I am wondering about replacing my steel oil tank which stands about a foot from the back of my brick built garage. The garage is separate from my house. I could use either a plastic or a steel tank.
If I amend an existing domestic installation to what extent am I obliged to conform to the latest building regulations?
100% if its a replacemnt rather than repair..
ISTR it's a bit more complicated with oil tanks. Although in some locations bunded tanks are now required (near drains & waterways, but I think a date has been set for all replacement tanks to be bunded) - there's also a relaxation for "difficult" locations where one could not reasonably be fitted.
You are required to conform 100%, that's true. However in my experience there is a lot of mis-information, worry and guesswork surrounding the regs. People imagine the regs say things they don't and some of the professionals appear to not have actually read the regs themselves. The regs are available online (free) from the odpm.gov website and if you take the time to read them and are logical they do make sense. Which aspects are you particularly concerned about?
I'm wondering what sort of location could be where a bunded tank couldn't be fitted....
:-)
The requirement to be 1.8m distance from a building (my garage), - without an intervening firewall. The brick piers for my existing tank are more precisely only 22" from the back of the garage. Ideally I would like a replacement tank to sit on these piers .
I worried about this and my worries were reinforced by some professionals who seemed to think the rule was "can't have a tank within 1.8m" or "can't have a tank within 1.8m unless you build a firewall". In fact the rule is that if the garage wall is built to a
30min fire resistance you're fine. In my case that meant I could stand the tank on the existing piers quite happily as my garage has a solid brick end wall with no openings. What construction is your garage? If it's built of timber or has a window opening onto the tank you have more of a problem but if it's a solid brick wall the most you might have to do is clad the eaves in something non-combustible.
Where the plot is physically too small for instance.
Again IIRC, an existing masonry wall is fine, but there are minimum distances to windows and doors (both horizontally and vertically), and to property boundaries.
Modern plastic tanks need to be supported over the entire base, usually on a concrete pad at ground level (manufacturer requirements rather than building regs).
All of that is still complying with latest regulations. Its just the regulations are a shade more flexible.
Not at ground level. You need gravity for many burner types, and even pumped one's wont cope with a long pipe and no fall.
Mine is supported on concrete lintels laid across a pair of walls. Its just fine.
Indeed. Out here where oil is de rigeur, there are a few people in deep trouble because they have nowhere to put an oil tank legally to modern regs.
So they keep the old ones going..
Looking at the designs of 2500 litre plastic tanks, the weight is presumably supported through the square bits which are likely to be close to the walls.
That just leaves the question of how thick the lintels need to be for a 2500 litre tank. I have been a bit disappointed with the installation instructions I have been able to obtain for tanks. Unlike boilers where you can get very good instructions.
The plastic tanks are also very expensive! Almost as much as my boiler. I expect that I shall be trying to make my steel tank last a bit longer.
Thanks, my situation is similar to yours. Brick end wall to garage with no openings in that wall. The roof tiles just overhang the wall by 4-5cm, and from what I understand from reading Part J I think that I the installation would conform.
Well I dont know, but I have 4 lintels spaced about 4" apart and about
4" thick. For a 2500 liter tank.No issues after 6 years ..
Why not?
Thanks. Is it possible for one person working alone and without lifting equipment to position the tank? Can you pick up one end easily.
The only problem with the steel tank is that it does require regular maintenance, mainly to remove any rust patches. I have a green plastic water butt which is older and I have never bothered with.
I have just found a suitable tank on ebay. That has got me thinking, though no doubt the price will rise!.
it's when they are full they weigh..
Do put all new fittings on it though.
I don't know what you call expensive but I paid around =A3800 to have someone pump out the oil and store it, remove the old metal tank, refurbish the piers, fit a new metal non-bunded tank and re-fill the oil into it. I could have bought the tank for around =A3400 so the service cost me about =A3400 which I think was pretty good value considering that if I'd done it myself I'd have struggled to store the oil and to dispose of the old tank. To be honest the handling of the tanks and doing the work wasn't a challenge - it sounded like fun! Mind you I'm really glad I didn't do it myself as when it leaked just a bit from the outlet fitting I was able to solve it with a phone call to the fitter, imagine the hassle of trying to fix such a leak on a tank full of oil!
I chose a metal tank rather than plastic mostly because I am aware that blow (or rotationally) moulded plastic does have a habit of becomming brittle in daylight. It was also significantly cheaper! If you do go for plastic you *must* follow the manufacturers instructions about supporting it. From everything I learned while researching it that will mean a fully supportive base rather than sitting on piers (although of course the supportive base could itself be sitting on piers). I know that The Natural Philosopher has a 2500 litre tank supported on piers but I think he's taking a huge risk, 2.5 tonnes pressing on four lintels it a lot to ask of the plastic base of the tank.
Good luck, Calvin
The message
from Calvin contains these words:
Been in the same house for 30 years. Replaced two metal tanks in that time. Plastic one is surviving very nicely, thank you. Much better than the metal ones I've had.
This isn't rocket science. Some very ordinary paving slabs on top of the concrete lintels do the job just fine at next to no cost.
No, really, at least 50% of the tank base..maybe more - is in contact with those lintels.
Its really truly not a problem
If it bothered anyone, its easy enough to lay paving slabs on top first.
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