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septic fill and vent pipe details: vent pipe against vinyl siiding (C) Inspectap3ei.com SidoliOil Tank Fill & Vent Piping Outdoor Termination & Clearances

Oil tank fill & vent piping outdoor termination piping & clearance distances guide.

This heating oil piping article series gives advice and example photos for the installation, inspection, & leak troubleshooting of oil tank fill & vent piping for both buried and above ground oil storage tanks.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Oil Fill & Vent Pipe Termination: Outdoors, Clearance Distances

Oil filler pipe too far down hill (C) Daniel Friedman Dunedin New ZealandIn our photograph, an oil fill pipe at a property in Dunedin, New Zealand (South Island) doubles back on itself to give the oil delivery driver a fighting chance at filling an oil tank that is uphill from the point of fill.

To me [DF] this is a rather ugly installation that seems likely to lead to a spill and and of course it's an obvious challenge to simply connect the filler hose to this pipe.

What are the clearance distances required around an outdoor oil tank fill and vent pipe?

Those required distances vary by country and often by jurisdiction within country as we show below.

Oil Tank Minimum Clearance Distances

U.K. Oil Tank Clearance Distances

U.K. oil tank clearances: the tank must be 1.8 meters away from building openings such as doors or windows in a fire-rated structure such as house or outbuilding.

Oil Tank Distance Requirements in the U.K.

Building Feature Minimum Distance
Fire-Rated Structure (home) openings (doors, windows)  1.8 m
Non-fire rated structure (outbuilding)  1.8 m
Non-fire rated structure (outbuilding) Eaves  1.8 m
Liquid fuel appliance flue terminal  1.8 m
Property boundary fence, non-fire-rated 760 mm
Other Screening (trellis, shrubbery) not property boundary 600 mm

Notes to the table above

  1. Watch out: in the U.K., oil storage tank regulations differ depending on your location in Britain, Ireland vs. Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales.
  2. Closer distance than given in the UK oil tank distance table above is permitted if a 30 minute-rated fire barrier has been provided, with a minimum 300 mm distance between the barrier and the oil storage tank; a larger distance may be required by the tank manufacturer.
  3. Oil tanks located inside of a garage or out-building must be self-contained within a one-hour rated fire chamber.
  4. The requirement for an oil tank secondary containment or bund (at 110% of the tank's capacity) depends on your location.

    Northern Ireland: dfpni.gov.uk/articles/building-regulations-technical-booklets [website not available 2023/03/23]

    Scotland: SCOTLAND DOMESTIC TECHNICAL HANDBOOK [PDF] (2023) ISBN 978-1-78544-328-2 at gov.scot/publications/building-standards-technical-handbook-2022-domestic/

    Wales: WALES OIL STORAGE REGULATIONS [PDF] (2016) - retrieved 2023/03/23, original source: gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-06/oil-storage-regulations.pdf
  5. Source: UK Oil Firing Technical Association, OFTEC, Unit 25, Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton, Suffolk, IP12 1QT U.K., Tel: 473 626 298 (UK) 01 864 / 5771 (RoI) Web: oftec.org/ - retrieved 2023/03/23

...

U.S. Oil Tank Termination & Clearances & Not Vented Outdoors: what is the code?

Reader Question: Feb 18, 2015) Nelle said: oil company has to come into the garage to fill the oil tank

I live in an older building and both my and another tenant's oil tank are located in my garage. The only way to fill them is to open the garage door and come in to do it.

I have found one company who is willing to do this but they aren't reliable - they've never come when they've said they would

- I don't mean they miss by an hour or two - we're talking a week or more. Another company I approached said they tanks had to be piped outside. Is that a state law, regulation, fire hazard. Does anyone know?

Reply: NFPA 31 8.5.2 (2011) requires that oil fill and vent pipes terminate outdoors, if it is intended to be filled by hose from a fuel delivery vehicle

5/11/15 NHFireBear said:

Nelle: State and local fire codes do vary, but the "national" standard NFPA 31 (Standard for Installation of Oil Burning Equipment) is widely adopted in the USA.

Section 8.5.2 of the 2011 edition requires that oil fill and vent pipes terminate outdoors, if it is intended to be filled by hose from a fuel delivery vehicle.

If it has a separate funnel inlet for hand filling, the tank, room ventilation, clearance distances, pipes, fire extinguishers and other things must also comply with NFPA 30A Code for Motor-Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages.

