Teaching Main Idea and Authors Purpose

What is the difference?

Main Idea: All stories, paragraphs, poems and articles have a main idea. The main idea tells us what the passage is about. The main idea, if stated, is also known as a topic sentence, and is usually stated in the first or last sentence of the paragraph, but not always. Sometimes it is in the middle of the paragraph, and sometimes it is not even stated (but implied). The other sentences tell more about the topic sentence. To find the main idea, one needs to ask themselves, "What is this passage mostly about?"

Author's Purpose: Every author has a purpose for writing his passage. It might be to give information, explain something, solve a problem, sell something, persuade, or even simply to entertain. Authors support their purpose for writing with their point of view...their thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

Teaching Main Idea and Authors Purpose

In reading fiction, one needs to know who is telling the story. Is it a main character? Or is it someone else, a narrator? It is also important to understand the tone or mood of a story (the feeling that the author creates). Is it funny, sad, or scary?

Children often have difficulty distinguishing the difference between these two reading elements. I find it helpful to teach Main Idea first, making sure they understand before I move on to Author's Purpose. After they understand both concepts we discuss the differences. it is also important to question and listen to the child so you are sure they understand.

How to teach these to concepts: To begin with explain the concept you are teaching. You can actually read the descriptions I give above or use your own words if you like.

The next step can be quite fun if you adjust to the child's interests. Do they like to fish, hunt, play games, help you, tell stories, or read about certain subjects? I have had students write a letter or an article, and then ask them to tell me their main idea and/ or authors purpose along with other questions mentioned above. Sometimes I choose passages that I know they would be interested in reading, and ask the same questions. While viewing a TV advertisement (or an advertisement on a cereal box) it can be fun to ask them what they think the authors purpose is, and if they agree with it. There are numerous daily activities that can support your teaching objectives.

Using curriculum is great too. There is some very good curriculum out there, which can be a time saver for you the educator, and there is nothing wrong with that if it is working for you and your student. I personally use both curriculum and the creative methods.

Don't be intimidated. With a little information and the right tools, teaching children to read is fun and easy.

Teaching Main Idea and Authors Purpose
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Roma Cox, who is a professional tutor, has over 32 years experience in helping children learn to read. She is often given the children that are expected to fail, and her success record with these kids is 88.8%, and higher if given the children before problems develop.

She has an elementary reading curriculum available on line that "children beg to play"...not like anything else. You can learn more about her curriculum, her services, and receive her free News Letter by visiting her web site http://www.read-phonics.com/.

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All Quiet on the Western Front - A Book Review

All Quiet on the Western Front is a book written by Erich Maria Remarkque. It was a book written to reflect the human cost of war. It shows us how war has a hidden face that most people do not see until it is too late. In the novel, he describes a group of young men who at first think war is glorious. But as the war drags on, the group discovers how war is not all it is set out to be. As the war went on, they saw their friends either die or be permanently wounded. Then the end comes when there was only one person left.

All Quiet on the Western Front takes place in Germany where a group of young boys are first encouraged to join the military. Thinking that it would be a great adventure, they enlisted, not knowing the fate that lies before them. At first, the group is sent to training. They aren't in a serious mood, thinking that war conditions aren't as bad as they really are. When the boys are sent to the front, it is only then when they start to realize how war is not great. This is when the boys are cramped into the trenches. Some of the soldiers were shell-shocked because of the constant bombardment. When one of the boys was wounded, he was taken to a hospital where there were many wounded soldiers. Some soldiers had to have parts of their bodies amputated in order to survive. When Kemmerich was in the hospital, Müller ask for his pair of boots. The boots was a visible reminder to the boys of the cost of war. Paul then has to face his own conscience when he kills one of the Frenchmen. He doesn't see the face of an enemy but just a face of another human being. He tries to comfort himself by promising to help the fallen soldier's family. After Paul is relieved from the front line, he decides to go on leave and return home. But when he tries to tell everyone of the horrible conditions of the trenches, everybody either laughs him off or calls him a coward. Paul returns before his leave actually ended, wishing that he had never come home. In the end, when Paul loses Kat, Paul realizes that the war has destroy his way of life. He has lost all his friends and has nothing to return to.

