How often should a heating oil tank be replaced ?

nande2000

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Hi, to be more specific around my question. From a legal and house insurance standpoint, how often should a domestic plastic heating oil tank be replaced ? i.e. do you just wait until there is a visible problem or is there a definate time limit to a tank.

I phoned the oftec helpline and they were particularly vague. "we would recommend fitting a new tank if your existing tank isnt up to current regs".

suki1964

nande2000 wrote: »

Hi, to be more specific around my question. From a legal and house insurance standpoint, how often should a domestic plastic heating oil tank be replaced ? i.e. do you just wait until there is a visible problem or is there a definate time limit to a tank.

I phoned the oftec helpline and they were particularly vague. "we would recommend fitting a new tank if your existing tank isnt up to current regs".

Thats not so vague

Look at the exsisting regs - tanks needs to be bunded. However thats not to say your existing tank is breaking laws - just if and when you need to replace - look at the latest guidelines and comply


To bring it into context - when this house was built - the building regs were a lot less stringent then they are today, So when I replaced double glazing - it had to meet today's standards - but what was there was still legal - because it complied with building regs at time of install

If thats long winded - Ive had a hard day

notrouble

If all householders upgraded their oil tanks, their electrics, boilers, insulation, foundations, roofs etc etc every time the Building Regulations changed, in order to comply with current regs
a) the building industry would have a field day
b) home owners would never have any peace - the builders would be permenantly in residence!
c) they'd be bankrupt

There is no need to change the tank just because BRs say it now has to be 6" further from the boundary fence than at the time it was installed!

Wait till it seems to be at or near the end of its life. In the case of an old steel tank, rust underneath might, for example, worry you. But otherwise....

spannerzone

The only reason I replaced my tank was because it started to leak a little bit!- it was a 25 year old single skin plastic tank and I filled it up with oil and gone on holiday. I got a call saying it was leaking (1200litres of oil potentially leaking!)

Luckily the oil leak was minimal but the cost of emergency tank pump out plus new tank install was nearly £3k. but if a huge amount of oil leaked into the ground it could have cost a lot more in the environment agency got involved.

nesssie1702

If you do lose oil, then you've potentially got a contaminated land problem. If the oil gets into a watercourse, that's when the Environment Agency (or SEPA in Scotland) become involved.

The location of the tank and its proximity to your house can also be a problem, as the last thing you want is for escaped oil to get into the foundations of your property.....

Also, make sure that your oil tank is insured, the last thing you want is for something to happen to it and then to find that you're not insured.