Oil storage tank pressure exposure & tolerance:

Here we explain the typical oil tank test pressure at the factory, the pressures that an oil tank is subjected to during oil tank fill-up, and the cause and prevention of excessive pressures that can cause leaks at oil tanks.

We also answer the question of the amount of pressure to which an oil tank is subjected during an oil delivery, providing pressure limits, calculation of oil tank pressure changes, and listing both causes and steps to prevent over pressurizing a home heating oil tank.

This series of articles discusses the causes of leaks at oil tank fill or vent piping, what the leak and other hazards are, and what to do about oil tank piping leaks.

Oil Storage Tank Pressure FAQs

Cancelling contract with oil delivery company using high speed tank fills

Hop Energy LLC is doing the fast speed fills here.

Within weeks of starting the faster speed fills, they mailed out "tank insurance" forms: I don't like the timing of that.

From here it seems possible that they knew the high speed fills would compromise tanks.

In this area, a new tank costs $6,000-$10,000, with install and cart away of old: A one-two punch of cashing in: Make more money servicing more customers faster in the same time frame, and then make even more money when the tanks really can't sustain the super high speed fills.

Who is going to enforce the manufacturer's limit if the oil delivery service ignores it?

It also seems their delivery men have not been accurately informed about the maximum pressure the tanks can bear.

My delivery guy claims the tanks can take more than 10x the pressure stated by the tank manufacturers. Who told him that?

From here it looks predatory and opportunistic.

And now even worse, they are insisting now on examining my tank, since I complained about the fast speed fills.

"Let us attempt to wreck your tank under pressure, and then force you to buy a new one from us. That'll teach you to question us."

The high hand of big companies over the American consumer is getting worse and worse.

Frankly, I would hire almost anyone else to do the job after this.

Wish I had changed companies the minute I heard the whoosh of the speed fill and went out to ask how it was the deliver man was done already.

I may be one of only two people who noticed! I immediately told him not to do it again.

Then I searched and found your site.

I am changing oil companies. Sorry I didn't do it sooner. On 2024-12-17 by Anonymous

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@Anonymous,

Thank you for the comment. Let's hope it will help some others.

Watch out: the tank manufacturer also gives maximum test pressure allowed.

Usually it's a low pressure + time test

Daniel

Why isn't the government stepping in to regulate high speed oil tank fill-ups?

Oil delivery companies have started using "fast speed pumps" to deliver home heating oil quickly, thus covering a greater number of customers in a given time frame.

Of course the PSI has gone up as a result, with deliveries that are 2x or 3x faster. Yet they are delivering to tanks designed for 5 PSI.

What gives? Isn't the high speed delivery a bad idea--even if it increases the profitability of the delivery service provider?

Why isn't the state or federal gov on top of this? EPA too. Tanks are going to sprout leaks it seems to me. On 2024-11-10 by Anonymous

by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@Anonymous,

Take a look at any labels that you can find on your oil tank. You'll see above on this page for example a typical modern indoor above ground oil storage tank yellow label that says the maximum exposure pressure the tank is designed to withstand is 7 psi.

I agree that double walled oil tanks are safer and less likely to lead to an oil spill. However I would start with an inspection of the existing tank, noting its age and condition.

Certain other more subtle data such as the history of or presence of water inside the tank can inform our estimate of the risk of tank perforation or a leak. That's because rust begins from the inside of the tank and particularly occurs at locations near the bottom as we discuss in this article series.

by Anonymous

Thanks for you prompt response to my inquiry. I asked for a slow fill and went out to make sure. Asked the deliveryman how fast the fast fill is and he said 60 or 80 psi. I said isn't the tank rated for 5 psi? He said, Nah, they can take 200 psi or more.

Still not comfortable with this whole fast speed pump delivery. And I must say that in the weeks since they started the fast speed pump, they have just started selling tank insurance. Coincidence (or not)?

PS I checked the vent pipe and the diameter is correct. I think I will spring for a double-walled tank to be safe. Looking for qualified installers now.

Thanks again

by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@Anonymous,

I agree with you that subjecting oil tanks to higher pressure increases the risk of expensive or even catastrophic leaks. That makes it more important than ever to have your tank and oil piping inspected if there is any doubt at all about their condition.

