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How often should an interior fuel oil tank be cleaned out?

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How often should an interior fuel oil tank be cleaned out? oscar.hodgson 07-15-2007
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Posted by on July 15, 2007, 2:15 pm

Some background info:

I've got an interior 275 gallon heating oil tank of indeterminate age
(though probably not more than 25 years old). The heating system gets
the standard annual maintenance from my oil supplier (cleaning,
filter, screens), including the addition of a pint or so of "acetene
(A) tank treatment & fuel conditioner" / sudge dispersant & etc.
Though I can't pick out a manufacturing date on the boiler, the
manufacturer's service literature is present and has 1976 dates. The
burner tested at 83% efficiency last summer, down from 85% two years
prior. The burner's transfer coil and control unit have been replaced
within the past two years, and the flow control valve shows evidence
of some slight leakage (and I decided to defer the $450 repair). We
use about 950 gallons of oil annually (in eastern PA).

My oil supplier offers a "tank cleaning" at $250. Being flush with
cash at that time, I had them do this in 2000. Basically, they
drained all of the remaining oil and did whatever other magic they do
as part of that work. On at least one occassion since that time
(although we're on automatic delivery) we actually ran out of oil, and
so the tank was presumedly thoroughly drained.

Here's my question:

Is there enough value associated with cleaning out the tank as to make
it worth doing periodically? And at what interval? Is the "tank
treatment" fluid likely to be sufficient to maintain the interior of
the tank in reasonably good condition?

Thanks in advance for your observations and advice.

Oscar.


Posted by EXT on July 15, 2007, 3:16 pm
I have never heard of a "tank cleaning service" -- it sounds like a revenue
generating idea created by the heating oil company.

Any tank that is 25 years old, cleaned or not, may be questioned by your
insurance company with a demand to replace it with a new tank. Insurance
companies don't want a huge payout for environmental cleanup if it should
leak.


>
> Some background info:
>
> I've got an interior 275 gallon heating oil tank of indeterminate age
> (though probably not more than 25 years old). The heating system gets
> the standard annual maintenance from my oil supplier (cleaning,
> filter, screens), including the addition of a pint or so of "acetene
> (A) tank treatment & fuel conditioner" / sudge dispersant & etc.
> Though I can't pick out a manufacturing date on the boiler, the
> manufacturer's service literature is present and has 1976 dates. The
> burner tested at 83% efficiency last summer, down from 85% two years
> prior. The burner's transfer coil and control unit have been replaced
> within the past two years, and the flow control valve shows evidence
> of some slight leakage (and I decided to defer the $450 repair). We
> use about 950 gallons of oil annually (in eastern PA).
>
> My oil supplier offers a "tank cleaning" at $250. Being flush with
> cash at that time, I had them do this in 2000. Basically, they
> drained all of the remaining oil and did whatever other magic they do
> as part of that work. On at least one occassion since that time
> (although we're on automatic delivery) we actually ran out of oil, and
> so the tank was presumedly thoroughly drained.
>
> Here's my question:
>
> Is there enough value associated with cleaning out the tank as to make
> it worth doing periodically? And at what interval? Is the "tank
> treatment" fluid likely to be sufficient to maintain the interior of
> the tank in reasonably good condition?
>
> Thanks in advance for your observations and advice.
>
> Oscar.
>



Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on July 15, 2007, 3:32 pm

>I have never heard of a "tank cleaning service" -- it sounds like a revenue
>generating idea created by the heating oil company.
>
> Any tank that is 25 years old, cleaned or not, may be questioned by your
> insurance company with a demand to replace it with a new tank. Insurance
> companies don't want a huge payout for environmental cleanup if it should
> leak.

Underground tanks have a life of 15 to 30 years. Above ground tanks
considerably more. You can do ultrasonic tests that reveal rusting of the
tank. I've never heard of one being replaced because the insurance company
requested it, but I guess it can happen. I know of may tanks that are 50
years plus and still working.



Posted by EXT on July 15, 2007, 4:04 pm

>
>>I have never heard of a "tank cleaning service" -- it sounds like a
>>revenue generating idea created by the heating oil company.
>>
>> Any tank that is 25 years old, cleaned or not, may be questioned by your
>> insurance company with a demand to replace it with a new tank. Insurance
>> companies don't want a huge payout for environmental cleanup if it should
>> leak.
>
> Underground tanks have a life of 15 to 30 years. Above ground tanks
> considerably more. You can do ultrasonic tests that reveal rusting of the
> tank. I've never heard of one being replaced because the insurance
> company requested it, but I guess it can happen. I know of may tanks that
> are 50 years plus and still working.

Here in Canada, it is common for Home Insurance companies to require tanks
that are 25 years old or more to insist on them being replaced, because of
this they actually caused a shortage in tank supplies as the replacements
increased in number.



Posted by aemeijers on July 15, 2007, 4:35 pm

>
>>
>>>I have never heard of a "tank cleaning service" -- it sounds like a
>>>revenue generating idea created by the heating oil company.
>>>
>>> Any tank that is 25 years old, cleaned or not, may be questioned by your
>>> insurance company with a demand to replace it with a new tank. Insurance
>>> companies don't want a huge payout for environmental cleanup if it
>>> should leak.
>>
>> Underground tanks have a life of 15 to 30 years. Above ground tanks
>> considerably more. You can do ultrasonic tests that reveal rusting of
>> the tank. I've never heard of one being replaced because the insurance
>> company requested it, but I guess it can happen. I know of may tanks
>> that are 50 years plus and still working.
>
> Here in Canada, it is common for Home Insurance companies to require tanks
> that are 25 years old or more to insist on them being replaced, because of
> this they actually caused a shortage in tank supplies as the replacements
> increased in number.
I can understand that on tanks exposed to weather or ground moisture, but a
basement tank? (Assuming a dry basement, of course.) As long as outside
shows no signs of rust, I'd think a borescope inspection of interior every
five years or so (I assume these things have a bunghole?) would be more than
adequate. I know the pickup tube isn't on the bottom, but as long as no rust
flakes are visible in the drained sludge, what are the odds of major
interior rustout with no outside evidence?

(Having said that, any interior tank should of course have a spill berm
around it, or be sitting in one of those giant kitty litter pans.)

aem sends...



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