There were many symbols and images in All Quiet on the Western Front. Examples of this include the pair of boots and the constant urge for companionship. The pair of boots and the fact that it was passed around so often tells us that death was a very common occurrence during the war and that the soldiers wanted to use everything then could find in order to aid their chances of survival. The urge for companionship is shown when the group crosses the river to see the French girls and when the group sees the picture of the girl while having a drink. As the boys start being killed in the war, the group wished that everything could that they could be back home doing things they enjoy. The pictures serve as a reminder that war disrupts everything, from people's lives and their dreams and ambitions.

All Quiet on the Western Front - A Book Review

The major theme of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front is that war must be avoided at all cost because of the severe consequences that will arise. War causes people to lose friends, makes people worried and creates a feeling of uncertainty among innocent people. War also creates hatred among people. For example, two friends of different nationalities may become bitter enemies only because their respective countries are at war.

I think the novel All Quiet on the Western Front is a well told story, mixing both fiction and non-fiction into a powerful novel which forces people to think deeply about war and all of its possible repercussions. The book makes me think of all the lost talent that was lost during the war. Even though levels of technology increases exponentially, we have to wonder what the people who died in the war could have done to help the human cause. The novel also tells us that friendship always prevails even though tough times. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks that war can be short and glorious. Through this book, any reader can see that war brings unnecessary death to innocent people (soldiers and civilians). After reading the book, the reader will probably have a different outlook on war and all the low points that it brings.

Through this book, we, as human beings, should find attempt to find solutions through discussion and compromise instead of warfare. Countries in war may feel that they are gaining a lot through wars but what they fail to see is the losses they have suffered. In many cases, the gain is negligible when it is compared to the losses.

All Quiet on the Western Front - A Book Review
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Review of Martin Luther King Jr's, "Letter From Birmingham Jail"

In "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Martin Luther King strives to justify the need for nonviolent direct action in order to end all forms of segregation and helping the civil rights movement. He wrote there are unjust laws and just laws. He believes segregation laws were unjust because it damages the personality and makes African American lives below the standards given to them by the Constitution. He believes just laws to be laws that are for everybody and it positively affects the group.

He wrote this in response to his fellow clergyman's assertion that breaking the law is not how to achieve equality. King countered that one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. King had hoped that the white moderates would accept the equality of African American people with white society. King writes this letter to persuade his clergymen to remain strong and keep fighting to end racism and prejudice.

Martin Luther King was sent to prison for having a direct action parade and protest in order to advance the Civil Rights Movement. He wrote this letter to his clergymen in order to make them understand that they were breaking unjust laws that needed to be changed, especially after the Supreme Court decision that ended segregation. He wanted everybody to understand that this decision had to be upheld. I believe Luther's actions truly reflect his belief that all people should be equal. His actions also shows his commitment to the movement and the fact that this man was a leader.

Review of Martin Luther King Jr's, "Letter From Birmingham Jail"

Review of Martin Luther King Jr's, "Letter From Birmingham Jail"
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Top Ten Tips For Writing A Best-Selling Non-Fiction eBook

Ok, it's not going to be quite like Dave letterman's Top Ten Lists, but hopefully it will provide you with some valuable information when it comes to writing an eBook with the hope of it becoming a best seller.

There are some simple qualities that the best selling eBooks have in common. At the very minimum you need to make sure that you give your eBook the best shop at becoming a best seller by meeting these minimum requirements.

Top Ten:

Top Ten Tips For Writing A Best-Selling Non-Fiction eBook

1. Offer Some Unique Quality and Information
What will make your eBook stand out form the rest of the crowd? Uniqueness! You must bring a unique point-of-view to an already saturated market. This just mean just creating a unique headlines or eBook cover, it means the content and what you offer with regards to new programs, evidence, systems or techniques.

2. Become an Expert for Your Topic.
You won't fool anyone if you just regurgitate some information that you have pulled from the internet and put together to create an eBook and then claim to be an expert. You don't have to have some degree to be an expert but you sure do need some first hand experience and knowledge within your niche topic.

