New foundation base for oil tank

lauraland

Hi,

Currently my oil tank is on top of a raised wooden support base (on top of a paved patio) and I have been advised to replace this with a new concrete plinth, something like this:



Anyway, my question is what trade do I get in to do this, as it will involve removing the tank. Will a builder suffice, or does it have to be some sort of tank specialist? My oil is running low and I would like to get the work done before topping up.

Also, does anyone have a rough idea of cost for this kinda job?

Ta

[Deleted User]

We had our tank moved from one platform to a new one in a better position. We had this done at the same time as a new boiler went in and so the heating engineers moved it for us.

However, we had to get an oil company to pump out the tank first and it took a while to find a company that would do this.

Davesnave

A few questions come to mind, like who advised you, and how old is your existing tank?

As you probably know, there are regulations regarding the siting of tanks, so much depends on whether your local building inspector might be involved....or not.

When moving my 10 year old tank, I replaced it with a bunded model and sold the old one on eBay for £80. It still looked sound, but I didn't trust it to last another 10 years. Even though 'empty,' I still found 50 litres of oil in it, which is great for lighting bonfires.

The design of plinth you show is adequate and easy enough for a general builder or competent DIYer. My building inspector wanted reinforced lintels too, but I ignored him and he didn't seem to notice!

The main thing is to ensure a 100mm+ reinforced concrete base is laid if on new ground, and that the slabs on top are truly level to avoid any strain on the tank. I built one and I'm no bricklayer!

Wookey

You will most likely want a plumber, if your current tank is raised and you are placing the new one down close to the ground then you will most likely need a tiger loop installed to ensure adequate oil supply to the burner. No reason to add the extra slabs and blockwork that are in the photo as a simple 6-8" concrete raft should be more than enough to support the tank.

If you don't want the tank closer to the ground then three simple 9"x 36" block piers (will depend on size and type of tank) (may need slabs on top) will suffice, a tank placed up on small walls will need to be in the region of 24"-30" from the bottom of the tank above the burner when no tiger loop is installed. Do check with building control about any regs pertaining to your area.

Davesnave

That's a good point about the Tiger Loop. I would have used one, but my plumber is old fashioned and wouldn't hear of it, so I just built higher!

lauraland

Thanks all - it was actually the oil delivery guy who mentioned it. It is sturdy enough at the moment but, of course, wood rots so a concrete base would be safer. I couldn't tell you how old the tank is, but if its like everything else in this house it is most likely towards the end of its lifespan.

I had thought about whether I could just lower it and have it placed directly on the paving, so I will have to investigate this further.

I have a couple of trusted plumbers who I need to call out due to a noisy water pump so i will pick their brains while they are here.

Many thanks all