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Mobile ViewOIL STORAGE TANKS ABANDONING OIL TANKS ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTIONS AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS AGE of OIL TANK ANODES & DIP TUBES on WATER HEATERS BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BOILERS, HEATING BURIED OIL TANK ADVICE BURIED OIL TANKS, FINDING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-BOILER DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE FILTERS, OIL on HEATING EQUIPMENT FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS FLAME COLOR, BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLOATING UP OIL STORAGE or SEPTIC TANKS FLOODED HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS FUEL UNIT, HEAING OIL PUMPS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAUGES ON HEATING EQUIPMENT HEAT LOSS in buildings HEAT TAPES, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up HEATING COST FUEL & BTU Cost Table HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS HEATING OIL CLOUD WAX GEL POINT HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HEATING OIL - OLD, USEABLE? HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SHELF LIFE HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL TANKS HEATING OIL USAGE RATE HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR HEATING SYSTEM NOISES HOME BUYERS GUIDE TO OIL TANKS HOT WATER HEATERS NO HEAT - BOILER / FURNACE DIAGNOSIS NOISE CONTROL for HEATING SYSTEMS NOISES COMING FROM WATER HEATER ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS FROM HEATING SYSTEMS OIL BURNERS OIL BURNER INSPECTION GUIDE OIL BURNER NOISE SMOKE ODORS OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS OIL FILTERS on HEATING EQUIPMENT OIL FILTER MISSING OIL FUEL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS OIL LINE CLOGGING FIX OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES OIL ODORS, LEAKY OIL TANK PIPING OIL PUMP FUEL UNIT OIL SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANKS OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE OIL TANK AGE OIL TANK, BURIED, ADVICE OIL TANK, BURIED, FINDING OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES OIL TANK FAILURE RATES OIL TANK FLOATING UP OIL TANK GAUGES OIL TANK INSPECTION, ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTION REPORTS OIL TANK LEAKS & SMELLS OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES OIL TANK LIFE OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS OIL TANK PRESSURE OIL TANK REGULATIONS OIL TANK REMOVAL COs OIL TANK REMOVAL FINANCIAL AID OIL TANK REPORT LANGUAGE OIL TANK SAFETY OIL TANK SLUDGE OIL TANK STANDARDS OIL TANK STANDARDS - Detailed List OIL TANK SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANK SUPPORT OIL TANK TESTING Mesa 2-D TEST for OIL TANK LEAKS PRESSURE TESTING OIL TANKS SOIL TESTING FOR OIL TANK LEAKS STANDARDS FOR TANK TESTING ULTRASOUND TEST for AST OIL TANKS WATER in OIL TANKS, TEST FOR OIL TANK TESTING COs OIL TANK WATER CONTAMINATION OIL TANK WATER REMOVAL SOOT on OIL FIRED HEATING EQUIPMENT STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS WATER HEATERS More Information |
This article discusses estimates of oil storage tank life for buried oil tanks and above ground oil storage tanks and reviews the factors that affect oil tank life. How long an oil storage tank can be expected to reliably contain its oil and not to leak depends on quite a few variables which we discuss here. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.Also see OIL TANK FAILURE RATES and if your oil tank is leaking see OIL TANK LEAK ADVICE. Some things that can shorten the life of an oil tank can be avoided or corrected. The photo shows how a leak develops and appears in an indoor oil storage tank, forming a stalactite of oil and sludge hanging from the bottom of the tank. Because an oil tank often rusts through from the inside out, the exterior of an oil tank may look fine but in fact it could be paper thin and easily punctured, even by a finger! The life expectancy of oil tanks is helpful in planning for storage tank testing and storage tank replacement. This is a chapter of our "Heating Oil Underground & Above ground Oil Storage Tank Leaks, Testing, Problems & Solutions, Home Buyer's / Home Owner's Guide" which offers extensive free un-biased oil storage tank inspection and testing advice for property buyers and owners. Home buyers should be sure to review OIL TANK TESTING - Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills and OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES - Home Buyers and Home Owners Guide to Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - What to Do About & When to Report Oil Tank Leaks. Leaky Heating Oil Tanks. Home owners who have old oil tanks above ground or any age oil tank below ground should also be sure to review OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE - Abandoning Commercial vs. Residential Underground Oil Storage Tanks (UST) - Procedures & Regulations A separate website addresses Septic Tanks. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. OIL TANK LIFE - Life Expectancy of Buried or Underground Oil TanksWhile we've found them lasting longer, a common life expectancy of buried oil tanks is 10-15 years. At about 20 years, the risk of leaks from buried steel oil tanks becomes significant. Leaks can occur earlier if a tank was damaged at installation or was not properly piped. Even if you think the tank is ok, young, and not leaking, buried oil tanks, should be tested for water in the tank bottom. Water should be pumped out since it corrodes the tank and leads to leaks. Oil tank leaks can also be due to damage at time of installation, improper installation, corrosive soils, or piping defects. If the tank is to remain in use, ask your fuel supplier about using an additive or other methods to help remove water. Life Expectancy of Buried Oil Storage Tanks - ResidentialIn New England for a two year period [1984-5] among customers who have buried heating oil tanks (16% of total customers) surveyors found an average of 1.7 tank leaks per thousand customers. They also found 2.5 fuel line leaks per 1000 customers. (Fuel Oil and Oil Heat magazine, August 1985 p.18.) We do not have similar data for buried gas tanks in residential application. Also see Leak or Failure Rates for Home Heating Oil Tanks. Life Expectancy of Above Ground Oil Storage Tanks - Residential indoor or outsideWe have not seen current research data on indoor oil storage tank life, and we suspect that there is a wide variation in indoor above ground and outdoor above ground oil tank life due to the considerable variation in both the quality and thickness of oil tank steel (older tanks seem to have been a heavier gauge steel), as well as other factors in oil storage tank life. We have seen indoor oil tanks easily in good condition that are 60 years old or older, and we have found failures in newer oil storage tanks that may have been made of thinner or cheaper steel and that did not last as long as the original ones. Rather than guess at oil tank condition, we suggest that if your home has an older above ground oil storage tank, ten years old or older, you should
Thanks to reader Robert Frank for suggesting a discussion of indoor oil storage tank life. Factors in Oil Storage Tank Life and Oil Leak OccurrenceAbove Ground Indoor Oil Storage Tanks
Above Ground Outdoor Oil Storage Tanks and Life Expectancy Factors
Include the causes listed above and add the following oil storage tank life determining factors:
We discuss the inspection of above ground oil storage tanks at ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTIONS. What Determines the Life of Buried Oil Storage TanksQuestions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about typical oil storage tank life and factors that affect oil tank durability and leak risk Question: I've seen claims that oil storagte tanks last even up to 40 years - who's right? Hi
I refer to one of your article on your website (above on this page), which I am curious and very much want to know more. Are there justification to that? Or it depends on other parameters such as weather and soil conditions? Some websites mentioned that such tank can last even up to 40 years. - M.A., PUB, Singapore National Water Agency Our InspectAPedia photo of an abandoned "buried" oil tank shown at left is an example of a buried oil storage tank that had a very long and leakproof life - until it was abandoned, forgotten, and left empty. Worse the tank had been buried alongside a waterway - a stream in Rhinebeck, NY. (Details are at FLOATING UP OIL STORAGE or SEPTIC TANKS) This oil tank was subjected to very wet soil conditions over several decades, apparently without leaking oil into the environment. But we can't promise the same performance for all buried tanks. It depends ... Reply: how long do buried oil tanks last ? ... It depends
If you have reason to need an oil storage tank that is resistant to corrosion damage, take a look at some of the fiberglass and other plastic alternatives as well as (more costly) multi-walled oil storage tanks that are required in some jurisdictions and applications. Watch out: about "up to" claims. Finally, whenever you see someone claiming "... up to ..." you don't really know what to make of such remarks. "Average life of an oil storage tank" is nothing like "... up to... " life. "Up to" after all, could include one single instance of an oil storage tank that was reported to be 40 or 60 or some other age. And meaningless. Consulting with an advertising attorney last year we learned that there is a legal definition of "up to" claims - at least in advertising case law. You can claim "up to" for a product if 10 percent of the product meets that standard. So if one oil tank lasted for 40 years somewhere but another nine in the same test set all failed in the first month of service (certainly not really likely), the tank "expert" could still claim that his oil tank installations lasted "up to 40 years". I appreciate the question and welcome reports of oil tank life from folks in other countries and environments. We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone. InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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