Whether previously approved installations can be used after the code requirement has changed is up to the local authorities, in most cases.

[This question was originally posted at OIL TANKS. NHFireBear is a frequent contributor to InspectApedia.com - Ed.]

On 2020-04-29 - by (mod) - oil tank filler pipe vent needs to be at least 2 ft. above ground - possible impact on siding

Joe

We are not likely to find a building code that explicitly addresses a heating oil fill or vent pipe that is close to or touching vinyl siding, but in general the vent must be accessible and not blocked.

here is an excerpt from the 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code or "UMC" on heating or fuel oil tank vent piping

1305.7 [Oil storage tank] Vent piping [termination code].

Liquid fuel vent pipes shall terminate out-side of buildings at a point not less than 2 feet (610mm) measured vertically or horizontally from any building opening. Outer ends of vent pipes shall terminate in a weatherproof vent cap or fitting or be provided with a weatherproof hood.

septic fill and vent pipe details: vent pipe against vinyl siiding (C) Inspectap3ei.com SidoliAll vent caps shall have a minimum free open area equal to the cross-sectional area of the vent pipe and shall note employ screens finer than No.4 mesh.

Vent pipes shall: terminate sufficiently above the ground to avoid being obstructed with snow or ice. Vent pipes from tanks containing heaters shall be extended to a location where oil vapors discharging from the vent will be readily diffused.

If the static head with a vent pipe filled with oil exceeds 10 pounds per square inch (psi) (69kPa), the tank shall be designed for the maximum static head that will be imposed.

Liquid fuel vent pipes shall not be cross connected with fill pipes, lines from burners or overflow lines from auxiliary tanks. - 2006 ICC IMC International Mechanical Code

There is some (perhaps small) chance that vapors from the heating oil vent may discolor or otherwise affect the vinyl siding immediately adjacent to the vent cap.

Thanks for an interesting question.

FYI: to be clear, that's a septic tank vent location requirement of two feet above ground, not two feet from the house.

And of course, three feet or more from any building opening such as a window or door.

The concerns are to avoid likely vent blockage by snow cover or, in areas without snow, avoid blockage by leaves, debris, or water entry from rain splash-up falling off of a roof.

On 2020-04-29 by Joe Sidoli

Thank you for your response.

I recently had my oil tank in my basement replaced and the vent pipe outside is touching the vinyl siding on my house. I am sure codes vary by state and county but is this ok. Is there a standard for this. See pic and thank you.

I just don’t quite understand what the excerpt [you provided] is saying. I think it says.

Or more than two feet high but is there a distance from the house that is recommended. Thank you Joe

Question: clearance distances for heating oil storage tank fill & vent piping

Nov 6, 2017) Joe said:

On the outside of the house. What is the minimum distance can a pellet stove vent be to the oil fill of my boiler?

Reply: ICC & NYC Mechanical Code citations for heating oil fill & vent termination & location

Joe:

There is no explicit clearance distance given in model building codes for the distance between a pellet stove exhaust vent and a heating oil fill or vent pipe, though the manufacturer of your pellet stove will surely give safe clearance distances from various building features. Check there first.

There are general guidelines for oil filler and oil vent pipe clearances and termination locations. These excerpts are from New York City's 2008 ICC / Mechanical Code based on the International Mechanical Code Chapter 13, Fuel-Oil Piping and Storage cited and given in the references to this article below.

1305.6 [Heating Oil Storage Tank] Fill piping.

Fill piping shall comply with the requirements of Sections 1305.6.1 through 1305.6.6.

1305.6.1 Size. Fill piping shall be a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm)in diameter or 3 inches (76 mm)for No. 6 fuel oil.

1305.6.2 Termination location. A fill pipe shall terminate outside of a building at or above grade at a point least 2 feet (610 mm) from any building opening and 5 feet (1524 mm) away from any subway grating at the same or lower level.

A fill pipe shall terminate in a manner designed to minimize spilling when the filling hose is disconnected. Where No. 6 fuel oil is used, the fill pipe terminal shall be within 3 feet (914 mm) of the curb unless otherwise required by the Department of Transportation or the Transit Authority.

If facilities exist for an oil delivery truck to drive onto the premises, the fuel-oil terminal may be located elsewhere other than the curb.

1305.7.2 [Heating Oil Storage Tank Vent Piping] Termination location.

