Oil tank base.

[Millsy 82]

I am I'm the process of quoting for a complete oil heating system including tank and base. It will be a concrete base and I will be getting a builder in to do it as I don't want that hassle but so I know it's all done right will they have to dig out, put hardcore down, sand over that then concrete?

 

[Best]

Not sure what a builder would say, but I would think it depends on what the ground is like.
If the ground simply needs the first few inches of soli cleared away to reveal fairly hard solid base - perhaps clay, then concrete could be just put on top of that. Hardcore is okay where you need to replace removed soli to bring it up to level for concrete, but not essential.
The important thing with a concrete base is that it is on a fairly even strength of ground - in other words you don't put concrete over ground that half of it is very solid & the other half loose soli, because it will tend to tilt or split eventually.
The larger the spread of the concrete area (length & width) the more stable it will be.

 

[Best]

Forgot to say you need to ask your builder to have the base extending beyond the oil tank actual size - as to regs, to avoid risk of foliage, leaves etc, being a possible fire route to the oil tank.

 

[lame plumber]

use some reinforcing mat as well to be sure, cant understand why you use a builder and then do half the work yourself!

 

[MarkOil]

you can use concrete slabs on dry mix sand and cement. Oftec do allow it as long as you do a 'heel test' to check the ground is hard enough, that's how lame oftec is! lol, when is it going to get some backbone like gas safe.

 

[lame plumber]

fine with metal tanks, plastic tends to split to easily imho

 

[MarkOil]

why buy an overpriced plastic tank that will split, when a bunded metal tank is cheaper and better?

 

[lame plumber]

coz I dont need a crane to position it, simples

 

[MarkOil]

True lol, same as lpg tanks though, they are pretty heavy. Metal is also more secure.

 

[Best]

And metal gets lovely & rusty! :smile:
I will never forget a metal tank in perfect looking order (as it had been painted with a special tacky paint from new) started leaking near the bottom when very full of Kerosine. When it was touched it opened into a hole you could put your finger through. Water had rotted it from inside. Luckily I bunged the hole immediately & tank was replaced. It would have devastated one driveway & two gardens.

 

[lame plumber]

And metal gets lovely & rusty! :smile:
I will never forget a metal tank in perfect looking order (as it had been painted with a special tacky paint from new) started leaking near the bottom when very full of Kerosine. When it was touched it opened into a hole you could put your finger through. Water had rotted it from inside. Luckily I bunged the hole immediately & tank was replaced. It would have devastated one driveway & two gardens.

and some ones bank account

 

[Best]

and some ones bank account

Yes, - mine! :smile:
I touched it very very lightly & the hole appeared. Scary.
I knew better, but I acted on the suggestion by owner to clean & seal the pin hole just tempory.

 

[MarkOil]

Ah, but lots of plastic tanks have been splitting with no pre warning! Atleast a bit of rust gives you a heads up, whack a water hog in the metal tank and ta da, no water! that said, either has good and bad points. Something someone needs to sort out really. I do wonder how underground tanks hold up, I've seen more of them nowadays.

 

[Best]

I remember when plastic oil tanks first appeared in mass - must be about 30 years ago & I thought plastic won't like sunlight & also plastic can split without much warning. I was so right, as it turned out, although a lot of them have lasted well.
What is now proven is rounded designed tanks are better because round is stronger & more evenly stressed. Bunded are obviously best. A single skinned tank in a concrete area with a small edging around the concrete as a catchment area is really good enough IMO, but think OFTEC won't agree.
I would prefer stainless steel ideally.