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Thread: Buried oil tank

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Knoxville, TN
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    Default Buried oil tank

    60 year old house. Oil tank buried in front yard.
    A large tree has grown around the vent pipe.
    Nice!

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  2. #2
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    Mar 2007
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    photo didn't load

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Charlotte NC
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    At least they still have a vent pipe that can be used to test for contents. Many don't!

    The beatings will continue until morale has improved. mgt.

  4. #4
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    Mar 2007
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    DIVE< DIVE< DIVE
    mercedes at 350 degrees,
    prepare tubes one and two
    der broker ess trying to hienykablotzen
    fire,fire,fire


  5. #5
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    The fill pipe was about 10' away. I was concerned about what the tree could be doing to the tank itself. The tank was probably installed when the house was built 60 years ago.


  6. #6
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    Feb 2009
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    Southern Vancouver Island
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    I could have missed this one. I had been around the house, checking eaves and windows, foundation. Did the roof, went into the basement and saw .... two abandoned oil lines coming out of the floor. One is the feed to the furnace and the other is a return line from a pump to a tank* where gravity feed is not possible. Went back out, and spotted this right away. Good thing, it still had a bit of oil in it, no water. The sellers were going to have it removed. I trust all went well.

    I did warn my clients that those oil lines will have some oil left in them.

    *The return line indicates to me that a pump was needed in the past. The new configuration does not use a pump. Gravity feed. That is a clue to the location of the old tank. A buried oil tank will most likely require a pump.

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    Last edited by John Kogel; 08-21-2012 at 11:48 AM. Reason: *
    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Maryland
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    2,809

    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    Just as a side note. The return line installed from oil burner pump is not installed because of the lack of a gravity feed to burner location there are other reasons.

    They may have originally planted the tree to protect the vent pipe from being damaged. Do not think anyone will drive over the vent pipe now.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Melrose, Massachusetts
    Posts
    21

    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    Great find, Jack. You have to be real careful with underground storage tanks (USTs) as they try to tuck the vents away where they are not obvious. I found this vent comping out of the ground at the house foundation (fill pipe and inside lines removed) and it turned out it was for a 1000 gallon tank that the seller removed. If a tank is leaking (LUST, if you will), it can be real expensive for your buyer and a liability for the inspector.

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    Donald Bissex
    Melrose, Massachusetts
    www.mystichomeinspection.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Fletcher, NC
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    Default Re: Buried oil tank

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald Bissex View Post
    If a tank is leaking (LUST, if you will), it can be real expensive for your buyer and a liability for the inspector.
    Had a leaking UST removed last summer from an abandoned house, after all was said and done, the bank had to pay about $18k for its removal, the removal of all contaminated soil, monitoring wells for a year, that was the cost before the state signed off on it stating that it was no longer an environmental hazard.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

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