a vent alarm? A vent alarm is a small device, usually a tube, that’s installed between your oil tank and the vent pipe. It lets the delivery driver know when your oil tank is full preventing an overfill. A mess you want to avoid at all costs!
Vent alarms are a great safety feature that can help prevent the release of oil into your basement, or wherever your tank is located, as well as preventing it from being released into the ground due to an accidental overfill of the oil tank.
Vent alarms can save thousands of dollars in remediation costs. An oil spill clean up can cost thousands of dollars and take several weeks to years to clean up depending on how much oil was released. Needless to say, vent alarms are an essential safety feature that prevents costly mistakes and disruption to your property and the environment.
How does a vent alarm work and what does it sound like?
When oil is pumped into your tank, air from inside the tank is displaced through the vent pipe. As the air passes through the vent pipe it makes a whistling sound as it passes through the alarm. When the oil reaches the end of the tube, the whistling stops – because there is no more air to be pushed up and out of the vent pipe – signaling that the oil tank is full.
How do you know if you have a vent alarm?
The easiest way is to simply ask your delivery driver the next time they fill your tank. They would be the best person to know if it’s installed since they would be listening for it every time they fill your tank.
What if I don’t have a vent alarm? If you don’t have a vent alarm and want to have one installed – call your heating oil supplier. The alarms typically range from $20-$50, plus the cost of installation. Not only is it a great safety feature for your home, but it makes delivering your home heating oil much easier for your delivery driver and it could save you from a messy clean up!
