not able to measure oil tank..

[john]

I asked my oil company if they could measure to see how much heating oil I have left in my underground 550 gallon tank. And they said they couldnt measure it because it was right next to the house and the pipes bend around and cant be checked. I believe the home inspector who inspected my house before I got it said the same thing.

How could this be possible? What about if someone tried using a retractable measuring stick..maybe that would work? I find it so stupid that the original owner of the house would want an underground oil tank like this that cant be measured. Or maybe it was just an installation error?

[The Reverend Natural Light]

That's a normal way to install an underground tank. What isn't normal is to need to know how much oil is in the tank. Why do you care? Most of the time you go on an automatic fill program and let the oil company worry about it.

I had an old tank like that and tried to use a cable snake to measure it. Even that wouldn't navigate the bends in the pipe. Had to dig it up and cut it open to find out it was completely full of water.

[Speedy Jim]

Normally, a separate riser pipe from the tank is used for a "stick well". This 2" pipe rises vertically and terminates in a special brass plug which can be unscrewed with a tool to permit dropping a measuring stick down.

Your tank may already have one but has been covered over by lawn growth, etc. You might find it with a metal detector.

Jim

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Some of us like to know what we have and buy oil on our own terms and times that we choose. IMO, wanting to know how much oil you have is very normal.

[cln]

quoted text -

Its not a bad idea to mesure your tanks level. Your tank (especially if underground) might be leaking. If it is, how would you know? Other than the neighbors tree dying or that you seem to be burning twice as much oil than before. Measuring it is not a bad idea. Automatic program or not! Wouldn't want to see the enviromental bills! Prevention is the key

[Oren]

Owned one home with an oil tank. The seller couldn't measure the tank, so he had it filled and I reimbursed him at closing.

[john]

I upgraded my home insurance to make sure it included the Oil Tank. I hear that enviromental leaks / crap like that could cost more then $100,000 to clean up. and if it isnt covered by home insurance, its coming out of your pocket.

[Oren]

Many years ago folks were buying former gas/filling station (s) property.

The ones you might have stopped at driving in Florida... post 50's. The buyers soon found out the property was a toxic dump. Fuel tanks had collapsed... Those investors, I suspect lost plenty of money.

If you want to build a gas station today, you need to be a corporation with money to get permits and the EPA microscope.

[john]

This sucks...

my house was built in 1993. So the tank is about 14 years old... with intent to sell it in a few years.. I know this would be a big issue with the Buyer if he were to buy a house with an underground oil tank 15+ years old... with no way to test it to see if its leaking or not. Like u guys said, pressure testing could make things worse....and the only other alternative is to dig and take things apart.

Even if it was finally determined that it was not leaking....just for them to know the tank is 15+ years old could be a turn off aswell.

I know alot of people say that tanks could last 50 years or longer without leaking...but most online literature I can find says that leaks start as early as 15 to 20 years. Why cant we find a material yet that will guaruntee atleast 50 years of no leaking? 15 to 20 years seems like such a small amount of time for something that should be permanent with the house.

[Speedy Jim]

Why cant we find a material yet that

Bingo!