About your question of why the government is not on top of this: OPINION: our recent political election suggests that many people want less government regulation or protection rather than more.

In fact it was regulation that required new oil tanks to be installed with larger sized vent pipes which would in turn reduce the pressure to which the tank is subjective during fill.

So a good place for you to start with your specific oil tank is to look at the diameter of its event piping system and of course to make sure that event opening is not blocked.

Daniel

We Ran out of heating oil, I think my oil tank has "lost pressure" - how can I re-pressurise it?

Hi, my tank has run out of oil and I am waiting a few days for a new delivery. I put in a bit of diesel to keep us going for a few days (hot water and heating) but the boiler is not firing despite bleeding.

I think the oil storage tank has lost pressure, is there a way I can safely repressurise the tank myself from the fill pipe? On 2022-06-23 by Anonymous

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - do not keep pressing the RESET button or unburned oil could cause a puffback explosion

@Anonymous,

Oil tanks are not deliberatly pressurized.

Are there 2 copper oil lines at the tank and burner or just 1?

Is the oil line connection at the tank top or bottom?

Do you know how to bleed sir from the system?

Watch out: do not keep pressing the RESET button or unburned oil could cause a puffback explosion.

by Anonymous

Hi, yeah - I've bled the feed lines before - I spent a long time trying today but no joy. The fuel is fed by a single copper pipe to the filter then pump, back to a transparent bubble thing (sorry, I don't know the name) with a float then back to the pump. The fuel goes through the filter and pump, and back into the transparent bubble and to pump, but the boiler still doesn't fire.

When bleeding, no air or fuel comes out of the bleed valve. A plumber previously said that oil tanks get pressure when filled and that helps the flow - it's an inside tank in the basement, the boiler is in the next room in the basement, and the copper feed pipe exits from the top of the tank then goes down the side of the boiler before getting to the filter.

by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Anonymous,

The oil tank is vented to the exterior. There may be a bit of temporary additional pressure during fill, but nothing having to do with operation of the fuel unit.

No fuel at the air bleeder and no air either sounds like a blocked fuel line or a closed oil valve.

by Anonymous

Hmm, well the valve is open so I guess the fuel line is the only possibility. Thanks for your help.

by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - blocked fuel line

@Anonymous,

If you disconnect the fuel line from the oil tank at the point where it enters the oil filter and ahead of your oil burner and no fuel runs out and you know that either the line is blocked or you don't have enough oil in the tank to reach it.

Can an oil over fill damage my oil gauge?

Can an oil over fill cause my oil gauge to malfunction or damage it? On 2022-02-08 by Grace koenig -

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Grace koenig,

An oil tank over-fill may disclose a poorly-made connection in the fill or vent piping that results in an oil spill or leak, but it would not normally damage the oil tank gauge.

The mechanical gauge on an oil tank is a set of hinged rods ending in a float that moves up and down with oil level inside the tank. If the gauge is not properly installed and positioned that movement could be impaired or might bind.

And, as very speculative comment, it might be that a poorly-positioned hinged rod gauge might bind when moved to its extreme-up position in an over-filled tank. If that occurred, simply loosening the gauge and jiggling it up and down to free moving parts ought to free the bound-rods.

See details in our series of oil tank gauge articles beginning at

OIL TANK GAUGES

and also see

OIL TANK GAUGE ACCURACY

How often should an oil tank be tested for leaks?

how often should an oil tank be tested for leaks when it is on municipal property? On 2021-03-01 by debe

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod) - municipal oil storage tank regulations will address testing requirements

@debe, that's a great question but I don't think there's a single right answer. Depending on the country and city where your Municipal oil tanks are located there are almost certainly oil storage tank regulations that will address testing requirements.

How do I move oil from one tank to another using air pressure?

How can I move oil with air pressure from a full 60 gallon tank to an empty 12 gallon without overfilling.

I have a relief valve on both tanks, with a cutoff valve in the connecting pipe.

It tends to overfill when during transfer no matter how quickly I stop the flow and open the relief valve on the pressurized tank. On 2018-08-06 by Roy Aldridge

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - DO NOT DO THAT - use a pony pump instead

@Roy Aldridge,

I'm not familiar with your situation, but I speculate (and DO NOT RECOMMEND) that you could pipe a dip tube in the larger tank that, at the right pressure, would force oil out of the larger tank, up the tube - whose open end at a suitable depth - and through the piping into the smaller tank.

