A giant oil tank - how to dispose?

[miamicuse]

An old house I just purchased has a large oil (yes, oil, not gas) tank in the back yard. I was told it was used in the early 70s to heat the swimming pool and was later on disconnected.

This oil tank is about 80" long, cylindrical with a diameter oh say about

40". It sort of look like this:

but not shiny like it rather it seem to be pretty corroded. I don't know if there is still any oil in it, I could smell oil. Checking underneath it I do not see any leak and the grass directly underneath it seemed ok.

I am trying to figure out how to remove and dispose of this thing. I have asked the tree guy who came to remove tree stumps and he wouldn't touch it, I have asked trash removal companies and they wouldn't touch it says I need someone special...

Who should I call? Hazardous waste disposal unit?

MC

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You are fortunate that it is above ground. Below ground, it would entail soil testing and a bunch of other potential problems. Call a fuel oil dealer in your neighborhood. They will probably not remove it, but they will know who will.

[Richard J Kinch]

Empty it and cut it into pieces small enough your trash collectors will take.

A 9-inch angle grinder with metal cutting disks would be an appropriate tool to use. Or a cutting torch.

A free-lance welder would be the guy to call for hiring this out.

Cut it in half, weld on some hinges, now you have a swell barbecue!

[hallerb]

be aware the sludge can be hazardous and might be fire hazard taking cutter to a old tank filled with oil vapors:(

call a oil supplier and have the tank properly disposed of............

[digitalmaster]

be careful with a torch or grinder as you may start a fire. Put it for sale on eBay...somebody probably wants it even if you only get $1 for it they will have to move it.Or list it for free in the local paper.

[m Ransley]

Do not take a torch to it, a neighbor took mine and made a giant bbq grill.

[MLD]

Below ground you would need a waste disposal company and it can be quite expensive. Above ground you might luck out and have an oil company get rid of it. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't have a leak. MLD

[Sacramento Dave]

You got that right. were entering are 3 year battle over some property that had old fuel tanks buried. I'm at the point of giving the property to county of Marin Ca. as a right off.

[Jim McLaughlin]

The standard treatment for a tank to be cut is to first obtain a lot of dry ice, bust the dry ice into small chunks and drop the chunks down the filler pipe. Wait about a half hour for the dry ice to sublimate to the CO2 that it is, and then begin to cut. The CO2 filling the tank displaces the air and prevents combustion.

[miamicuse]

I "think" it does not have a leak by feeling the grass directly underneath and they felt fine and dry.

However, the entire tank is brown in color and the lower half seem to be of darker color and have some corrosion. I did not dare to tamper with it too much. On top of the tank there is a clean out and some other fittings, none seem to be removable easily (corrosion may be). I tried twisting all of them and none will yield.

Make into BBQ drill? Are you sure?

MC

[Anonymous]

[m Ransley]

Google, bbg grill oil tank you will get all the info you need.

[George E. Cawthon]

Huh? Advertise it for sale. And put an appropriate price on it, not free, and not too cheap. Say $100, you can always let a responder negotiate for a lower price.

[ameijers]

Most oil-fill companies also offer a pump-out service, and may even offer a token amount per gallon for the recovered oil. They are also usually linked to a tank service company that can come remove the tank. Hopefully, you don't live in an area that requires soil samples and testing and such, all of which costs a fortune. If you live in a rural area, you may be able to put an ad in the paper and sell it. The oil company guys will know the local customs.

Yeah, you could make a pig roaster out of it, but I wouldn't recommend it. To burn off the oil residue and not get a taste in the food, you'd have to have a real hot break-in fire, hot enough that any thin spots may just burn through.

aem sends...

[John Lynch]

I had two large oil tanks to dispose of when I switched to Propane last month. I put them out by the road with a "free" sign on them, and they were gone within 24 hours. People in my area use them to make barbecue pits.

John