Oil leak concerns in my back garden!

vipergrm

spannerzone wrote: »

Blimey that's bad!

My tank started leaking while I was on holiday and the neighbour called my parents to advise of a smell and signs of oil on the fence posts..... I got the contents emergency pumped into a temp tank and then got a replacement tank installed when I was back from my holiday. Luckily for me very little had leaked out (I reckon a few pints) but it still covered a wide area so I dug out that soil before enviromental agency caught wind and demanded I dug down and around for lord knows how many tons of soil to be cleaned!

My tank transfer to temp tank and replacment tank installation cost just under £3k

Blimey! Is this covered under house insurance by any chance?

spannerzone

vipergrm wrote: »

Blimey! Is this covered under house insurance by any chance?

I don't believe my household insurance would cover it but didn't enquire.... I knew the tank was old (single skinned plastic tank that was here when I moved in 2 years ago)

I suspect that an old tank won't likely be covered by insurance unless it's regularly checked by a heating engineer or some such thing? - my tank was from the early 1990's I believe and when I had the tank filled up last October I suspect having it filled right up may have put excessive pressure on the tank and a seam started to fail and allow some oil to drip out.

Your video shows oil's right next to a drain cover and that's a real concern I'd imagine, water being contaminated by oil, even waste water.

I'd say it's impertative you ascertain that it's not your tank firstly then make your neighbour well aware of the potential pitfuls if it is their tank that's leaking out such a lot of oil to your property (and theirs presumably) - these days you can't just leave these problems to chance.

welda

Just caught up with this thread, like the others, there is a huge problem coming from somewhere. Might be an idea to isolate the old fellas tank first, is leak ceases, problem points to feed line somwhere?

Although, I imagine by now the authorites have kicked in and, any oil from supsected tank is now drained?

Good luck what ever happens, I also feel for the old fella, not something you need in your twilight years!!

Regards............

vipergrm

welda wrote: »

Just caught up with this thread, like the others, there is a huge problem coming from somewhere. Might be an idea to isolate the old fellas tank first, is leak ceases, problem points to feed line somwhere?

Although, I imagine by now the authorites have kicked in and, any oil from supsected tank is now drained?

Good luck what ever happens, I also feel for the old fella, not something you need in your twilight years!!

Regards............

Thanks for that! Don't really know where to go with this one now. I've been on to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive a number of times in the last 5-6 weeks. Getting absolutely nowhere with them. The old fella next door had already mentioned to them that he was losing a lot of oil and the guy that came out even suggested someone is stealing it! His oil tank his at the opposite side of the garden form my property but his oil boiler is right beside mine. I reckon the supply pipe must go under ground in and around where the oil leak is.

I find it very difficult to understand. The old fella next door and even his daughter are certain that his bills are much higher, yet NIHE have been out a number of times and said there is no oil leak? They also said that they checked his bills over the past year and do not see any increases? Really confused by the whole situation.

I checked my oil tank and there is no sign of any oil leak around it. My tank is right at the back of the garden and out of the way. I really don't understand how they haven't found a problem. The leak is clearly coming from underneath the wall of my neighbour.

Unfortunately I selpt in a little after working nightshift last night and therefore I wasn't able to call the Environmental Agency. Will do tomorrow though.

welda

Hi,

Am I correct in saying properties are rented from housing association, private landlord, if so, I would reckon responsibiltiy lays with them, and not you or your neighbour? Plus the fact, you have made complaints about leakage, note it down, times and dates.

It reads if tanks are a fair distance from boundary and, both boilers are practically ajacent to each other, it could possibly be your fuel feed, not the neighbours?

I'm being devils advocate here, second guessing from your description, also youtube clip, there are too many variables.

You need to contact enviromental dept asap, they probably have an emergency number??

Regards.............

vipergrm

welda wrote: »

Hi,

Am I correct in saying properties are rented from housing association, private landlord, if so, I would reckon responsibiltiy lays with them, and not you or your neighbour? Plus the fact, you have made complaints about leakage, note it down, times and dates.

It reads if tanks are a fair distance from boundary and, both boilers are practically ajacent to each other, it could possibly be your fuel feed, not the neighbours?

I'm being devils advocate here, second guessing from your description, also youtube clip, there are too many variables.

You need to contact enviromental dept asap, they probably have an emergency number??

Regards.............

Thanks for that. My house is owned and the next door neighbours is Housing Executive. Also, the boilers are nowhere near each other. They are completely separate properties and completely different houses for that matter (his is a bungalow).

What variables are there? How can my oil supply pipe be routed under his property?

vipergrm

Environmental Health inspector/s coming out tomorrow to have a butchers. My cousin just pointed out something very obvious to me which I forgot to mention. My Oil tank is at the very back of my garden and the boiler is only 5 or 6 feet away from it. The oil supply would only flow from tank to boiler I imagine so there is absolutely no possibility that the oil leak is from my home.

withabix

Not only is that oil leaking into your garden, it is also going into the sewer system via that manhole, spreading the pollution to your local sewage works and on to a river.

Clearly coming from your neighbour.

welda

vipergrm wrote: »

Thanks for that. My house is owned and the next door neighbours is Housing Executive. Also, the boilers are nowhere near each other. They are completely separate properties and completely different houses for that matter (his is a bungalow).

What variables are there? How can my oil supply pipe be routed under his property?

"His oil tank his at the opposite side of the garden form my property but his oil boiler is right beside mine."

From the above, my understanding both boilers are next to each other.

Variables meaning, pipe feeds could be anywhere under ground. Goods news is though, you can now completely rule yourself out of this serious environmental issue, I even suppose the old fella is on a good footing too, with him being a tenant, no wonder housing association were trying to rule themselves out from responsibility, I don't understand their head in the sand attitude, do the think the oil will simply evaporate??

Regards..........

vipergrm

welda wrote: »

"His oil tank his at the opposite side of the garden form my property but his oil boiler is right beside mine."

From the above, my understanding both boilers are next to each other.

Variables meaning, pipe feeds could be anywhere under ground. Goods news is though, you can now completely rule yourself out of this serious environmental issue, I even suppose the old fella is on a good footing too, with him being a tenant, no wonder housing association were trying to rule themselves out from responsibility, I don't understand their head in the sand attitude, do the think the oil will simply evaporate??

Regards..........

Sorry about that! I meant to say that his boiler is right beside my property. It is actually nowhere near my boiler. Sorry for the confusion