Moving an outdoor oil tank

[Fiver]

I have an outdoor, aboveground oil tank for heating the house. We recently had some work done and the tank was moved. Now however, I want to move it back. It's only a meter or so that it needs to shift. I’ve run it down so that it’s almost empty and shouldn’t have any problems lifting it with a few friends.

As far as I can tell, the process should be pretty simple. There are two copper pipes running out of the tank and along to the boiler, which is also outside. I was planning to turn off the boiler, turn the stopcock on the pipes inside the tank, then cut the pipes and stopper them. Then I’ll move the tank and reconnect the pipes with compression fittings. Nice and easy.

I’m no stranger to simple plumbing work, but wanted to double check that there aren’t any issues that I haven’t considered. No harm’s going to come to anything because I let a bit of air into the pipes or anything like that?

I won't be tinkering with the boiler itself.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

@Best, @lame plumber , @Last Plumber

 

[Best]

Better that you get an oil engineer out to do the work ideally, but that's if you know someone who will do it properly. Serious oil contamination is a risk.
I am unsure if you are just moving it a metre, but back to same position?
I would think even just moving the position of an existing oil tank a metre would be viewed as then under new building regulations, unfair as that is. That means tank has to be a bunded type, with proper base and located 1.8m away from any window, door, roof edge or flue terminal and 0.76m away from any wooden fence or hedge, (or else a firewall installed.) Obviously you then would need somebody qualified and local building notification.
Hopefully you aren't moving the original location.
That all said, you can't be forced to replace an existing old oil tank that remains in same position (except if new building work or a boiler are later positioned too close).
Your compression joints are supposed to have metal supports inside them on soft copper oil lines. Or flared joints.
If oil pipe can be renewed, it is often worth doing, with no joints and inside a plastic sleeve pipe. If you have a 2 pipe line to the one oil boiler it might be worth having a Tigerloop one pipe done with your oil installer/service person.
You won't have air problem if you don't drain the oil pipes I would think, if the short piece of new copper is level or rising slightly towards tank.
Ask your oil service engineer their advice first.

 

[Gazzt]

If your oil tank was moved in the first place to comply with regulations, it can affect house insurance if the tank is moved back. The other point is getting an oil engineer to advise or move the tank will cover you legally, he should complete a cd11 or cd10, t133 form which helps cover any legal aspects.