10 Important Things to Think About When Looking at Your Oil Tank
Over 40% of Vermonters heat their home with either heating oil or kerosene. In 2017, Vermont created more residential oil tank regulations requiring that both homeowners and fuel delivery companies comply with these specific rules. These rules are meant to ensure the safety of the homeowner as well as prevent fuel oil spills. Since then, Patterson Fuels has begun inspecting these tanks and keeping a record of these inspections. Inspections need to be completed every three years under the state law and without a passed inspection report Patterson Fuels cannot fill your tank. So that begs the question what are we looking for during these inspections? Here are the five main criteria our technicians are looking at to see if your tank passed the Vermont State Inspection.
- Is the tank on a stable foundation?
- If there are buried oil lines, are they coated or sleeved to protect against corrosion/
- Is the vent line equipped with an operation vent alarm that is within 12’ of the fill pipe and visible from the fill pipe?
- Is the fill and fill line a minimum of 1 ¼” inches?
- Are the tank and tank legs free of cracks, pitting, corrosion, dents, bulges, and are the fittings free of leaks, weeps, drips, or other signs of a release?
Here are the other 5 things our technician checks when they inspections your oil tank.
- If your tank is outside, is it protected from hazards such as falling ice, trees, and other debris?
- Does your tank have an operational fuel gauge?
- Are your tank legs taller than 14”?
- Does your tank have its own shutoff valve?
- Are any unused openings plugged or closed?
So, what happens if your tank does not pass inspection or needs repair/replacement? Patterson Fuels has a full-service team that is ready and able to repair and replace heating oil and kerosene tank.
Looking for the exact form our technicians use? Here is a link:
If you think you are due for an oil tank inspection, don’t fret just call us today at 802-434-2616.