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Visual Inspection of Above Ground Residential Heating Oil Storage Tanks - ASTs for Evidence of Oil Tank Leaks
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• How to inspect above ground indoor oil tanks
• How to inspect outdoor oil storage tanks
• Common oil tank and oil piping defects and leak risk points

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.

Also see additional visibly detectable oil tank defects listed at Home Inspection Report Language Library: Visible Defects in Oil Tank Installations, Tanks, and Heating Oil Piping.

© Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

INSPECT VISIBLE TANKS - Inspecting the Oil Storage Tank Exterior

If an oil or other fuel storage tank is above ground and accessible for visual inspection it can and should be inspected for evidence of leaks or damage. Here are some inspection pointers for heating oil tanks.Is the tank exterior sound, without leaking seams or excessive rust? Is there a patch or other evidence of a history of leaking?

In the photos below, note the wet bottom of the tank? The inspector needs to decide if the oil on the tank exterior is from weeping at the fill or vent pipe fittings, from leaks at the oil line exiting the tank. We were concerned about the evidence of seepage around the bottom left on this tank. That oil stain does not seem to connect to the tank fill and vent fittings. The tank may have a perforation or an opening seam.

What about the next photo? a leak at fuel line or at the Fire-o-Matic shutoff valve, or perhaps due to an actual tank perforation? The size and wetness of the oil spill on this basement floor is a bit large to blame on a drippy fire safety valve. But notice that in the upper portion of the photo the oil tank itself looks new. This oil spill was from the previous oil tank installed in this location.

This last photo shows an actual tank leaking at its bottom from a perforation. Memorize this photo and look under oil tanks when you're inspecting above ground indoor oil storage tanks.

What are the Clearance Distances Required for Indoor Oil Storage Tanks?

For fire safety indoor oil storage tanks should not be located too close to oil burners or other heaters. Typical indoor clearance requirements specify that the oil storage tank should be 10 feet from the oil burner. Some communities permit the oil tank to be located closer, just 5 feet away from the nearest oil burner. You can see this design in our sketch at left, provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop.

If you cannot meet this distance requirement your local building officials or fire officials may approve the oil tank installation if you provide a fire barrier between the oil tank and the burner.

Tanks should also be located where they will not be damaged, such as by being struck by a vehicle entering a garage.

In some communities indoor oil storage tanks located in a garage must be protected against possible vehicle damage by steel posts or similar means.

In some communities indoor oil storage tanks must also be secured against possibly falling or tipping over, such as by using angled steel piping set into the floor and ceiling or floor and wall around the oil tank.

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OIL TANK HOME
ABOVE GROUND OIL TANK INSPECTIONS
  INSPECT VISIBLE TANKS
  OIL FILL & VENT
  OIL TANK SUPPORT
  ABANDONED INDOOR OIL TANKS
  ABOVE GROUND OUTDOOR OIL TANKS
BURIED OIL TANK ADVICE
BURIED OIL TANKS, FINDING
FLOATING UP OIL STORAGE or SEPTIC TANKS
FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS
HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS
OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE
OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES
OIL TANK FAILURE RATES
OIL TANK GAUGES
OIL TANK INSPECTION REPORTS
OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES
OIL TANK LEAK ADVICE
OIL TANK LIFE
OIL TANK PIPING DEFECTS
OIL TANK PRESSURE
OIL TANK REMOVAL COs
OIL TANK REMOVAL FINANCIAL AID
OIL TANK REGULATIONS
OIL TANK SLUDGE
OIL TANK STANDARDS
OIL TANK TESTING
OIL TANK TESTING COs
OIL TANK WATER CONTAMINATION
Above Ground Oil Tanks Inspection Checklist, an Oil Company's advice

• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
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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]
• Above Ground Oil Tanks: Visual Inspection of Oil Storage Tanks for evidence of leaks, damage, improper piping - photos and text
• Above Ground Oil Tanks Checklist, an Oil Company's advice
• Above Ground Tanks UL Standards, UL Tank Listing Standards, guidance for home owners, buyers, and inspectors
• Buried Oil Tanks - Finding How to Find Buried Oil Tanks and "Nearly Hidden" and Leaky Oil Tanks - photos and text.
• Buried Fuel tank - Advice - Buried FUEL Tank - GAS or OIL advice for home buyers, inspection report language
• Environmental Issues & Regulations for Oil Tanks, Registration, Abandonment, Leak Reporting
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Buried Oil Tanks, Basic home buyer advice - home inspection report language suggestions
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Visible Defects in Oil Tank Installations, Tanks, and Heating Oil Piping
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Gas Fuel Piping or Tank Faults Basic advice - home inspection report language suggestions
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Oil Tanks text file list © Oil and Other Storage Tank Leaks, Testing, Abandonment, Inspection - UST home inspection report language files - Reference List
• Indoor Environment Website Indoor Building Environmental Hazard Detection, Testing, Repair, & Prevention - Main Web Page
• Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - Advice for Home Owners or Buyers: caused of leaks in oil tanks, oil tank testing alternatives, what to do about leaky tanks: D.J. Friedman, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.2 No.1, Winter, 1992 p. 42-43 Illus
• Leak or Failure Rates for Home Heating Oil Tanks
• Legal Issues Regarding Buried Oil Storage Tanks K.S. Rea, Attorney, summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
• Primer on Petroleum Bulk Storage Tanks & Petroleum Contamination of Property Paul H. Ciminello, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, p 35-39
• 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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