What is a heating oil tank?

A heating oil tank is a receptacle that can hold a variety of petroleum fuel oils used for heating a home or building. This type of oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum.

Heating oil condenses at lower temperatures than candle wax and petroleum jelly, but higher than that of kerosene, and produces approximately 138,500 BTUs per gallon. Red dye is often added to fuel oil to differentiate it from oil used in vehicles. In the United States, heating oil is known as No. 2 heating oil and must conform to ASTM standards. The cost of heating oil is tracked by the U.S. Department of Energy.