If this is your first time installing an oil tank, you must wonder how far an oil tank has to be away from the house? Oil tank replacement experts recommend the tank to be at least 1.8 meters from the house.

The tank should also be 760 millimeters from boundaries such as wooden fences and 600 millimeters from any foliage.

When placing the oil tank, you need to be cautious and ensure you place it in such a way that it’s safe and easy to access.

Other than the distance from the house, there are plenty of other factors to consider when deciding on the best place to locate the tank:

The environment you are placing the tank.

You can install the tank indoors, outdoors, or underground.

Installing the tank indoors

When you store the tank indoors, you don’t have to worry about it being exposed to weather elements such as snowfall or high temperatures, so the tank is more likely to have a long lifespan. Storing the tank indoors also protects it from theft and vandalism.

The flaw of installing the tank here is that you must have a room large enough to fit the tank. If you don’t have a room inside the house, you have to construct one, which means you need to have a backyard large enough for the extra room.

If installing the tank in the house, you need to secure the tank to a support base with a drip tray to protect your house from potential spills.

Installing the tank outdoors

Installing the tank out of the house is always safer as the tank is away from your house and family members. You also have an easy time refilling or repairing the tank when problems arise.

Many homeowners are worried that installing the tank outdoors will mess their garden view, which is true to some extent. However, you can go around this by tucking the tank away at a less noticeable spot.

The disadvantage of installing the oil tank outdoors is that it’s exposed to all the harmful weather elements, which puts the tank at the risk of rusting and corroding, significantly reducing the tank’s lifespan. An outdoor tank also tends to have incessant leaks.

Installing the tank underground

An underground oil tank makes sense when you feel the tank will ruin your garden look. You can install the tank in the basement, utility room, or dig up a section in your yard and bury it there.

When installing the tank underground, you should note that the installation costs might be higher than the other options. It will also be hard to maintain the tank, and you will have a hard time controlling a spillage.

Ease of access

When choosing the tank’s location, you need to think about how you will be accessing it. Most families need at least two oil deliveries each year, and while most fuel suppliers will try their best to accommodate your location, make their work easy by placing the tank at an area they can easily access.

Placing the tank in an easy-to-access area also makes maintenance and repairs easy and less expensive.

Weather impact

Although the tank will eventually wear out, it’s wise you protect it from certain elements that might speed up the process. For example, place the tank away from guttering and water pools to minimize the risk of corrosion.

Avoid installing the tank flush against the wall, as this will allow leaves and debris to collect behind the tank, increasing the chances of the tank decaying and rusting.

Take good care of the tank.

Installing the tank at the right location isn’t enough—you also need to take good care of it. At least once a year, a qualified oil burner repair service Long Island technician or heating engineer should take a look at your oil tank and fix it if it has any issues.

As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to keep the tank free of debris and regularly inspect it for cracks, oil spots, and bulges.