3. The Most Successful Non-fiction eBooks Are Written From the Reader's Perspective.
The reader who will buy your informative eBook is looking for you to solve their problem or satisfy their wants and needs. Therefore, you will want to write and construct your eBook with that in mind. Use simple and easy to understand language. You don't have to big note yourself with big words or bragging about your accomplishments. You have already sold them on buying your eBook so don't keep selling!

4. Prove Yourself By Backing up Your Claims
If you make a bold statement or claim use and example to back it up. If you state how you have an incredible amount of experience in creating websites then provide examples. If you are a best-selling author then tell them a title of your eBook.

5. Make Sure Your Content is Easy to Understand
Remember that the reader is seeking your advice because they need your help. Your are the expert, not them so write in a way that they can not only read your eBook but also be able to comprehend your main points.

6. Provide Real Life Examples
People relate better to actual experiences that you have. So if you are discussing the topic of eBook cover designs then include photos of covers that look good and covers that don't look good.

7. Have Someone Else Proof Read Your eBook
You may be a great writer but to think that only you need to proofread your eBook is just asking for trouble. You must have it professionally proofread. It is amazing what someone else will pick up from a reader's perspective. I always have to come back and make corrections or additions to my eBooks after they have been proofread. Have some else check the spelling, language, grammar, layout, punctuation and format.

8. Make Sure Your eBook is in Multiple Formats So it Can Be Read on All Devices
A customer who makes a purchase wants quick access to their eBook. If they find out that they cannot read it on their chosen reading device then that initial excitement will soon turn to anger and frustration and your name will be at the top of the list for complaints. Make sure it can be read on a PC, Mac, eReaders to tablets such as the iPad.

9. Your eBook Should Meet File Size Requirements
An eBook that is too big takes up too much space and takes too long to download. This will just be a further irritation to the reader. When you add photos to your eBooks make sure you reduce the size of these photos.

10. Build a Relationship With Your Reader
Write your eBook as if you are giving a one-on one consultation to that reader. Be personable and let them know how they can get in contact with you or follow you on your blog.

Your ultimate goal is to write a quality eBook that provides a great reading experience to the reader. You want them to keep coming back to you for more advice and to buy future eBooks that you write. These basic tips will help get you on your way.

Top Ten Tips For Writing A Best-Selling Non-Fiction eBook
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"eBooks International" is a global media company that is focused on empowering writers and authors to write, promote, publish, sell and profit from their eBooks. eBooks International owns and operates http://www.eBookAuthorAcademy.com which has been helping writers become successfully published authors since 2004.

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Literary vs Commercial Fiction

Is literary fiction the yin to commercial fiction's yang? I think so... But you'll have to decide what you think for yourself, because opinions vary far and wide. It's a hot topic in the fiction writing world these days... maybe it always has been.

Many writers wonder about the differences between literary fiction and commercial fiction. Below I've broken each category down to show the most significant contrasts between the two.

Literary Fiction:

Literary vs Commercial Fiction

Confronts life as we know it Action makes little (or no) difference to the conflict Resolves the story, but not necessarily the conflict by the end Confronts issues pertaining to the human condition Is challenging and thought-provoking The beauty of the writing is often remarked upon--often aspires to win awards in the literary world Focuses more on the poise of expression, psychological acumen, and character
Commercial Fiction:

Diverts us from life for a while Action always makes a difference to the conflict--can be good OR bad Characters aren't always realistic, they often seem slightly cartoonish Social issues described are similar to the ones portrayed on sitcoms or in movies Can be read quickly and easily--without too much thinking involved Written to entertain a much wider audience Focuses more on narrative and plot

However, what most other articles, sites, and writers don't focus on are the things that two types of fiction SHARE. It's also important to understand a few of the similarities between (good) literary and commercial fiction.

Ingredients for a good piece of fiction, be it literary or commercial:

Good fiction is grammatically accurate and well edited Good fiction is character driven Good fiction evokes emotions from its readers Good fiction is written with specificity (write concretely, not vaguely)

Do you have to label your fiction writing as literary or commercial? I don't think so, necessarily. But it is a good idea to understand the basics if you're working your way into the writing/publishing community.

