A quarter of all Pennsylvania homes use heating oil to stay warm in the winter. If you are a homeowner who has a heating oil tank, consider inspecting your tank prior to the next refill. Preventing leaks will save energy and money, in addition to protecting you and your family’s health. Leaking heating oil can cause indoor air problems and potentially contaminate groundwater and private drinking wells. Residents who think they may have a problem should immediately contact their oil company for help.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection encourages homeowners to consider these tips:

• For safety reasons, always assume a tank contains some oil
• Routinely inspect the exterior of the tank and all attached equipment
• Check for signs of rusting on the tank and its structural supports
• Examine the tank’s fill line and feed line to the furnace for leaks
• Never tip over or empty a tank onto the ground
• Signs of wet spots or odors near the tank may signal a problem
• Enlist a professional to perform maintenance or alterations to a heating oil tank system

For more information about oil tanks, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and type in the keyword Storage Tanks or call DEP’s Division of Storage Tanks at 717-772-5599.