The location of the normal vent pipe terminations shall comply with the following:

1. Liquid fuel normal vent pipes shall terminate outside of buildings in a non hazardous location at a point not less than 2 feet (610 mm) measured vertically or horizontally from any building opening and not less than 2 feet (610 mm) nor more than 12 feet (3658 mm) above the fill pipe terminal.

2. If the normal vent pipe terminal is not visible from the fill pipe terminal location, a 1-inch (25 mm) tell-tale line shall be connected to the tank and shall parallel the fill pipe and terminate at the fill pipe terminal with an unthreaded end. Such tell-tale lines shall be provided with a check valve set to prevent flow of surface water to the storage tank.

3. Normal vent pipes shall terminate sufficiently above the ground to avoid being obstructed with snow or ice.

4. Normal vent pipes from tanks containing heaters shall be extended to a location where oil vapors discharging from the normal vent will be readily diffused. 

On 2013-02-01 by Afraid - oil tanks must vent to the building exterior

Brian, No. All tanks must vent outdoors, with the vent cap located above the "snow line"

On 2012-12-20 by Bryan - my oil tank is not vented to the outside

My home heating oil tank was replaced with a loaner tank until the landlord switches to natural gas, which is imminent. Because the loaner tank is temporary, it will never be refilled again. The problem is that there's no vent to the outside. The vapors vent into the garage, where the tank is located. Is it permissible for a home heating oil tank to vent this way?

Reply: oil storage tank fill & vent piping specifications & codes

Ron I have not seen an explicit limit on elbows on oil tank fill or vent piping, though one would want to keep the number to a minimum. Using the ICC as adopted by New York City as the 2008 NYC Mechanical Code as example we have this:

1305.6 Fill piping.

Fill piping shall comply with the requirements of Sections 1305.6.1 through 1305.6.6.

1305.6.1 Size.

Fill piping shall be a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm) in diameter or 3 inches (76 mm) for No. 6 fuel oil.

305.6.2 Termination location.

A fill pipe shall terminate outside of a building at or above grade at a point least 2 feet (610 mm) from any building opening and 5 feet (1524 mm) away from any subway grating at the same or lower level.

A fill pipe shall terminate in a manner designed to minimize spilling when the filling hose is disconnected.

Where No. 6 fuel oil is used, the fill pipe terminal shall be within 3 feet (914 mm) of the curb unless otherwise required by the Department of Transportation or the Transit Authority.

If facilities exist for an oil delivery truck to drive onto the premises, the fuel-oil terminal may be located elsewhere other than the curb.

1305.6.3 Separate fill piping.

Each storage tank shall be provided with a separate fill pipe, except that where a battery of tanks containing the same grade of oil is installed, a common fill and header pipe may be installed.

Also see NFPA 31 that governs oil tank installation & piping that has similar language:

From NFPA31 as adopted by Warren Co VA cites the fittings and tubing requirements for oil fill & vent pipes:

NFPA 31 section 8.2.5

Pipe shall be connected with standard fittings and tubing with fittings of listed types.

 


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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

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On 2023-03-19 by InspectApedia Editor (mod) - can't fill oil tank - vent alarm or gauge stopped working

@Ed,

Thanks, that's an interesting oil tank gauge troubleshooting problem.

It would help if you'd post a photo of your tank gauge so that I can see the type.

Most oil tank gauges use a float attached to a hinged rod in the oil tank. They're not precisely accurate, but when a gauge is way-off I suspect that the hinged, floating rod is stuck or, less-likely, bent.

If your gauge is one that shows the tank level with a vertical wire carrying an indicator disc on the wire top, often we can, without removing the gauge from the tank, fix a stuck gauge by un-screwing the plastic cover over the floating indicator and then pushing it gently down or lifting it gently up a couple of times to see if it will begin to move freely.

On 2023-03-17 y Ed

My indoor oil tank gauge was at1/8”,and I ordered 150 gallons of oil. The driver could only put in around 60 gallons, because the vent stopped whistling. The level gauge was now slightly under 1/2 full for my 275 gallon tank.

Could this be a gusher or air vent problem, since both seem to be someway working ?
Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Thanks

On 2022-12-29 by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - clearance distance oil tank vent to power exhaust vent outlet

@Nick,

Thanks that's an interesting question; I have not found a model code that specifies a clearance distance between an oil tank fill/vent pipe and a power vent exhaust from heating equipment.

If as we are forced to guess, your power vent is an exhaust-only system then there's no concern with an oil fume intake - even during oil tank fill-up.

