Free checklist
Fuel oil storage and day tank annual maintenance checklist
The annual fuel oil system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 110, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The fuel or generator service contractor on the annual standby service, coordinated with a scheduled generator load run.
When in the schedule
Once a year with the generator's annual service, when the set can be run under load long enough to prove the fuel path holds up.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Fuel condition and polishing
- 2 photos
Fuel sampled and polished where fitted
Sample pulled from the tank bottom; polishing loop run where installed, filter differential and water separator output observed until the return runs clear.
- 1 photo
Water bottom fully drawn down
Water and sediment drained from the low point until clean fuel pulls, volume noted so a heavy bottom moves the next service interval.
Filters and piping
- 2 photos
Primary and secondary filters replaced
Elements changed, old media cut or inspected for water and growth, housings sealed and air bled so the suction primes.
- 1 photo
Supply and return piping and valves checked
Full supply and return run walked for weeps, chafing and loose supports; isolation and anti-siphon valves confirmed in the correct position after service.
Vents and loaded run
- 1 photo
Vent and fill path proven open
Vent run and screen confirmed clear so the tank breathes on draw-down, fill and gauge lines free, no vacuum building as level drops.
- 2 photos
Day tank sustained through a load run
Generator run under load long enough to cycle the transfer pump repeatedly; day tank holds level, return returns, no starvation or overflow across the run.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Fuel polishing skipped because the tank 'looks clean' from the fill, while the bottom is carrying water and microbial growth that plugs filters under load.
- Vent line or its screen partially blocked, so the tank pulls a vacuum on draw-down and the day tank starves during the run.
- Filters changed but the change interval never adjusted after a heavy water bottom, so the next set plugs early.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this fuel oil storage and day tank annual checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering fuel condition and polishing, filters and piping, vents and loaded run. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The fuel or generator service contractor on the annual standby service, coordinated with a scheduled generator load run.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year with the generator's annual service, when the set can be run under load long enough to prove the fuel path holds up.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a fuel oil storage and day tank annual inspection?
- Fuel polishing skipped because the tank 'looks clean' from the fill, while the bottom is carrying water and microbial growth that plugs filters under load. Vent line or its screen partially blocked, so the tank pulls a vacuum on draw-down and the day tank starves during the run. Filters changed but the change interval never adjusted after a heavy water bottom, so the next set plugs early.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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