TANK CAPACITY

With modern gardens seemingly becoming ever smaller, it’s good to know that modern oil boilers are getting ever more efficient. Today’s high efficiency condensing boilers, use significantly less fuel than their standard efficiency predecessors. And of course, our homes are better insulated than ever before too.

So, today you can likely choose a smaller tank than ever before.

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Heating with Oil

A modern condensing oil-fired boiler will use considerably less oil each year, when compared with an old-fashioned, standard efficiency boiler. So, there's a lot of oil… and a lot of cash to be saved. 

At the same time, many heating oil distributors have reduced their minimum delivery size too. It’s not that long ago some distributors wouldn’t deliver any less than 900 litres in a single drop. Today, minimum delivery volumes are significantly lower. Many distributors are happy to deliver as little as 500 litres, and some will even deliver as little as 200 litres. Why not call your local distributor and check out their minimum order volume, before committing to a new tank?

Combining a modern, highly efficient, oil-fired boiler with deliveries from a distributor offering low minimum order volumes allows you to choose a smaller tank. Indeed, just 30 years ago the capacity of a typical heating oil tank was c.2,500 litres – today, it’s just over half that. And it’s getting smaller all the time. But it’s important to remember choosing a tank larger than you require, allows you to buy ahead and to stockpile fuel when heating oil prices are low. 

The table below shows suggested tank sizes for a range of different properties, heated with a condensing boiler, but should be treated only as a guide. The ideal capacity for your home will ultimately be dependent upon the size of your home, insulation levels, desired internal air temperature, boiler efficiency, and where your home is located. So, before ordering any tank, always take professional advice from a suitable competent person e.g. a technician registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Suggested Heating Oil Tank Capacities

Heating a typical British or Irish home with Oil using a High Efficiency Condensing Boiler

Cooking with Oil

It’s almost impossible to picture the perfect country kitchen without also picturing an AGA, Firebird or Rayburn oil-fired range cooker at the heart of it. Across the UK and Republic of Ireland, cooking with oil is a popular choice. Oil cookers use a gentle, radiant heat for baking and roasting. So, you end up with food that many believe tastes better then when cooked on a conventional cooker. 

And many oil-fired ranges are truly multi-purpose too… they boil, roast, dry, simmer, fry, bake, grill, toast and warm. Some can even help air your clothes, whilst others will produce lashings of hot water. And some can even heat your home too. Thanks to modern, modulating, high-efficiency, burner technology, some oil-fired cookers can provide heating and cooking for a 2-bedroom townhouse, just as efficiently as they can a much larger home. 

And at a time when green energy is high on the agenda, it’s good to know that some oil cookers can even be integrated into renewable energy sources, whilst others are HVO ready. The table below contains recommended tank capacities, assuming you wish to store the fuel you use to cook in the same tank as your heating oil. Again, it should be treated only as a guide. The ideal capacity for your home will ultimately be dependent upon the size of your home, insulation levels, desired internal air temperature, appliance efficiency, and home location. 

Before ordering any tank, always take professional advice from a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Suggested Capacities when Cooking and Heating with Oil

Heating a typical British or Irish home with Oil using a High Efficiency Condensing Boiler and an oil-fired range cooker.

Unless your cooker uses a different fuel to your boiler, a separate tank is normally not required. However, If your cooker does require a dedicated fuel supply, then we recommend choosing a tank with a minimum capacity of 1,000 litres. However, prior to the purchase of any tank, always take expert advice from a suitably competent person e.g. an installer registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Your Tank. Your Choice.

It's important to remember that suggested capacities are simply estimates. If your house is smaller than average, you likely can choose a smaller tank. Conversely if it's bigger, you may require a larger tank. Similarly, if your home is especially well insulated, you will almost certainly use less energy, and a smaller tank can be a sensible choice. And if you, or family members, spend a lot of time at home, then you may wish to consider a larger tank.

If you remain unsure as to the size of tank you require, why not speak with family and friends who also use oil for heating? Your local fuel distributor and APHC or OFTEC registered storage tank technician will be able to offer useful insights, guidance and advice too.