Literary vs Commercial Fiction
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Sara McClung is a full-time writer living in Northern Virginia. Currently, she's editing her YA urban fantasy, SHATTERED, and is working on her second novel. Read more about the writing process at http://babblingflow.blogspot.com

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How Much Should You Pay for Manuscript Editing?

If you were to survey two hundred editors, you would come up with two hundred different quotes for manuscript editing. Unfortunately, the industry standard for editing isn't entirely reliable, and there are hundreds of factors that editors take into consideration when generating a quote. Some editors have flat rates that they charge per word or per page, while others prefer to create custom quotes based on specific manuscripts.

The bottom line, however, is that you need to know a reasonable price for manuscript editing. How much should you actually pay? And how do you know when you're being taken for a ride?

Level of Editing

How Much Should You Pay for Manuscript Editing?

The first thing that an editor will take into consideration when determining fees is the level of editing required to make the manuscript presentable. Few editors can take a manuscript that needs developmental editing and simply proofread the document; it isn't in our nature. That said, you will need to find an editor who can work within your budget for the level of editing required.

Word Count

In many cases, you'll pay less per word for a longer manuscript than you will for a short one. Some editors work on sliding scales that benefit the client for book-length novels and books. To discover if this is the case without asking directly, simply ask for two quotes: One for a 3,000-word short story and one for an 80,000-word novel. From there, you can divide the price by the word count and see whether length makes any difference.

Type of Material

A technologically-complex manuscript will usually cost more to edit than one without any complicated jargon or explanations. Some editors won't even work on technical projects, while others will do so for a price. Make sure to ask about the editor's technical editing fees if your manuscript is technical in nature.

Editor's Experience

This is where your editing fees come with a Catch-22. You will probably save money by hiring an inexperienced editor who has very few clients under his or her belt, but you might be sacrificing quality for price. Paying more for an experienced, talented editor will ensure that you don't have to repeat that process. It just depends on your budget and your manuscript quality.

Rush Delivery

Most editors have a rush delivery service, which involves an additional fee for fast editing. For example, I offer 24- and 48-hour rush delivery for an additional 10% of the editing quote, though this will certainly vary by editor. If you're working on a deadline or are simply impatient, you will probably pay more for editing services.

Bottom Line

Now that I've outlined some of the factors that go into determining an editing quote, let's talk about the bottom line. How much should you spend on editing services?

Proofreading. For a small editing job such as proofreading, the project will take your editor the least amount of time and it will involve the least amount of effort. Some editors charge as little as .02/word for proofreading, while others might charge around .05/word. That comes out to between .00 and .00 per page.

Copy Editing. Since it's more involved and is more of a time commitment, copy editing will be somewhat more expensive than proofreading. According to the Writer's Market, the average copy editor charges between .12 and .40 per word, which comes out to between .00 and 0.00 per page.

Developmental Editing. This is the most complex of all editing, and is sometimes referred to as a Ghostwriting/Editing Blend. The editor will add and subtract entire paragraphs (or even pages) to improve upon the manuscript. Since it's extremely involved, most editors charge between .30 and .50 per word, which amounts to between 0 and 5 per page.

You Get What You Pay For

As a final note, I want to remind you that you'll often get exactly what you pay for. If you try and go the "stingy" route, you might want up with an editor who doesn't know what he or she is doing, which is simply money down the drain.

How Much Should You Pay for Manuscript Editing?
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Laura J. Thompson is a professional editor, ghostwriter and consultant. She provides these services at competitive prices for both businesses and individuals all across the United States. You can learn more about her services by visiting her website (http://www.editingbylaura.com) or by reading more of her articles. She specializes in fiction ghostwriting and editing, though she also enjoys self-help and other non-fiction articles and books.

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Boy Or Girl Chinese Calendar - The Facts!

You must have heard of people who use the boy or girl Chinese calendar to choose the sex of their baby. This kind of beliefs had been in the world for a long time. In fact, a lot of Chinese people really trust this kind of boy or girl Chinese calendar a few hundred years ago.

The Chinese Lunar calendar is very different from those western calendar - Gregorian calendar. The beginning of the lunar year is based on the cycles of the moon. Beside using the latest medical test, this chart will be one of the popular and simple-to-use choosing boy or girl Chinese calendar in the world until today.

