How to Prepare for a Heating Oil Delivery at Home

Sometimes, you don’t realize that you are due for a heating oil delivery until it’s almost empty! It sure has a way of creeping up on us! When your tank is low, it’s time to call a heating oil provider for a refill, before winter rolls around! The fuel oil delivery itself will be taken care of by the service provider you choose. To prepare for your oil delivery, there are several steps you should take before the driver arrives.

As a homeowner, you know your property best. In addition to locating your heating oil tank, be sure to become acquainted with how to access the oil tank’s filling position and be mindful of what surrounds that filling position area–before your fuel oil delivery. This may include trees, bushes, sheds, barbeques, etc.

A heating oil delivery driver visits hundreds of homes across a variety of different areas every season, so it is not always safe to assume that they will intuitively know the best pathway to your fuel oil tank–or what obstructions to watch out for!

It is your responsibility as the homeowner to ensure the safety of the service provider who fills your heating oil tank. You can help ensure a seamless experience by performing the following easy steps to prepare for a safe, quick, and efficient oil delivery.

Know the Location of Your Heating Oil Tank

First things first – be sure to know the location of your fuel tank. Prior to the heating oil delivery, a member of our Star Home Heat office staff will usually ask you the following two questions:

• “Where is your tank located?”
• “Where is your tank’s fill position?”

Sometimes, the two locations are not one and the same. For example, a heating oil tank could be located underground or in the basement, whereas the tank’s actual fill pipe position could be located behind the house.

We utilize a simple chart like the one shown below to help quickly provide your heating oil delivery driver with a guide to locating the fill pipe position of your fuel tank.

For example, if you indicated that your fill pipe is located at position 4, that would let your delivery driver know that he should head to the far back left area of your property with the fuel hose. On the other hand, if you indicated that the fill pipe for your heating oil tank is located at position 8, that would let your delivery driver know that he should head to the right side of your property instead.

Clear the Area Around the Actual Fuel Oil Tank

Before your scheduled oil delivery date, take some time to look at your fuel tank and the fuel tank’s fill position. You want to ensure that the area around your heating oil tank and its fill position are both clear of all obstructions.

• Leaves or Branches. If your heating oil delivery is scheduled during the fall or early winter, take note of shrubbery. You likely have some leaves, twigs, and branches piling up around the area. If they have been left there long enough, they can camouflage the heating oil tank’s fill pipe. This would make it nearly impossible for the delivery man to find the pipe. The driver must be able to easily see the fill pipe to your tank without having to search for it or remove debris. This is especially important if you may not be home during your scheduled oil delivery time.
• Snow. If there was any snowfall prior to your scheduled delivery date, your property may be a solid sheet of white! As little as an inch of snow can obscure your heating oil tank’s fill pipe position. Before your scheduled delivery, make sure you shovel and clear the snow from the tank area. This will make it possible for the delivery driver to find it.
• Personal Items. Be sure to clear away any tools, shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, pails, boxes, old furnishings, or any other personal property items that are stored near your heating oil tank or the tank’s fill position. These items could make it difficult for the delivery man to access your oil tank or fill pipe. They will not want to be responsible for touching, moving, or altering any of your personal property to access the tank’s fill pipe.
• Trash. Last but not least, trash! If you typically accumulate and store trash outside, make sure it is nowhere near the heating oil tank. Not only can it be hazardous, but it is also just as obstructive as other personal items in the area.

Make Sure the Sidewalk and Driveway Are Clear

After you have ensured the area around your fuel oil tank and its fill position are clear, take a look at your sidewalk and driveway. Your oil delivery driver will have to park the fuel truck either on the street in front of your house or in your driveway if your home is located far off from the street. They will then need to carry and drag the fuel hose from the truck to your heating oil tank’s fill position. The path between the truck location and the tank fill position must be clear of obstructions.

• Wet Leaves. On wet and rainy days, foliage can get very slippery and can therefore put the deliveryman at risk. If you are unable to clear away all of the foliage on your property, be sure to clear enough of a path so that the heating oil delivery driver does not need to walk across wet, slippery leaves.

• Snow. While beautiful when it first falls, snow can create hazardous conditions for heating oil delivery. Snow on your driveway, sidewalk, or along the street can make it extremely dangerous for your fuel delivery driver to park, maneuver, and carry heavy delivery equipment. To ensure the safety of the heating oil driver, please clear all snow away from your driveway and the roads in front of your house.
• Ice. One of the most dangerous parts of a fuel oil delivery driver’s job is watching out for ice. During the peak season of the winter, it is not uncommon for there to be visible (and invisible) sheets of ice along the street and driveway. Ice is even more hazardous than snow. If the sidewalk, pavement, or driveway that leads to your doorstep and/or your heating oil tank fill position is icy, break it up with rock salt and shovel it away before your scheduled fuel delivery.
• Vehicles. If you typically park in your driveway or on the street directly in front of your house, it would be very helpful to move your vehicles into the garage or further down the street until your fuel oil delivery is complete. Each fuel delivery truck is equipped with a hose that needs to reach from the truck to your fuel oil tank. This is why the delivery driver needs to park as close to your home as possible. Any vehicles blocking the area can cause delays.
• Garbage. If your heating oil delivery is scheduled on your garbage pick-up day, keep your garbage cans clear of your driveway. Please place them on the sidewalk or away from the driveway instead.
• Ensure Pets and Animals are Safely Kept. We love pets! Most homes we deliver to have pets too. For this reason, it is not uncommon for homeowners to give their beloved pets the freedom to roam in the backyard or around on the front lawn.

On the day of your scheduled heating oil delivery, please make sure your pets are safely kept away from the fuel tank’s fill position. We also want to avoid any possibility of pets accidentally roaming loose from your property!

If you have a gate or fence that needs to be opened for the oil delivery driver to access your fuel tank, let us know beforehand. We will always do our best to ensure the heating oil driver closes the gate upon completion so that your pets are safely secured to play thereafter.

Final Tips

As the owner or renter of your property, it is your responsibility to prepare your property for a safe and efficient fuel delivery. A few other heating oil tips to keep in mind:

• Double-check that your heating oil tank is in safe operating condition. Check for any cracks, corrosion, or malfunction that can lead to potentially dangerous conditions.
• Confirm which heating oil tank is yours. If you live in a multifamily building with separate oil tanks, make sure your tank is properly labeled as yours so that your fuel isn’t delivered to the wrong tank.
• Be sure your fill pipe is actually connected to your heating oil tank. Sometimes, fuel oil tanks are moved or relocated, but the fill pipe is not. This can lead to heating oil getting pumped into an obsolete tank or an incorrect area.

Heating Oil Delivery from Star Home Heat

It is crucial to make sure you are equipped with an operational heating oil system, especially during the coldest months of the year! You will most likely need several heating oil deliveries to refill your tank throughout the season to keep you toasty and warm. That is where Star Home Heat is happy to help!

If you are a homeowner or renter in the New York area, you can set up an account with us. Your pertinent delivery details such as tank location, tank size, and any other notes will be safely secured, making the process of ordering heating oil refills quicker and easier than ever before.

Just be sure to follow all the recommended pre-delivery preparation discussed in this article. And when it is time for your heating oil delivery, you can simply leave the rest to us!