Oil Tank Inspections and Replacement

Unless you live in a new home, chances are your oil tank could be over forty years old.  Steel tanks will corrode and fail over time, and oil leaks can cause costly damage to your home and the environment.

Often, it is difficult to see the problem before it becomes an issue.  Tiny pinholes at the bottom of the tank can be plugged with thick oil sludge causing a seal the prevents a leak.  However, in many cases, the weight of the oil after a tank fill will increase the pressure at the bottom and cause the leak to start. The photo to the left is from the bottom of a tank that is at the end of its useful life.

We will check your tank for signs of leaks, or pinholes that may be about to leak.  Based on what we find, we may recommend immediate tank replacement, or suggest that you plan to have the tank replaced in the near future.  If there are no issues, we will suggest that you have the tank checked each year during the annual maintenance of your heating system.  Tank inspections are included during annual boiler/furnace cleanings that we perform.

In most cases, this service can be completed in one day.  We will pump and filter any remaining good oil out of your existing tank and into temporary oil drums.  The old tank will be removed, and a new tank put back in place.  If necessary, the fill pipes to the home exterior as well as oil lines to the heating unit and oil filter assembly will be replaced.  We will pump the clean oil back into your new tank, and restart the heating system.  

Will there be a mess?  

We take every precaution to minimize the impact this has on your home.  When the project is completed the area where your old tank was will likely be cleaner than when we started!

Can I stay home while this work is being done?  

Yes you can!  There may be an oil smell from the pumping process or in the case where the tank must be cut into sections to get it out of your home.  However, the smell will quickly dissipate once we are done.

What happens to the oil that was in my tank?  

Typically, about 95% of the oil in your old tank is pumped (twice filtered) back into the new tank.   Any sludge and unusable dirty oil that may be remaining is taken away and disposed of as required.