Internal Tank Corrosion

WHY DO OIL TANKS FAIL?

Internal corrosion is the leading cause of aboveground home heating oil tank failure. Water is the primary culprit. Moisture condenses inside all tanks and settles to the bottom. It combines with sediment, bacteria, and sulfur from the oil to form a crude acid.

The acid on the tank bottom causes electrolysis, whereby electrons are removed from the steel tank shell. This electrolysis causes focused pitting at random sites on the tank interior within the area covered by the sludge and water. The corrosion pits are often relatively small in diameter, so tank leaks commonly occur as weeping wet spots or slow drips.

What’s the Best way to Protect Oil Tanks?

You need to deal with the water on the tank bottom. Even with bottom outlet tanks, the sludge and sediment hold moisture, so water is inside every tank.

The only effective way to protect a tank against internal corrosion is to treat it with a corrosion inhibitor, like TANK-GUARD®, that mixes with the water and sludge – not with the oil. TANK-GUARD® is chemically engineered to fight the electrolysis and corrosion on the tank bottom.

Liquid TANK-GUARD® is formulated specifically for use in fuel oil tanks. It is a concentrate that is heavier than fuel oil. It goes to the bottom of the tank and reacts only with moisture and acids – not with the oil. It neutralizes acidity and protects the inside of the tank bottom against further rusting and corrosive pitting. Annual treatment with TANK-GUARD® can result in longer tank life and reduced service problems.

Remember that the oil is floating on top of the water and sludge. Additives that mix with oil can’t affect the tank bottom. Only a chemical that mixes with water can attack the real problem. It’s the best preventive medicine for oil tanks.

If you don’t treat the water, you wait for the tank to leak.

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