oil tank distance/location to burner

sandrajune

I live on Long Island, NY and starting construction for an addition. We are removing our existing underground oil tank and now have two choices:

#1 550 gal Fiberglass in-ground oil tank

#2 Roth above ground oil tank located in detached garage 65-70 feet from burner (and under a pond and part of the addition.)



Preference, pros and cons please???

billtwocase

check your local codes, but...

here in Mass the tank must be a minimum of 5 feet away, or floor to ceiling fireproof wall if close. I would also go with the double wall above ground tank

sandrajune

clarification please

Thank you! And is 70 feet ( in a detached garage ) too far away from the burner? It seems like such a long stretch! There would be a great deal of oil in that pipe.

sandrajune

clarification please

Thank you! And is 70 feet ( in a detached garage ) too far away from the burner? It seems like such a long stretch! There would be a great deal of oil in that pipe.

Robert O'Brien

Garage

I assume garage is above or at same level as boiler? 70' horizontal is no problem. A buried line will need to be sleeved and an OSV installed at tank. The tank will have to be protected by stanchions in a garage also

billtwocase

garage location

all that Bob said, but we have to jack hammer  lally columns into the cement floor, and your new tank should be supported by a cement floor or pad only. We install the columns where the tank can be impacted. You will most likely be gravity feeding the unit, and 70 feet should be no problem. Remember all flare fittings, positive shut offs, and fireomatic valves at tank and burner. 

sandrajune

decision

Thought I'd wrap this up by saying that we found out many insurance companies won't give insurance to a new mortgage if there is ANY kind of in-ground tank (even fiberglass.) And the 70' stretch made every guy we had come to look at it very nervous (except for the one and Robert!)



But one guy convinced us the way to go was to do a steel above ground in a "tub" right up against the house 22' from the burner. The enclosed tub can be dug down two feet into the ground, leaving only 3' exposed above ground. We plan on putting a fence around it to hide it (where we will also have the a/c unit and the garbage cans!)



Thank you all for your input. They were all very valuable to our decision.

Robert O'Brien

Partially buried Tank Tub?

Never seen or heard of it. Not in the I&O manual either,that doesn't mean it's not allowed but I would look into it further.

http://www.oilstoragesolutions.com/Tub%20Instructions.htm

Steve_152

oil tank

i would not  partially bury  oil tank, as  you  would not  have visual  proof of  leakage...if it occured...

sandrajune

hmmm

hmmm --- the link you have is the tub.... now I'll have to call the Town to see if they will approve of partially burying the tank 2' ---- THANKS!

Jamie Hall

If...

the arrangement which you are describing is a steel tub, set two feet into the ground, with the tank free standing within it, in principle you should be OK since, again in principle, you will see a leak from the tank before it can get into the ground -- which is the objective of the exercise.



However.



You can't have a drain in the tub.  It has to be watertight -- otherwise, if you do have a leak, the oil will get into the ground, which is exactly what  you don't want it to do (or a sewer, which is even worse).  Which leads to an obvious question: how do you propose to keep rain water from getting into the tub, and what are you going to do about it when water does get in?  It will, you know.

SWEI

I think it may be one of these

http://www.oilstoragesolutions.com/Tank%20Tub.htm

Jamie Hall

That

would work.  Thanks.  Never seen one of those contraptions before -- why I haunt the Wall!  (well, one reason anyway...)

SWEI

I had to go look it up

but it seemed like a decent idea.

billtwocase

containment

These are not for underground, and if it was, you would have to pour a cement pad first. This is for above ground. I would go with a Roth tank. 

Robert O'Brien

Underground

I would check with manufacturer of Tank Tub,I have feeling they won't approve this. If they do,get it in writing for AHJ