Hole / Crack in Oil Tank- Your Advice Needed

nozzadamozza

Hi There

I was wondering if anyone would be able to help- my mum has found a small hole/crack at the side of her home heating oil tank which is leaking a small amount of oil and was wondering what her best line of action would be.

THe house is ex-council house (she lives in fermanagh) and the heating was installed about 6 years ago by a bunch of cowboys contracted through a gov scheme- so dont think that there would be any help there (and as its bank holiday weekend, I cant get in contact with anyone until Tuesday)

I phoned Quinn Insurance to see if there was anything they could do but they wouldnt replace or fix something like that, they would only help if the oil coming out of it had damaged say the garden (it all cement so thats that out)

So my question is- does a crack in something like this mean we have to get a new tank or can it be fixed up? Has anyone had any experience of this in the past and know how much this is likely to cost?

It couldnt happen at a worst time- I am 7 !1/2 months pregnant and having to help her sort this out is the last thing i want to be dealing with:(

THanks for any help in advance:)

dmxdave

Sorry but I think you will need the tank replaced ASAP as a crack will only get bigger. How much oil is in it? Try to-morrow you may get someone although the plumbers merchants may be closed too.
Again sorry for no good news.

happy_gardener

You really really need to get onto this problem immediately. You can be fined a serious amount of money if your oil tank leaks and damages surrounding areas. In the case of a rural environment a double skinned oil tank is best...it is like a tank inside a tank so it protects from any damage. You really need to take legal advise on this.
If you go to the Norhtern Ireland Enviroment web site and put oil tank or oil leak into the search there I am sure you will find out more.
I am not trying to scare you but a tank that maybe holds 900l or more can do a serious amount of damage to soil/earth around...please please you need the tank emptied...and a new tank...single skinned tanks are about £200 depending on the size and the double skin ones are triple that price....

flogthedog

If possible, place a container underneath to catch the leaking oil. Spillages can cause major damage to concrete, house foundations etc. if left to continue. The tank needs replaced as the integral strength has been compromised by the crack / leak.

seatzie

try and get hold of stuff called Dammit or its equivalent it seals holes in oil tanks but its only a stop gap, get the hole filled then over the next few days get the oil out and a new tank etc, if its cracking in one place its only a matter of time..............theres an article this week in the East Belfast Community Telegraph about a guy who faces a year out of his house because his neighbours oil tank leaked and ran under his house.........

Wookey

Is the tank steel or plastic and is it a hole or a crack? A steel oil tank could be welded temporarily with a view to replacing it. A plastic oil tank if its a small hole then screw in a self taper screw with some PTFE tape on the threads of it, this should seal the hole and again look to replace the tank.

rexel

get a bar of soap and rub it into crack fill the crack with soap this will stop it that is what the people who supply oil tanks will tell you

nozzadamozza

Hi Everyone

Firstly, thank you all for your advice- which was very speedy and very practical .

I have contacted a plumber who is coming out today and will hopefully get it replaced asap (of course things like this happen at weekends and bank holidays or in this case both!!) , I have got my brother to buy sealant and got my mum to put something under the leak (she says it isnt leaking that much, which is a relief but we now seem to have this under control)- I really appreciate your help as you have drawn me to the potential problems that could have happened and hopefully i can sleep easy tonight

Nozzadamozza

Girlzmum

alzar wrote: »

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LET ANYONE NEAR THAT TANK WITH A WELDER!!!
If you want to help the OP dont spout out stuff that you know nothing about!

Nozza - good luck with this and i hope you get it sorted, however, welding would blow the tank up! Ask the guy who fills the tank about it being welded, see how long it takes for him to laugh - 1 second, 2 seconds...

Thank you!!!!!

homer1234

Is there a lable on the tank of the maker/supplier. Try ringing them and see if they can replace it under guarantee, same problem happened to me a few years ago, phoned the maker and it was replaced. The tank had a ten year guarantee.

dmxdave

alzar wrote: »

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LET ANYONE NEAR THAT TANK WITH A WELDER!!!
If you want to help the OP dont spout out stuff that you know nothing about!

Nozza - good luck with this and i hope you get it sorted, however, welding would blow the tank up! Ask the guy who fills the tank about it being welded, see how long it takes for him to laugh - 1 second, 2 seconds...

If the correct procedures are followed the tank could be welded..however it is unlikely that this is an isolated incident therefore a new tank is required. (IF it is a steel tank)