A local South Shore oil dealer that still delivers to older tanks, inspects on the spot, services the burner, and takes will-call orders without a contract. Call before the first freeze.
(781) 325-837824 hours, 7 days
Since last fall more dealers are refusing tanks they have not seen, with no warning, often by text. A refusal is not a finding that your tank is unsafe. It is a dispatcher's policy.
What the state requires is narrow: the 2010 Massachusetts rule covers the supply line and an oil safety valve, not the age of the tank by itself. A technician can check both in a visit and fix most of it the same day.
If you are leaving for the winter, order a fill and a low-temperature check before you go, and leave a local contact. An empty tank in January means frozen pipes and a claim, and most insurers ask whether you kept the heat on.
No. This is an independent guide for the South Shore. The number connects you directly with a local family-owned dealer that still delivers to tanks other companies turn away.
Usually one of three things: the supply line is not sleeved or has no oil safety valve, the tank shows rust or weeping, or the tank is simply older than their internal cutoff. Only the first two are safety issues, and both can be fixed. Ask them to say in writing which one applies.
Look at the gauge on top. If it reads a quarter or less and it is below 40 degrees out, order today. Deliveries in a cold snap run two to five days behind.
A full tank before you go, automatic delivery on a degree-day schedule, the thermostat at 55 or higher, and a neighbor or the dealer with a key for a no-heat check. Tell your insurer the house is unoccupied if your policy requires it.
You are required to keep heat on for tenants, and a no-heat complaint goes to the board of health the same day. Call for an emergency fill and a tank check first, then set up automatic delivery so it does not happen in January. A written tank inspection also answers the tenant and your insurer.
That is the landlord's problem to solve, not yours, and the law does not accept it as a reason for no heat. Give the landlord this number; a local dealer can usually fill after a same-day check. If nothing happens within 24 hours, call your town's board of health.
Stop. Do not run the burner. Call the fire department, then the Massachusetts DEP spill line at 888-304-1133. A dealer cannot deliver to a tank that is leaking, and that is the right call.