Photograph of an oil tank with questionable support - courtesy Arlene Puentes, Kingston NY

Guide to Checking Heating Oil Tank Support Legs, Feet & Piers
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How to inspect oil tank feet, piers, protection & support
Risk of oil tanks tipping over, leaks
Guide to visual inspection of home heating oil tanks

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This article discusses inspection of oil tank support and piers. The photo above shows a rather questionable "home made" pier supporting an oil tank. There is inadequate bearing surface and the pier is already tipping. It probably lacks a frost footing. If the pier or foot slips and the oil tank falls over, a costly oil leak as well as possible damage from loss of heat to the building could be the result. [Page top photo is courtesy Arlene Puentes, Kingston, NY.]

This is a section of our article on inspecting above ground oil tanks for defects. The article and photographs below give advice and example photos for the visual inspection of above ground oil tanks for leaks and damage including damaged or leaky oil storage tanks, improper oil tank piping, valves, and indoor-type oil tanks located outdoors.

Here are a some important indicators of tank condition that any home owner or home inspector can examine when an oil storage tank is visible and accessible inside or at a building.

Also see additional visibly detectable oil tank defects listed at Home Inspection Report Language Library: Visible Defects in Oil Tank Installations, Tanks, and Heating Oil Piping.

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Photograph of a tipping outdoor oil tank support pier

OIL TANK SUPPORT and Oil Tank Protection Inspection

Are the tank support legs sound and on firm footing? If required by local ordnance, is other tank support in place? A standard 275-gallon tank with an average capacity of 260 gallons weighs about 2000 lbs. Placed on wood or dirt the tank is likely to tip and spill.

The photo shows a seriously tipping oil tank support pier, risking tipping of the tank, oil spillage, loss of heat (risking frozen pipes and water or mold damage) and environmental contamination. [Photo courtesy Arlene Puentes, Kingston NY.]

Regardless of whether an oil tank is installed indoors or outdoors above ground, it must be properly supported. Some municipalities also require installation of special protection to assure that a tank cannot tip over, even if its feet are damaged. A steel pipe may be installed in the floor next to the tank and extended vertically above the tank and then after making a 90 deg. bend, secured to the wall to "cage" the oil tank.

Photograph of rusty oil tank supporting leg, indicating a history of basement water entry

What about rusty oil tank feet? The rust shown in this photo is trivial in that it has not caused enough damage that we have any concern that the tank is going to tip over - at least not in the near future.

But rust on oil tank supporting feet for an indoor oil storage tank, especially on those back feet close to the wall, hard to reach, and hard to re-paint, are a great indicator of the history of water entry in a building.

Oil Tank Protection From Vehicles

Where oil tanks are installed in garages, some jurisdictions require that the garage oil tank (and boiler or furnace if one is present) also be protected from being struck by a vehicle using similar iron pipe guards as just cited above.

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Above Ground Oil Tanks Inspection Checklist, an Oil Company's advice

Arlene Puentes, an ASHI member and a licensed home inspector in Kingston, NY, and has served on ASHI national committees as well as HVASHI Chapter President. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
More Reading and advice about oil storage tank leak testing
- ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTIONS - "Visual Inspection of Above Ground Residential Heating Oil Storage Tanks - ASTs" provides photos of common and easily seen tank leaks and defects, and a description of some easy visual checks of the condition of a visible oil tank, things that you can do yourself
- OIL TANK TESTING Oil Tank Testing Methods & Choices
- BURIED OIL TANKS, FINDING How to Find Buried Oil Tank
- OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES Oil Tank Leaks or Oil Tank Failure Causes - oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, damage, soil conditions, other factors
- TANK FAILURE RATES Oil Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Leak Probability as a Function of Tank Age, Location, Condition, Soil Conditions and Other Factors
- OIL TANK WATER CONTAMINATION - how to find out if there is problematic water in an oil tank and how to get water out of an oil tank are explained
Oil Tanks - The Oil Storage Tank Information Website: Buried or Above Ground Oil Tank Inspection, Testing, Cleanup, Abandonment of Oil Tanks
Abandon a Buried Oil Tank, How To - Abandoning Commercial Underground Tanks, Russ Brauksieck, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, P. 40-41 [Reprint]
Above Ground Oil Tanks: Visual Inspection of Oil Storage Tanks for evidence of leaks, damage, improper piping - photos and text
Above Ground Oil Tanks Checklist, an Oil Company's advice
Above Ground Tanks UL Standards, UL Tank Listing Standards, guidance for home owners, buyers, and inspectors
Buried Oil Tanks - Finding How to Find Buried Oil Tanks and "Nearly Hidden" and Leaky Oil Tanks - photos and text.
Buried Fuel tank - Advice - Buried FUEL Tank - GAS or OIL advice for home buyers, home owners, inspection report language for homes where a buried oil tank is or was installed
Environmental Issues & Regulations for Oil Tanks, Registration, Abandonment, Leak Reporting
Home Inspection Report Language Library: Buried Oil Tanks, Buried or aboveground oil tank advice for home buyers and home owners, where a buried oil tank is or was installed, also home inspection report language for oil tanks
Home Inspection Report Language Library: Visible Defects in Oil Tank Installations, Tanks, and Heating Oil Piping
Home Inspection Report Language Library: Gas Fuel Piping or Tank Faults Basic advice - home inspection report language suggestions
Home Inspection Report Language Library: Oil Tanks text file list © Oil and Other Storage Tank Leaks, Testing, Abandonment, Inspection - UST home inspection report language files - Reference List
Indoor Environment Website Indoor Building Environmental Hazard Detection, Testing, Repair, & Prevention - Main Web Page
Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - Advice for Home Owners or Buyers: caused of leaks in oil tanks, oil tank testing alternatives, what to do about leaky tanks: D. J. Friedman, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.2 No.1, Winter, 1992 p. 42-43 Illus
Leak or Failure Rates for Home Heating Oil Tanks
Legal Issues Regarding Buried Oil Storage Tanks K. S. Rea, Attorney, summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
Primer on Petroleum Bulk Storage Tanks & Petroleum Contamination of Property Paul H. Ciminello, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, p 35-39
Petroleum Bulk Storage J. Sibblies, NY State DEC, Advice to Home Owners and Home Inspectors about Oil Storage Tanks - summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
Septic Tank inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair
OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES - Oil Tank Failure Causes - oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, damage, soil conditions, other factors
Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Leak Probability as a Function of Tank Age, Location, Condition, Soil Conditions and Other Factors
OIL TANK TESTING - - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
"How do you choose the right tank testing method?", Cynthia Johnson, Fuel Oil & Oil Heat Magazine, November 1995
National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, PO Box 380, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
"Homeowners Guide to Fuel Storage," Agway Energy Products, Verbank, NY, November 1990
Web Link Exchange: Contact Us to list your website or contact information for oil tank testing, tank corrosion research, oil industry experts
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Guide to Checking Heating Oil Tank Support Legs, Feet & Piers InspectAPedia® -

OIL TANK SUPPORT and Oil Tank Protection Inspection

Oil Tank Protection From Vehicles

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Guide to Checking Heating Oil Tank Support Legs, Feet & Piers
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