The choosing sex of baby chart is indeed an amazing discovery and was first found by a Chinese scientist more than 700 hundreds years ago. However, it was later known to have buried in a Royal tomb near Peking in China. The original chart had been handled over to the Institute of Science of Peking for safe-keeping.

Boy Or Girl Chinese Calendar - The Facts!

The boy or girl Chinese calendar is so widely used across the world as one of the ways to choose the sex of the child. In fact, as high as 90% - 99% of people believe the chart to be somehow very accurate since the calendar had been around for so many centuries.

When you first look at the boy or girl Chinese calendar, you will find them very confusing. However, once you really study and understand the diagrams, you will find the baby gender selection procedures to be real easy to use. The steps are very simple as you will simply need to determine the gender by cross-referencing the age of the female with her month of conception.

To keep thing simple, we shall summarize the use of this boy or girl Chinese calendar to help you choose your baby gender. On the top of the chart, you will have a row of the woman's age. And on the left column, you will see a row of months used for your conception month. You can simply match your age with the month of your conception. The crossing-point will determine the sex of the baby that you will get if you have sexual intercourse on that particular day.

There are still some limitations to this kind of choosing boy or girl Chinese calendar. As the method to use the calendar is 100% natural and is non-invasive, you are unable to find out other possible issues such as congenital abnormality, miscarriages, etc. As a matter of fact, this method still needs further research and investigation, even though it had been around for so many years. Beside using this calendar to choose gender of a baby, couples can also use it to enhance and maintain a healthy marital relationship.

Boy Or Girl Chinese Calendar - The Facts!
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See the actual Chinese calendar at: Boy or Girl Chinese Calendar

Shannon Courtney is the author of babygender101.com. See more Secret Techniques on Baby Gender Prediction & Baby Gender Selection at: Baby Gender Prediction & Selection

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History of Dream Catchers (Indian Dreamcatchers)

The history of dream catchers (or Indian dreamcatchers) can be traced to the Native American Ojibway Chippewa tribe. The Ojibways would tie strands of sinew string around a frame of bent wood that was in a small round or tear drop shape. The patterns of the dream catcher would be similar to how the Ojibways tied the webbing for their snowshoes (the Ojibways were located far enough north that they experienced all four seasons)..

Traditionally, Indian dream catchers were only a few inches across and it would be finished with a feather hanging from the webbing. Wrapping the frame in leather would also be common.

Originally, dream catchers were made as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the dream catcher will catch one's dreams during the night. Bad dreams will get caught in the dream catcher's webbing and disappear with the morning sun.

History of Dream Catchers (Indian Dreamcatchers)

Meanwhile, good dreams will find their way to the center of the dream catcher and float down the feather. The dream catcher is therefore considered a filter allowing only good, pleasant dreams to get through. Dream catchers are also believed to bless those who are sleeping with good luck and harmony.

Dream catchers started to get popular in other Native Indian tribes such as Cherokee, Lakota and Navajo. Today, dream catchers are made in practically every Native Indian tribe in the United States and Canada. Pretty well any Native Indian event such as pow wows or festivals will have authentic dream catchers for sale. The dream catcher was even featured in an episode of the Star Trek Voyageur television science fiction series.

However, like many other Native Indian crafts, cheaply made dream catchers have been recently mass produced by non-natives and foreign souvenir producers in Asia. So it is very important when shopping on the internet for a Native Indian dreamcatcher that one deals only with reputable businesses dealing with authentic dream catchers made by Native Indian artisans.

In addition to children's nurseries, dream catchers today are hung in windows, heads of beds, walls and even on the rear view mirrors of vehicles.

History of Dream Catchers (Indian Dreamcatchers)
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Creative Writing: How to Start Your Novel

When I was in the eleventh grade, I took a creative writing elective with one of the most brilliant teachers I've ever met. She was brutal, honest and highly creative; I don't know why she hadn't graduated to teaching college courses. In any event, she gave me the best writing advice I have ever gotten:

"The worst way to start your story is with a 'dark and stormy night'. It's been done. Other than that, the sky's the limit."