On 2022-12-29 by Nick

How fat dose the fill and vent need to be from a power venter

On 2022-12-14 by InspectApedia (Editor) - can you fill an oil tank by running a hose through a large building

@Ali,

That federal regulation surely does not apply to building heating oil tank filling procedures where it is entirely common for the driver to stand next to the oil fill and vent pipe during filling - as you will see in photographs on this page.

Here is the proper document title

Title 49 - Transportation
Subtitle B - Other Regulations Relating to Transportation
Chapter I - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of
Transportation
Subchapter C - Hazardous Materials Regulations
Part 177 - Carriage by Public Highway
Subpart B - Loading and Unloading
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5101-5128; sec. 112 of Pub. L. 103-311, 108 Stat. 1673, 1676 (1994); sec. 32509 of Pub. L. 112-141, 126
Stat. 405, 805 (2012); 49 CFR 1.81 and 1.97.
§ 177.837 Class 3 materials.

On 2022-12-14 by Ali

@InspectApedia ,

Thank you for the quick response. I don't have a particular oil company in mind at this point, this is more at the proof of concept stage.

I did stumble upon

§ 177.837 Class 3 materials [PDF] Copy at InspectApedia.com at

https://inspectapedia.com/oiltanks/49-CFR-177.837-12-12-2022.pdf

- original source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-177/subpart-B/section-177.837

where it says all the way at the bottom that the person filling the tank needs to be 150 ft or less away from the delivery truck which would seem difficult/impossible given the size of the building unless they went into the back.

Unloading combustible liquids.

For a cargo tank unloading a material meeting the definition for combustible liquid in § 173.150(f) of this subchapter, the qualified person attending the unloading operation must remain within 45.72 meters (150 feet) of the cargo tank and 7.62 meters (25 feet) of the delivery hose and must observe both the cargo tank and the receiving container at least once every five minutes during unloading operations that take more than five minutes to complete.

On 2022-12-13 by InspectApedia (mod) - can you fill an oil tank by running a hose through a large building

@Ali,

There are few oil companies who use an oil delivery truck with a 150' long hose, although that length is possible.

There's an extra cost to install a large hose from on the oil delivery truck and a lot more trouble to unwind and pull the hose over that distance and to rewind.

So more likely the oil company delivery truck wants to drive close to your oil tank.

Have you called the oil company who delivers to that building to ask how they access tank?

On 2022-12-13 by Ali

I purchased a commercial building in an industrial zone in Washington, DC and there is an oil tank behind the building in the rear. The oil tank is behind a brick wall, with a visible exterior fill-pipe visible outside that wall. The rear of the building is approximately 150 ft from the main road.

There are only three ways a driver can access the fill pipe. 1) By driving their vehicle through the driveway on the side of the building in which case they could drive very close to the fill pipe in the rear (they could also run a hose through the driveway into the rear), or by running a hose through the 150 ft building itself from the main road in the front and out the loading dock in the back.

My question is, is it common for a driver to fill an oil tank by running a hose through such a large building itself?

To me it would seem unsafe to run a hose through the building itself but I'm wondering if there is some regulation, code, manual, best practice that I can point to that says that. It would be very helpful if I could find such a regulation/code/manual. I've attached an image.

Washington DC commercial building needing oil delivery (C) InspectApedia.com Ali

On 2021-08-04 by inspectapedia.com.moderator - buried oil tank pipe connections can be at either end or in the middle

@George,

Buried oil tank pipe connections can be at either end or in the middle;

Worse, where the fill and vent pipes are brought to the surface are not always even over the tank; for example often they're brought up close to a building so as to be out of the way and less likely to be run over by a mower.

The top of the tank won't be that deep; choices to mark off a safe distance from the tank include

See details and our articles on various methods for locating the tank more-exactly starting at

OIL TANK, BURIED, FINDING

On 2021-08-04 by George

I have a 1000 gallon in ground oil tank and need to do some trenching near it for a gas line (the oil tank will be removed next spring.) My memory from 40 years ago is that the fill and vent pipes sticking out of the ground are near one end of the tank rather than in the middle.

I can find info online that the tank is likely to be 130" long, but can't find anything about where the inlet would be on the tank - center or near an end. Can you speculate based on your experience, or point me to a specs page that would show the tank details?

On 2013-02-11 by Sean - longest horizontal fill/vent run allowed?

I am preparing to install a new tank. What is the longest horizontal fill/vent run allowed? is 10 feet from tank to fill nozzle going to allow proper flow?



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