Guide to Checking Heating Oil Tank Support Legs, Feet & Piers InspectAPedia® -
How to inspect oil tank feet, piers, protection & support
Risk of oil tanks tipping over, leaks
Guide to visual inspection of home heating oil tanks
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This article discusses inspection of oil tank support and piers. The photo above shows a rather questionable "home made" pier supporting an oil tank. There is inadequate bearing surface and the
pier is already tipping. It probably lacks a frost footing. If the pier or foot slips and the oil tank falls over, a costly oil
leak as well as possible damage from loss of heat to the building could be the result. [Page top photo is courtesy Arlene Puentes, Kingston, NY.]
This is a section of our article on inspecting above ground oil tanks for defects.
The article and photographs below give advice and example photos for the visual inspection of above ground oil tanks for leaks and damage
including damaged or leaky oil storage tanks, improper oil tank piping, valves, and indoor-type oil tanks located outdoors.
Here are a some important indicators of tank condition that any home owner or home inspector can examine when an oil storage tank
is visible and accessible inside or at a building.
OIL TANK SUPPORT and Oil Tank Protection Inspection
Are the tank support legs sound and on firm footing? If required by local ordnance, is other tank support in place? A standard 275-gallon tank with an
average capacity of 260 gallons weighs about 2000 lbs. Placed on wood or dirt the tank is likely to tip and spill.
The photo shows a seriously tipping oil tank support pier, risking tipping of the tank, oil spillage,
loss of heat (risking frozen pipes and water or mold damage) and environmental contamination. [Photo courtesy Arlene Puentes, Kingston NY.]
Regardless of whether an oil tank is installed indoors or outdoors above ground, it must be properly supported.
Some municipalities also require installation
of special protection to assure that a tank cannot tip over, even if its feet are damaged. A steel pipe may be installed in the floor next to the
tank and extended vertically above the tank and then after making a 90 deg. bend, secured to the wall to "cage" the oil tank.
What about rusty oil tank feet? The rust shown in this photo is trivial in that it has not caused enough damage that we have any
concern that the tank is going to tip over - at least not in the near future.
But rust on oil tank supporting feet for an indoor
oil storage tank, especially on those back feet close to the wall, hard to reach, and hard to re-paint, are a great indicator of
the history of water entry in a building.
Oil Tank Protection From Vehicles
Where oil tanks are installed in garages, some jurisdictions require that the garage oil tank (and boiler or furnace if one is present) also be
protected from being struck by a vehicle using similar iron pipe guards as just cited above.
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Arlene Puentes, an ASHI member and a licensed home inspector in Kingston, NY, and has served on ASHI national committees as well as HVASHI Chapter President. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs
Oil Tanks - The Oil Storage Tank Information Website: Buried or Above Ground Oil Tank Inspection, Testing, Cleanup, Abandonment of Oil Tanks
Abandon a Buried Oil Tank, How To - Abandoning Commercial Underground Tanks, Russ Brauksieck, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, P. 40-41 [Reprint]
Petroleum Bulk Storage J. Sibblies, NY State DEC, Advice to Home Owners and Home Inspectors about Oil Storage Tanks - summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
Septic Tank inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair
OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES - Oil Tank Failure Causes - oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, damage, soil conditions, other factors
TANK FAILURE RATES - Oil Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Leak Probability as a Function of Tank Age, Location, Condition, Soil Conditions and Other Factors
OIL TANK TESTING - - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, PO Box 380, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
"Homeowners Guide to Fuel Storage," Agway Energy Products, Verbank, NY, November 1990
Web Link Exchange: Contact Us to list your website or contact information for oil tank testing, tank corrosion research, oil industry experts
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