Older Tanks and Expiration dates - Pt 1

Originally published May, 2016

There is no way to know what the expiration date for an oil tank is. However, if the oil tank in your home or business is over 40-years old, it is possible that you will find out very soon. We have seen an uncommonly large number of older tanks fail during this past heating season. The good news is that none of them failed catastrophically, where a large amount of oil was released. They all started with a small hole developing, usually after a fill where the oil would start to seep out. The homeowners were able to smell, see and report the leak before very much had been released. Always investigate whenever you smell oil in your home. Any cause for this situation should be corrected immediately!
 
What’s a homeowner with an older tank to do?

Crowley Fuel Company has several options and suggestions to help you protect your biggest investment, your home. We have been installing and replacing oil tanks for nearly 100 years, so we have become knowledgeable in what can be done to help our customers with older oil tanks. The last thing that we recommend is doing nothing, because that can lead to a very large expense for cleaning up after a release of oil.

The cheapest way to protect your tank and home is to purchase Tank Guard Protection, made by Lincoln Laboratory in Leicester, for $49.95 per year. We offer this service to our oil customers who buy their oil exclusively from Crowley Fuel. What you get when you sign up for this program is an initial inspection of your tank and oil line to see if there are any leaks or corrections to be made to satisfy fire marshal codes. We will then add two ounces of Concentrated Corrosion Inhibitor into the fill pipe of your oil tank, which will end up in the bottom of your tank where the corrosive agents and water may gather.

Your tank becomes covered for one year from the date on which you paid the fee. This coverage includes most costs to remove and replace your oil tank - A value on average of $2000!

The Tank Guard Program will cover the replacement of your oil tank if it should fail, but it does not cover any cost for cleaning up the oil that is released. This can amount to a much larger cost than what you will pay for replacing the tank in the first place. One option that you have for covering this cost is to contact your homeowners’ insurance company and get pollution coverage. If your oil tank is not leaking, and, if your oil line is in compliance with fire marshal codes, you are eligible for pollution coverage from your insurance company.

It is not very expensive, and it all starts with an inspection, which Crowley Fuel can perform for you. If all is in order, we will provide you with a form that you can present to your insurance company stating that you are in compliance. They will then quote you a price for coverage, and you can accept or reject the coverage if you choose. If all is not in order, we will give you an estimate for the repairs that will be needed to bring your oil tank, and especially your oil line, into compliance.

In future blog posts, I will discuss the options you have for replacing your oil tank. I will be presenting information about the different oil tanks that are available, including the Roth Double-Wall Oil Tank.

Bob

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