I took her advice to heart, and the stories I wrote for her class had the most creative beginnings I've ever written.

Creative Writing: How to Start Your Novel

Most beginning (and even veteran) writers struggle with how to open their novels. Dialogue? Action? Witty prose? How you start your novel with decide how many people buy it off bookstore shelves. Captivating your reader should be the first priority, but how do you know if it's exciting enough?

How to Start Your Novel with Dialogue

I rarely start novels with dialogue, mostly because I can never think of anything important enough to say. However, sometimes dialogue is the best way to get your novel off to a running start. If your characters are in the middle of a fight or if there's something you want to get right out in the open, dialogue can thrust your reader right into the opening scene of the novel.

That said, you have to be careful. Resist the urge to start your novel with dialogue like, "How are you feeling today?" If you plan to open with dialogue, it must be intelligent and important and captivating.

My only real advice for starting your novel with dialogue is to have only one line of speech before you insert some explanations. Even if the characters are in the middle of a conversation, don't confuse your reader by failing to give details.

How to Start Your Novel with Action

Obviously, action is the most popular way to start a novel. It's exciting, intriguing, and it lures your readers into the story before they even know what hit them.

This is especially true with mystery and suspense stories. In those genres, readers expect to be hooked from the get-go, and they want to be shocked from paragraph one.

How to Start Your Novel with Prose

In this case, "prose" really refers to description. Some of the most powerful novels of all time have begun with languid and lyrical description:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

"A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories..."

- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

Description is my favorite way to start a novel because it eases the reader into the storyline. There are no expectations, no assumptions; your reader becomes immersed in the fictional world that you have created, and at your own pace; no one else's.

The only problem with this method is that you must find a unique way to describe the opening scene. My advice is to think about the characters and the setting and to pick out a remote object on which to comment. This takes your reader from a very specified place - the object - and into a more complex scene - your opening. For example, one of the books that I ghosted several years ago began like this:

"In a room filled with beautiful antique furniture and ancient artifacts from Egypt and Rome, the digital clock radio stuck out like a sore thumb. It's flashing green digits called attention to the clock as if to say, I may be new, but I'm still important. It struck me as odd that someone as refined and as old-world as Cunningham Thompson III would rely on such a technological timepiece." By drawing your readers' attention to something mundane, they will be twice as captivated when you get on with the plot.

Creative Writing: How to Start Your Novel
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Laura J. College is a professional ghostwriter with more than ten years' experience writing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Her work can be found all over the Internet, and she is currently accepting ghostwriting clients. Check out her website at [http://www.laurajcollege.com]

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Home Heating Oil Tanks: FACT vs FICTION - What You Really Need to Know!

This article is a follow-up to our February 2002 edition for Ontario residents, which discussed the dangers of leaking fuel oil tanks, how to avoid problems and how to handle spills and leaks.

Unprotected and neglected storage tanks can potentially ruin a life-long investment. More than one million Canadian homes are heated with oil and over the past few years, there have been a startling number of tank failures - and the trend will grow as traditional steel storage tanks continue to corrode.

Due to condensation, water and sludge accumulating at the bottom, the majority of steel fuel oil tanks rust from the inside out. This damage is not immediately apparent and often presents itself as a catastrophic tank failure. Leaks can also be due to improper maintenance, damp locations and physical damage. Fuel oil leaks have raised insurance claims by 50% over the past few years, with clean-ups often costing more than the property was worth.

Home Heating Oil Tanks: FACT vs FICTION - What You Really Need to Know!

New Regulations

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) in Ontario has instituted new regulations for heating oil storage tanks to counter oil spills. The rules would require that only licensed installers install and regularly inspection tanks. Tanks would have to be tagged and registered and oil deliveries be made only to tanks that have the registration tag. Therefore, the responsibility for tank maintenance has been divided among the owner, the installer and the oil company.

Insurance Rebates

Insurance companies and governments have recognized that without immediate attention to the problem, leak incidences from residential fuel oil tanks will increase and costs for clean-up will skyrocket. Several insurance companies are now offering refunds to their clients to encourage them to replace their furnace and storage tank systems. Manufacturers are also offering rebates to customers for furnace and tank replacements.

