AuthorHeating oil is a product used to heat residences and businesses. The oil itself is stored in oil tanks which often sit above the ground outside the building in question (but can also be underground and/or inside the building). In the event that someone currently using an oil tank for their heating wants to change their method of heating, they have two options with regard to dealing with their oil tank: having it removed entirely from their property or properly abandoning it. So what does it mean to “abandon” an oil tank, and how does one go about it?
Oil tank abandonment Westchester County NY is simply the process of inactivating an oil tank and cleaning it out to prevent rusting and oil spills from occurring later on. In this process, the top part of the tank is taken off. The piping that connects the tank to the building’s heating system should be detached and other tubes on the tank cut and filled with concrete. Any remaining oil in the tank must be cleaned out and then sand or another approved substance added to the tank to fill it up. Finally, the tank must also be certified by testing that no leaks will occur moving forward.
If you need to deal with an oil tank on your property, it’s a good idea to bring out a specialist to assess your tank and property to confirm what needs to be done and whether there are any unique issues to consider, and there are businesses that specialize in implementing these steps to give you peace of mind that your oil tank has been dealt with properly.
As mentioned above, if left untended oil tanks can cause issues for the surrounding property later on, so it is very important that, when abandoning an oil tank, a residence or business takes the process seriously and executes it thoroughly.