Heating Oil Storage Tanks – What You Need to Know
This article answers a lot of questions about buried or above ground oil storage tanks. You will get information about oil tank inspection, testing, removal, and even leak prevention. Moreover, you will get some information about your 1000 litre bunded oil tank installation, controls, check valves, oil storage, piping systems, and safety valves.
Residential Oil Storage Tank
Oil leaks and environmental contamination risks are serious concerns for home buyers and building owners. This is because of the associated tank replacement and cleanup costs. Thus, there is a need for extensive, authoritative oil storage tank testing and inspection advice for the property owners and buyers. You have to know what to ask about the oil storage tanks, the leak tests done, and how you can interpret the testing results. Before you purchase a property it is vital to know whether there was an oil tank or not. This is because buried oil tanks have serious environmental, legal, safety, and economic concerns for the home owners. You should note that if oil leaks underground, it will result in costly cleanup operations.
Replacing an Oil Tank
The truth is that installing an oil storage tank involves a considerable expense. This is because in most cases, you are removing a tank and replacing it with another one. Costs can be quite higher if there is extensive soil contamination and leakage. Abandoning or removing a buried oil tank can be quite costly. Also, if the oil tank has leaked, you will have to clean up the contaminated soils.
Checking Leaky Oil Tank
Some clues can help you know whether your oil tank is leaking or not. It is vital to inspect the tank during pre-purchase. In fact, you should not purchase one unless inspection and tests have been done. It is unfortunate that most inspectors do not do oil tank inspection other than visual inspection. Some of the tests to be done include soil contamination, corrosiveness, screening evidence, and more.
Life Expectancy of Oil Tanks
Most oil tanks last quite long. Buried oil tanks are estimated to last about 20 years. Over the years, the risk of leaks for the buried oil tanks has become quite significant. For instance, if installation was not done properly, leaks are likely to occur. If you think that your tank is okay and not leaking, you should carry out tests like water at the tank bottom.