Better Fuel Oil Tanks

Manufacturers of storage tanks have improved their products and warranties. Several new tank products have been marketed during the last few years. Steel tanks have gone to a heavier gauge to mitigate the effect of corrosion and perhaps increase their lifespan. New technologies for non-metallic tanks have emerged so that internal corrosion ceases to be an issue. Glass fiber tanks, in single wall and double wall versions, and the polyethylene tank, secondarily contained in a galvanized steel container, are two examples of new designs which are both proven, tested and ULC listed for the storage of fuel oil.

FICTION: An oil spill won’t cost any more than the deductible amount of a homeowner’s insurance.

FACT: Some insurance policies specifically exclude pollution coverage for leaks or spills from residential heating oil tanks. Homeowners should contact their insurance broker, and review their policy to confirm whether they have pollution coverage, and whether there are any limitations to their coverage.

FICTION: If an oil tank has handles, it’s less than 20 years old.

FACT: The presence or absence of handles is not an accurate indication of age. Only the serial number on the tank ID plate, or a valid date stamp would provide a reliable indication of age.

FICTION: The government says now, that oil tanks have to be changed every 12 years.

FACT: An existing above ground fuel-oil tank is considered approved provided the tank was installed in accordance with the code at the time of installation. As long as the tank is not leaking, there is no age at which the government demands the tank must be replaced.

FICTION: All underground tanks have to be removed immediately.

FACT: New regulations require that all underground tanks to be registered with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) by May 1, 2002 or fuel oil will not be delivered to the tank. Underground tanks that are 25 years and older, or of an unknown age, and not specially protected from corrosion are required to be removed by October 1, 2006.

FICTION: If a tank has been inspected, there won’t be any trouble getting insurance.

FACT: Insurance companies often reject new applications for coverage of homes with tanks over “X” years of age. Twenty years of age seems to be the most common denominator. Many insurance companies will not provide coverage for underground tanks under any circumstances

FICTION: Oil heating is smelly and expensive.

FACT: Oil furnaces, hot water tanks and storage tanks need not exhibit any odors when properly installed and maintained. Oil heating is a cost-effective alternative to natural gas.

A FEW MORE FACTS FOR ONTARIO RESIDENTS:

Homeowners are required to annually maintain their fuel oil appliances (boilers, furnaces, water heaters, etc.) by having a TSSA certified Oil Burner Technician service and clean the appliance.

Homeowners are required to have their fuel oil appliance installations safety inspected by their fuel oil supplier.

Fuel oil suppliers that find unsafe equipment are required to stop the delivery of fuel oil until the equipment is fixed.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization responsible for the delivery of a range of safety services. This includes the administration of Ontario's Technical Standards & Safety Act, 2000 within various industry sectors and the delivery of safety programs to the public.

WHO TO CONTACT:

* For more information on residential fuel oil tanks and Ontario laws governing them, contact:

Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA)

Fuels Safety Division

3300 Bloor St. W.

4th Floor, West Tower

Toronto, ON M8X 2X4

(416) 325-1615

http://www.tssa.org

* To report spills or to obtain more information on spill cleanup procedures, contact:

Ministry of the Environment

Spills Action Centre (SAC)

1-800-268-6060 (24-hours)

or (416) 325-3500

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca

* In other provinces, check the government listings in the local telephone directory to locate the appropriate department.

* Licensed professional cleanup services, fuel suppliers and heating contractors can also provide assistance in most locations.

ON THE WEB:

* Visit http://www.esemag.com to learn more about environmental science and engineering. View photos of modern oil containment systems.

* Visit http://www.tssa.org to learn more about Ontario government regulations applicable to oil storage tanks.

* Visit [http://www.sbag.web.com] to learn more about a different kind of secondary containment retrofit.

* For information on other environmental topics visit the Ministry of the Environment web site at: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca

NOTE: Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure accuracy, however rules and regulations will vary in different locales and may change from time to time, often without notice. This information is for reference only and use of, or reliance upon this information is at the discretion of the reader. Consult with your applicable local authority regarding fuels and fuels safety.

Home Heating Oil Tanks: FACT vs FICTION - What You Really Need to Know!
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Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

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