Oil Boiler Tank Outside and Smell Inside the House

Oil Boiler

• An oil boiler is a heating system used in residences and other inhabitable structures. In an oil boiler heating system, oil from a storage tank outside the building is pumped into an oil boiler. The oil warms to heat burners beneath a water tank. As the water in the tank heats, it flows out of the tank as vapor and into supply pipes that feed radiators located throughout the building. The hot radiators in turn warm the rooms in which they are located. As the water cools, it returns to the water tank in the boiler, where it will heat up and circulate through again.

Smell Cause

• If you can smell oil inside your house, the problem likely isn’t with the exterior storage tank. The problem is more likely with the burner in your oil boiler. Over time, debris and soot build up on the burner. If it hasn’t been cleaned regularly, the buildup can get so bad that combustion products can infiltrate the heating conduit, bringing their noxious smell into your house. In a mild case you could just get used to the smell of burning oil in your home. In a worst case, soot will coat items in your home, necessitating expensive cleaning throughout the structure.

Solutions

• You can prevent the smell of oil in your home by having the oil boiler and its burners serviced regularly. Every year, during the fall before you need to turn on your heat, have a professional from your oil service company come to your home and clean the boiler. Just having the burner cleaned isn’t enough; the entire boiler interior needs to be taken care of so soot and other debris don’t have a chance to build up. The process can take more than an hour, but it is less work than cleaning your home to get rid of the oil smell.

Considerations

• You can locate exterior oil storage tanks beside the house or bury them underground. While it is normal to smell oil when the tank is being refilled, it isn’t normal to smell oil in your yard or inside your home when there is no delivery taking place. Call a service technician to investigate the cause of the smell before it becomes a major problem. Exposure to combustion gases over time can lead to headaches and other health problems for you and your family.