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Visual Inspection of Above Ground Residential Heating Oil Storage Tanks (ASTs) - What to Do About Abandoned Indoor Oil Tanks
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• What to do with abandoned indoor oil tanks

Handling abandoned indoor oil storage tanks: The photo shows a rather old indoor oil tank which is still connected to a fill and vent pipe. The tank was leaking badly enough that it may have been abandoned but left in place. If it is not in use, there are some critical steps to be taken to avoid an indoor oil spill and catastrophe, such as having the tank receive an un-wanted oil delivery that could leak into the building. 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 2008 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.

ABANDONED INDOORS - Inspecting Properties Where There are Known or Suspected Abandoned or Removed Indoor Oil Storage Tanks

Have all abandoned tank fill pipes been completely removed from the building to prevent mistaken delivery and spill into the building? Have old indoor tanks been removed or marked clearly as "Abandoned, DO NOT FILL" ?

Warning about un-used oil tanks at buildings: there have been instances of accidental delivery of oil to buildings where indoor or above ground outdoor tanks remained, or worse, where the tanks were removed but the fill and vent pipe were not. In New Paltz, N.Y., S.V. reported (to the web author, DF) such a case. An indoor oil storage tank had been removed. The fill and vent pipe remained to be removed from the house wall. The builder, in an effort to be cautious about an improper oil delivery, turned the fill pipe upside down at the house wall and even nailed plywood against the building to cover the fill pipe as the home waited for the pipe to be removed and the hole in the foundation wall filled.

A neighbor called the oil company on a very cold night, complaining of loss of heat, and fear of freezing pipes. The call resulted in a request for an emergency delivery of heating oil. Unfortunately the driver found the wrong home, pulled off the plywood, and intending to respond to an emergency on a very cold night, proceeded to pump a large volume of heating oil into the basement of the home.

The result was a very costly cleanup of the building.

If an indoor oil tank is removed or is no longer in use and is going to be removed, or even if it is going to be left in place, the fill and vent piping should be removed to prevent an accidental fill-up and a possible oil spill.

More Reading:
OIL TANK CHECKLIST This oil company's checklist they give to their delivery drivers and which is then completed and passed on to homeowners summarizes the oil industry's views of leaky oil tank warnings.

ABOVEGROUND OUTDOORS - Indoor Oil Tank Used Outdoors - Problems With Above Ground Outdoor Oil Storage Tanks

If you scrolled down to this section on the problems that occur with indoor oil storage tanks when they are used outdoors, such as water entry into oil tanks, rust, and corrosion, leading to loss of heat and oil tank leaks, please continue reading this section by using ABOVEGROUND OUTDOORS link at left or use this link to go the the Above Ground Tank Outdoors discussion page. There you will read about the problems with above ground outdoor oil storage tanks and what causes them and how to reduce them.

Use links just below or 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.

More Information: Buried and Above Ground Oil Storage Tanks References & More Information on USTs

• 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
• 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
• 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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