High Oil Prices Promote Low Oil Tank Inventories 
Many areas of the United States are experiencing drought conditions, but there is plenty of moisture building up inside oil tanks this summer. 

Water is the most common and harmful contaminant to distillate fuel and can get into the fuel during refining, storage, transportation, and delivery. An additional source of water in tanks is humid air carrying moisture which enters through the open tank vent line. One way that humid air gets inside a tank is when a burner control calls for ignition, fuel is pulled into the fuel line which causes a vacuum at the open vent line and pulls outside air into the tank. Another way this humid air transfers into the tank is based on temperature. We know from science class that warm air rises while cooler air falls. As the warm temperatures of the day cool overnight, the cooler humid air drops into the interior of the tank. As tanks warm up again from the next day's warmer temperatures, the cooler humid air in the tank condenses leaving water behind in the tank. 

High oil prices this past spring have caused many customers to call their heating oil providers requesting “no deliveries till fall!” Some fuel suppliers have held off making summer deliveries to customers to limit potential backlash from delivering oil at elevated prices. Low oil inventories inside these customers' tanks provide additional internal air space and exposed tank walls where humidity is promoted to produce more condensation than usual. 

It is not just your customers' issue - dealers with bulk storage facilities are holding off bringing in new deliveries to manage cash flow and not get stuck with high-priced oil if the market drops significantly. Just like your customer, low oil inventories, exposed interior tank walls, and open vent pipes will promote condensation formation in the bulk storage tanks. 

If your company does not have bulk storage, think of where you purchase your fuel. Are their tanks full? Newsflash - NO! 

Once water enters your tank, life is promoted and supported. Bacterial cells or fungal spores known in the industry as “bugs” will live in the water at the bottom of the tank and feed off the hydrocarbons in the fuel at the fuel/water interface. They will also consume rubber gaskets, O-rings, hoses, tank linings and coatings to obtain their mineral content. The waste from this process produces water, sludge, acids, and other harmful byproducts. If microbial contamination is detected and not addressed, the proliferation of bugs will clog fuel filters, corrode pumps, degrade fuel, and cause damage to tank bottoms. 

Housekeeping will be more important than ever this winter. If you see water in the line filter bowl at the annual PM, you should look upstream at the storage tank. You should stick tanks for water, especially outside tanks with side and top-suction lines. Remove the free water you can. We suggest treating outside tanks all year round with a contemporary Pour Point Depressant / Anti-Gel additive that contains additional deicer to improve winter protection. 

As we head into the fall season, we hope to see prices go down and your customers' tank inventory go up! 
Reasons to Support Trade Associations 
July 21, 2022
Contracting Business

Do you have a state or local trade association that covers your territory? If not, you should. This week, leading state and local association executives gathered at Service Nation to network and exchange information. After their meeting, a few of the association executives shared the ways contractors benefit from membership.

1. Associate With Like-Minded Contractors
Frankly, it’s lonely running a contracting business. You’re the boss. Everyone in the company looks to you. Who do you look to?

According to Lisa Tamargo of the Florida Air Conditioning Contractors Professional Alliance, “An association provides a fantastic networking base for other like-minded contractors who want to grow their business and to have excellent resources.”

 “We also believe that networking is more than just holding a glass and talking with someone,” added Jackie Adamson of the South Carolina Association of Licensed Trades, noting, “that the real value of networking is seeing other contractors and interacting with contractors face-to-face.”

State and local trade associations exist to serve their members, remain close to their members’ needs, and help fulfill those needs. 

Motivational speaker, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Your state and local trade association is the first opportunity you have to meet and learn from other professionals in your trade. Many contractors are surprised to discover that the most successful contractors are also those most likely to share information. They will freely share their knowledge and experience because they recognize the opportunity to benefit from others’ experience and ideas.

Carol Longacre, the Director of Affiliate Relations at Service Nation organized the meeting. She recalled how the networking benefited her as a young contractor’s wife. She said as a result of her involvement with the trade association she could, “call many contractors in any state and ask a question or ask for direction or get support.”

Click HERE to read the complete article.
Chapter News
New Jersey Chapter Fishing Trip
The Garden State Chapter held its fishing trip on July 13 on the Royal Miss Belmar out of Belmar, NJ. They had a great turnout with 58 attendees!

Refreshments were sponsored by Keith Trowbridge from Universal Supply Group, Jim Froehlich from All American Oil Recovery and Charley Holmes from Venco Sales.

The largest fluke was caught by a member of Paul Cuprewich's group and the largest Sea Bass was caught by a member of Bob Bruno's group.

We were also able to celebrate the impending marriage of Bob Bruno and his fiance, Jeanine, who were married on July 23rd and we had a surprise engagement on the boat, Bob Bruno's new daughter in law, Jeanine Carcifi, Jr said yes to the proposal from her new fiance, Jason Mokrynchua.

A great day was had by all!
Southeast PA Chapter Golf Outing
The June Southeast PA annual golf outing was a huge success with more than 30 players in attendance. The event included dinner and unlimited drinks and everyone had a fabulous time.

"Thank you to our sponsors who supported us in making this event such a success this year," Southeast PA Chapter President Wyatt Schwanger said. "We had a great time and we can't wait to do it again next year." Congratulations to team Beckett and team AFS who tied for lowest score!
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