The rising demand for oil over the past few decades has led us to develop systems for efficiently storing and delivering this commodity.
One such system involves setting up underground oil tanks, which aim to store the oil conveniently for later use. These tanks are used for both commercial and residential purposes. And since they are underground, you can save on a lot of space above the ground for other uses.
However, using an underground oil tank is a risky choice, especially for homeowners. If the oil tank were to leak or become damaged, it could cause soil contamination and several other problems. With that in mind, underground oil tank removal is a suitable option to consider since it can prevent such problems from occurring.
Table of Contents
How Does Removing Underground Oil Tanks Reduce Soil Contamination Risks?
Most underground oil tanks are accompanied by oil delivery systems like pipelines and valves. In order to avoid problems, the tanks and their associated systems need to be carefully maintained and monitored.
That is why they make more sense if used in a commercial setting. But for a residential building, it can be a headache since most homeowners won’t have the knowledge or tools to monitor or maintain the tank.
Due to a lack of proper maintenance, the walls of the tank will deteriorate over time and eventually start to leak. This will pollute the surrounding soil and make it unusable.
However, if you remove the tank entirely, you won’t need to worry about any contamination issue. The tank removal process will also involve removing the associated gas pipelines and valves. So, you will be effectively getting rid of even the most minor leakage risk that may potentially pollute both the soil and the underground water.
What Are The Other Benefits Of Removing Underground Oil Tanks?
Besides reducing the risks of soil contamination, removing the underground oil tank will benefit you in other ways, as described below.
1. Reduce Expenses
Maintaining an underground oil tank is a pretty expensive affair. And if the tank leaks, the money you will need to spend on the necessary clean-up operations can rob you blind. By removing the tank, you will be getting rid of all these unnecessary expenses.
2. Avoid Legal Hassles
In many areas, the law mandates that you provide proper legal documentation for owning an underground oil tank. If the tank in your property leaks, you will naturally need to put up with all of the legal implications. You can avoid all of that hassle by simply removing the tankfrom your property.
3. Protect Property Resale Value
If your property has an underground oil tank, most people will be discouraged from buying it at its full price. So, in case you want to sell the property, you will either need to wait a long time to find a buyer or lower its prices considerably. Obviously, neither of these options will prove beneficial for you.
In short, removing the underground oil tank will protect the resale prices for your property.
How To Remove Underground Oil Tanks?
Underground oil tanks are usually placed around 10 feet below a building’s foundation. You can detect them easily since there will be pipes sticking out of the ground in that spot.
Thus, it goes without saying that the ground will need to be excavated to remove the tank, which makes it a relatively complex task. Its complexity is further enhanced by the fact that you will need to remove the tank and its associated systems very carefully. Errors during the removal process may cause the oil to leak out of the tank and contaminate the soil.
Because of this, we suggest hiring a third-party service provider who will have the necessary tools and expertise to do this task without mistakes.
You can ask the company for a free quote so that you can get an idea about the process and the overall cost estimate. If it exceeds your budget, you can look for another company to get the job done.
Once everything is finalized, the service provider will send the required personnel to your property for the removal. It should take only a couple of days to get the tank out of your property, provided you have obtained all the necessary permissions and paperwork beforehand
First, the personnel will conduct a short survey of the ground to determine the best means for removal. Then they will excavate the ground and dig up the tank and its associated systems. If you are concerned about the disposal, you will be relieved to know that the professionals will take care of this as well.
What Is An Alternative To Underground Oil Tanks That You Can Consider?
Most underground oil tanks are installed to provide gas for household heating systems. However, you could swap out your old gas heater for an electric one. Such heaters are often tankless and can heat your rooms and household water supply just as effectively as gas heaters.
In addition to electric heating solutions, you can opt for heat pump systems that generate heat from the air. You could also go with wood boilers, which are not as risky as heaters that run on oil.
And that’s about everything we had to say about this topic. Removing the underground oil tank from your property has a lot of other benefits besides reducing the risks of soil contamination.
That said, some of you might be worried that hiring a company for its removal will cost you a lot of money. But believe us, these costs are nothing compared to the price that you will have to pay – financially or otherwise – if the tank ends up contaminating the soil.