You'd need to use valves to avoid simply pressurizing the receiving tank with air, preventing it from receiving oil.

Watch out: doing anything that subjects your oil tank to a pressure greater than 5 psi risks a very expensive oil tank leak. Don't do it.

Frankly I think using a pony pump might be easier.

Honestly I can not imagine any way of moving 60 gallons out of a 60 gallon tank into a container of only 12 gallon capacity. I think we need more description of your situation so that we have a correct understanding of the question.

 

How to avoid an erroneous oil delivery and a disastrous heating oil spill

I just converted to gas. The oil delivery guy came and almost pumped oil into my basement. How do I make sure he can't do that. On 2017-02-07 by Markus

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Markus,

You would have the present oil tank pumped out and removed, and you would be sure that the oil tank fill and vent pipe are also removed completely at the same time.

Never leave the fill and vent pipe in place when an oil tank has been removed or discontinued as it invites an erroneous oil delivery and a disastrous heating oil spill .

Leak at oil tank after oil delivery

The other day, my oil company delivered heating fuel oil while I was not home. They overfilled the tank located in my basement causing approximately 4-5 gallons of heating fuel to pour out from the top measuring gauge and onto the floor.

When I cam home and found the spill, I immediately contacted the oil company. They sent a man out who drained enough oil out of the tank3-4 gallons to get the oil level below the measuring gauge.

He then threw down oil absorption material to soak up the heating oil. He then noticed what seemed like a small pin hole leak on the back side of the tank that faces the basement wall. Prior to the delivery, there was no leak in the tank. Now I have one and the oil company is claiming they had nothing to do with it. T

hey claim that there was not enough pressure to cause a blow out of the tank.

The delivery man only pumped 16 gals. and must have not been paying attention while it was overfilling the tank. The fill and vent piped where completely filled with oil and had to be drained back by the oil company's man who came out to cleanup the leak.(Sept 15, 2014) Bill Bilcheck

Reply:

Bill,

Overfilling an oil tank might indeed subject it to a bit of extra pressure. Oil tanks are filled under pressure (see the article above) even if the tank is not over-filled.

That pressure might ultimately disclose a leak that has been developing in the tank for some time. That is, most often when we see a "pinhole leak" in a heating oil storage tank it is due to corrosion on the tank's interior wall, usually near the bottom of the tank.

In short, it sounds as if your oil tank has a corrosion problem, and it sounds as if there is risk of more serious leaks at any time. I'd suggest having the tank inspected and tested, including an ultrasonic test for corrosion and a look in the tank at water level.

Meanwhile

WATCH OUT: do NOT poke at that point of leak or corrosion or you may convert a pinhole into a bigger leak.

If inspection confirms corrosion to the point of risk of additional leakage, it's time to replace the oil tank.

OPINION: the oil company may be responsible for spillage due to overfilling but it would be very odd for that process to cause a leak in the tank body.

See OIL TANK GAUGE & VENT ALARM INSTALL / REPLACE

 

How to keep a person from being able to siphon out heating oil out of the tank

Is there some obstruction in the oil fill line to keep a person from being able to siphon out heating oil? (Apr 25, 2015) gg said:

I probably should have said mechanism.

Reply:

GG:

Yes there are several possible blocks to being able to siphon oil out of a tank through the oil line, depending on which "oil line" to which you refer:

Through the vent line the siphon tube will encounter a tank whistle or gauge mechanism

Through the oil supply piping one encounters check valves or fusible link safety valves

Through the fill piping one may encounter the edge of a pipe elbow or union.

Through the police department and security cameras one stealing heating oil by any means may encounter the interior of a patrol car.

...

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Continue reading at OIL TANK PRESSURE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• OIL TANK LEAKS & SMELLS - home
  • OIL TANK FILL / VENT PIPE LEAK REPAIRS
  • OIL SUPPLY LINE PIPING LEAKS
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  • OIL TANK LEAK & ODOR CAUSES
  • OIL TANK LEAK / FAILURE RATES
  • OIL TANK LEAK CLEANUP GUIDE
  • OIL TANK LEAK POINTS
  • OIL TANK LEAK TEST METHODS

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OIL TANK PRESSURE FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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

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