Indoor oil storage tank inspection questions & answers.

This article series gives advice and example photos for the visual inspection of above ground oil tanks for leaks and damage, improper piping, wrong location, bad fire clearances, including these details: damaged or leaky oil storage tanks, improper oil tank piping, valves, and indoor-type oil tanks located outdoors.

Q&A on How to Inspect Indoor Oil Tanks

These FAQs about Inspection of the Oil Storage Tank Exterior to find signs of leaks or damage (followed by oil tank leak testing if appropriate) were posted originally

at ABOVE GROUND OIL STORAGE TANK (AST) INSPECTION - please also read the advice given there.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-03-06 by (mod) -

Frederick
Find the data tag on the oil tanks - show us a photo of the tanks and the data tags (use the picture frame icon next to the Comment button)

Sludge can be partly removed by pumping; there are other alternatives. I'd be slow to spend much on such old oil tanks. Save for their removal.

PS Please turn off your CAPS LOCK key when typing questions or comments.

On 2018-03-06 by Frederick Pierce

ANOTHER QUESTION, DO THEY PUMPOUT 275 OIL TANKS TO REMOVE THE SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANKS.??
frederickmain@yahoo.com

I HAVE 3 -275 OIL TANKS TOGETHER I KNOW THAT THERE ARE 60 YEARS OLD, HOW COULD ANYBODY KNOW IF THEY ARE SINGLE OR
DOUBLE WALL STEEL,??
frederickmain@yahoo.com

On 2018-02-13 by (mod) -

Rich

the expression

it's against code

is pretty Broad and confusing,

I don't really know what to make of it.

Perhaps you could ask your experts to be more specific and tell you what code provision or parameter is a concern to them.

Perhaps they're referring to NFPA 58 about LP gas and NFPA 50 about flammable liquids. And the prohibition of storing LP gas in presence of flammable liquids. If that's the concern I don't see an issue if you ust remove the oil tanks. Then install the LP gas.

On 2018-02-13 by Rich

3 Oil dealers attempting to convince me if iI were to install a buried Propane tank outside 100 feet away from the to be abandoned oil tank inside is against NFPA Code

On 2017-08-22 by (mod) -

Linda, see OIL TANK TESTING & REMOVAL COMPANIES

On 2017-08-18 by linda

I am purchasing a home and the inspectors only do a visual on the oil tank. What type of companies would I look for to do a more indepth review of a tank? Is there a way to look inside and someone told me some companies xray a tank? Thank you!

On 2017-04-05 by (mod) -

Vince,

Using the InspectApedia search box just above to look for "find buried oil tank" finds this helpful article:

BURIED / UNDERGROUND OIL TANK (UST), LOCATION METHODS

And at our ARTICLE INDEX you'll find

BURIED OIL TANKS, INDOOR CLUES where you'll see indoor clues that can suggest that there WAS an outdoor buried oil tank

On 2017-04-05 by Vince Ellerson

is there a way to determine if an oil tank is buried on the property?

On 2016-07-21 by (mod) -

Please see https://inspectapedia.com/oiltanks/Oil_Tank_Inspection_Reports.php and help us out by posting questions just once. Else you double our workload.

On 2016-07-20 by Mike

Looking for nfpa clearances under a deck for horizontal 275 coated oil tanks plus minimum leg lengths. Thanks

On 2016-02-29 danjoefriedman (mod)

Should be ok, but to avoid a snafu why not ask your own oil delivery company too.

On 2016-02-29 by steve

Oil Tank Fill & Vent Piping ... how many feet from tank to fill location can i do ....can i do 28 feet with a 1/4" per foot pitch

On 2016-01-11 by G Winslow

Are there guidelines or requirements for the floor or footings supporting the legs of indoor above ground residential oil tank in Massachusetts?
Are there any industry standards for this?

Question:

(May 21, 2014) M. A. Valliani said:

Is it not better to locate fuel oil day tank below the burner level? In elevated tanks, pipe leakages may result in draining of tank.

Reply:

A.V.

Placing an oil storage tank below the burner may have the advantage you cite but it incurs other costs including

• greater cost to bury the oil tank
• greater risk of water leaks into the tank
• higher costs of small oil leaks out of the oil tank
• requirement for a more powerful fuel unit to lift the oil
• more expensive oil tank constuction and materials to withstand damage and corrosive effects of soild

For these and perhaps other reasons, above ground tanks are widely used and are equipped with check valves to prevent accidental draining of the tank.

See OIL SUPPLY LINE CHECK VALVES

Question: how high should be the oil fill pipe above the ground level ?

(Aug 14, 2014) DAVID HADDAD said:

the oil tank is inside the house and the fill pipe is outside the house , so how high should be the oil fill pipe above the ground level ?

Reply:

Figure that the height above ground level must be easily reached by the oil truck delivery driver without having to use a stepladder or other makeshift device. In my OPINION a perfect height for the oil vent cap is about head height or about 5 feet as that makes it easy for the oil heat delivery driver to listen to the oil tank during fill-up, preventing over-filling.

The oil fill pipe can be a bit lower to make it easier to reach with the filler nozzle and hose.

I often see but am nervous about fill and vent pipe tops that are close to ground level in areas where they may be covered by snow or exposed to flooding water.

Question:

11/11/2014 louise said:

What is the allowable distance for installation of an above ground heating oil storage tank between the tank and the next door neighbor?

Reply:

Louise, figure 5-10 feet from combustibles & an oil burner plus property line setback requirements specified by your local zoning and building department.

Oil storage tank clearances are given

at OIL TANK INSPECTION & TROUBLESHOOTING

However additional clearance distances between a water well and oil storage tanks might be specified in some jurisdictions.

See WELL CLEARANCE DISTANCES

Question: ultrasonic test on my above ground oil tank - what do the numbers mean?

(May 29, 2015) Paula said:
I just had an ultrasonic test on my above ground oil tank 275 gallons, very old (probably 20-30 years).

The measurements they left for me were: top of tank is 2.71 mm; Bottom is 1.83 mm. Tank should be replaced and is showing signs of wear on bottom. What are the good vs. bad measurements by which this company is measuring me against?

What's "normal" measurements? How do I know that the numbers they have given me really MEAN I need a new tank? I can't find anything on the internet that says my numbers are "bad".

If anyone has any answers for me, please email me at marco2006@charter.net THANKS SO MUCH!

Reply:

Paula those are questions to ask the company performing the test.

But in the More reading articles above you can read about tank thickness measurement testing

at OIL TANK LEAK TEST METHODS

Excerpting from that article

Electronic testing of oil tanks to check for leak scan also screen tanks for evidence of damage - usually this was used only on commercial jobs. Also

see Mesa 2-D TEST for OIL TANK LEAKS

Oil tank ultrasound oil tank leak risk screening program (photo above) is offered by some oil companies who scan the bottom section of above ground oil tanks to measure the thickness of the tank steel. Tanks that pass an ultrasound screening test may be insured against future leakage.

We discuss ultrasound screening of oil tanks at ULTRASOUND TEST for AST OIL TANKS

(May 29, 2015) Paula said:

Thanks

I had already read those sections before I posted, but didn't know if there's a "standard" for ALL oil tanks. I.e. if its new, it's 3.0 mm thick. (just made that up). And if it's really old, and it's < 2.0 mm, it needs replacement. but thanks for the followup! i'm just not sure the company that performed the test knows what they're doing (long story). lol >

...

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• OIL TANK INSPECTION & TROUBLESHOOTING

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING OIL, OIL BURNERS, OIL FIRED HEATERS, OIL TANKS

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