When you decide on oil fired heating for your home, there are a number of general considerations as well as legal requirements. These cover type of tank, size, and location.
What are the types of oil tank
There are four general types of heating oil tank:
Single skin: a single layer tank made from plastic or steel. Usually the cheapest type of tank, however they are more tightly regulated regarding position.
Double skin: an inner tank is housed in an outer skin. There is only a narrow gap between the two surfaces so piping and workings are external to the outer skin. Double skin usually applies to underground oil tanks.
Open Bunded: the tank- which can be either single or double skin – is contained within a secondary system which is usually stone or concrete.
Integrally-bunded: The gap between the inner and outer is big enough to contain all the fittings and vents. This type provides the highest level of protection against oil leaks. The bund must hold 110% of the primary tanks capacity.
The tank you buy needs to comply with OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association) standards. These are currently OFS T200 for steel and OFS T100 for plastic tanks.
Should I buy steel or plastic?
Location plays its part in deciding between steel and plastic and both materials have their advantages and disadvantages.
Steel oil tanks
- More secure than plastic
- Durable and long lasting
- Theft deterrent material
- Heavy and harder to manoeuvre than plastic
- Higher maintenance costs because an oil-resistant anti-corrosion coating must be reapplied every year
Plastic oil tanks
- Lighter and easier to move into position
- Large selection of capacities & sizes
- Plastic is moulded so there are fewer seams making them less prone to leakage
What size tank do I need?
Domestic oil tanks come in a range of sizes from 650 litre upwards to 10,000 litres (140 gallons to 2200). There is no standard size as factors such as usage, available space and size of the property have to be considered. If you have sufficient space to allow installation of a bigger tank you may make gains on economies of scale, being able to order more oil at a cheaper price in one go. If you only have space for a small tank some oil delivery companies offer a bespoke “top up” service to keep the level in your tank maintained.
Where can I locate my oil tank?
There are health and safety regulations that cover the positioning of your oil tank. These as stated by OFTEC are:
-
1.8m away from non-fire rated eaves of a building
- 1.8m away from a non-fire rated building or structure (e.g. garden sheds)
- 1.8m away from openings (such as doors or windows) in a fire rated building or structure (e.g. brick-built house/garage)
- 1.8m away from oil fired appliance flue terminals
- 760mm away from a non-fire rated boundary such as a wooden boundary fence
- 600mm away from screening (e.g. trellis and foliage) that does not form part of the boundary.
Your tank can be located outside, but if you want an indoor tank, it must not exceed a capacity of 3,500 litres.
If your tank is located outside, it must sit on a stable, level base. The best materials are concrete, paving slabs, or stonework as these also comply with the need for the base material to be
- Able to withstand the weight of the filled tank
- Be non-combustible
- Be imperforate
Another regulation to be complied with is the need for the base to extend in a free space of 300mm all around the tank.
If you are unable to comply with these regulations, a fire protection barrier is required. The barrier needs to be rated at 30 minutes and positioned 100mm from the tank. An OFTEC registered technician will be up to date on all the existent regulations and will be able to advise on all aspects of location. They will also be able to inform you of local building regulations and controls that require compliance.
What else should I know?
Maintenance is important to ensure your oil tank retains its integrity and that you do all you can to mitigate a leak and damage to the environment. It is best practice to have your oil tank inspected during your annual heating service. You should also check your pipe work periodically to ensure its integrity and that it is not leaking. It is also important to purchase a tank from a leading manufacturer, as their reputation has been built on longlasting, quality storage tanks. We stock such manufacturers as Atlas, DESO and Titan.
