Replacing an oil tank: what the job involves start to finish

Practical notes on an oil tank replacement

• A bunded tank contains the full inner capacity if the inner skin fails
• Remaining fuel is used down or transferred before disconnection
• The new tank is sited to current OFTEC distances regardless of the old position
• Supply line, fire valve and any Tigerloop are reconnected and re-bled
• The old tank is removed for recycling once the new one is commissioned

How we read an oil tank replacement on site

The job starts with assessing the remaining fuel, which is either used down or safely transferred before the old tank is disconnected. The new tank is sited to current OFTEC distances, on a fresh or inspected base, and is almost always bunded, meaning it has an integral outer skin designed to contain the full tank capacity if the inner one ever fails. Supply pipework, the fire valve and any Tigerloop are then reconnected and the system is bled and commissioned before the old tank is removed for recycling.

Where we deal with this

• Kilmersdon (BA3) · 2 mi
• Pilton (BA4) · 8 mi
• Butleigh (BA6) · 14 mi
• Timsbury (BA2) · 3 mi

Questions we get asked

How do I know my tank needs replacing rather than repairing?

Staining, sweating, a soft or bulging wall, or visible corrosion are all signs a tank is nearing the end of its safe life rather than something to patch.

Do all new tanks have to be bunded?

Most installations now use bunded tanks as standard practice, particularly where the single-skin tank would sit close to a watercourse or drain.

What happens to the oil left in the old tank?

It is either run down through normal use beforehand or safely transferred into the new tank as part of the changeover.