If you use an oil tank to heat your home, you should know that, like any other home appliance, there comes a time when you have to replace it. To help you out, here are signs that it’s time to replace your oil tank:

Obvious tank corrosion and rust

One of the most obvious warning signs that it is time for oil tank replacement is visible rust and corrosion on the outside of your metal oil tank. While some surface wear is expected with age, significant flaking, pitting, and rust indicate advanced degradation. As corrosion perforates the metal, it can cause cracks, pinhole leaks, and possibly internal tank failure. You don’t want this, do you?

During routine maintenance checks, the technicians inspect the tank for advanced corrosion and advise on whether a new oil tank installation is the safest option. Most companies will try to repair your tank; however, if the tank is too corroded, you have no way out other than simply to replace it.

Leaking oil

Never disregard symptoms of oil leaks, such as a visible oil sheen on your tank or adjoining surfaces. Even extremely slow seeps signal a developing problem, so do not overlook them.

Unaddressed leaks can pose a substantial environmental danger and frequently result in significant upfront cleanup expenses and visual damage to the tank’s enclosure, foundations, and surrounding region.

Depending on the degree of the leak, the tank may be repairable; nevertheless, it is often considerably more effective to arrange for a replacement.

Dents, gouges, and other forms of damage on the tank

Major dents, gouges, scratches, or other external surface damage can undermine the structural stability of a metal or plastic tank over time. Vehicles, fallen debris, and other heavy-duty impacts can deform the tank shell, causing severe fractures and indentations.

Any noticeable dents or faults should prompt you to undertake additional investigation or replacement. You can’t be too cautious if a significant dent has destroyed something inside the tank, which could harm or disturb its operation.

Aging tank

While they can endure for decades if properly maintained, most modern oil tanks have a practical lifespan of 20-25 years.

Older tanks are more prone to corrosion, fatigue, and issues if not given the necessary maintenance and care to keep them operational.

You should thoroughly evaluate tanks over 25 years old, as replacement is frequently more cost-effective than repeated repairs.

Outdated oil tank design

Single-skinned oil tanks can still perform well, but because they only have one layer of protection, they are more likely to need to be replaced sooner than double-skinned tanks. To increase safety, new tank installations will have interstitial leak monitoring.

While older single-skinned tanks are still legal, they lack the advanced leak and contamination detection level found in newer tanks. As a result, upgrading to newer models or going for a stronger double-skinned tank over an older single-skinned one is strongly advised.

What is the best size of oil tank to install?

Oil tanks come in a variety of sizes. From 500 to 10,000 liters.

The optimal oil tank size for your home will be determined by how much you will need and the amount of space available for the tank.

As a general rule, expect roughly 500 liters per room. While this is the case, you may want to go a little larger if you have enough space for an oil tank. This may save you money on oil because it will not need to be refilled as frequently.

Which is the best oil tank to go for?

When searching for oil tanks, you will come across various. The most common ones are:

Integrally bunded: Your new oil tank will most likely be integrally bunded. The oil storage tank will be housed within another tank for increased security. They are widely considered to be the best oil tanks available.

Single skin: To erect a single skin oil tank, it must have a capacity of fewer than 2,500 liters and comply with numerous standards. These rules include being more than 10 meters from the water, away from sewers, and not being installed over hard ground.

Where do you install the tanks?

When locating your replacement oil tank, you have three options: above-ground outdoor, underground, and above-ground indoors.

Above ground outdoor

Most oil tanks are situated aboveground in the garden. To make this possible, the oil tank installation must comply with the following rules:

• 760mm from a non-fire-rated boundary
• 1.8 m from doors, windows, garden sheds, and your oil boiler’s flue pipe
• 10 m from a water source (rivers, streams, ponds, and sewers)
• 50m from a borehole, well, or spring

In addition, the tank cannot be installed in a flood-prone region or too close to drains or manholes in case of a leak.

You should install the tank atop a base of paving slabs or concrete. When doing the installation, ensure that the base material is fireproof, it covers a minimum of 300mm around the perimeter of the tank, and the paving slabs are 50mm thick (minimum) and 100mm for concrete.

Above ground indoor

You can install an oil tank indoors, typically in a garage or outhouse. While this is the case, the area must be dedicated to the oil tank and contain nothing else.

Internal installation requires a tank with less than 3,500 meters of capacity and access from all sides. There should also be at least 1.8 meters between the tank and any entrances or windows. And, even if it’s inside, the environment must be addressed in case of a leak.

Underground installation

Installing the tank underground will keep it out of sight and save room in your yard. While this is the case, putting a tank underground is difficult. According to the oil burner repair service Huntington, doing so increases the costs and consumes a significant amount of time.

A leak from an underground oil tank might cause serious environmental issues. So it has to be double-bunded. You should also ensure that an experienced professional installs it.