Vermont Oil Tanks

Oil tanks come in lots of different shapes and sizes. The most common tanks hold 275 gallons of oil or kerosene and are about five feet high, 27 inches wide and five feet long. Some of our members have 130 or 330 gallon tanks, others have two tanks joined together to provide 550 or 660 gallons capacity.

Location of Tank

Oil tanks are commonly found in heated indoor spaces such as basements. They are fitted with two black iron pipes:

• a fill pipe which is used (no surprise) to fill the tank, and
• a vent pipe, containing a vent alarm, which allows air to escape from the tank during deliveries.

Basement oil tank

When oil tanks are filled, the vent alarm “whistles” and when it’s full the whistle stops. This is an important safety feature and all above ground oil tanks should be fitted with vent alarms.

We do not recommend installing oil tanks outdoors or in unheated space such as garages. This is because heating oil begins to gel at about 20°F and at lower temperatures it won’t flow to the burner. Kerosene can be stored in outdoor tanks because it has a lower “gel point” than heating oil. Many condominiums and mobile homes are heated with kerosene supplied from outdoor tanks.

Life Expectancy

Oil tanks need replacing after about twenty years in service. Our technicians check oil tanks on every service call and recommend replacements whenever they detect weaknesses or instability. Our new tanks are UL listed, made from 12 gauge steel and have all been inspected and pressure-tested to make sure they don’t leak

If you have an underground oil tank, especially one that has been in place for twenty years or more, you should consider replacing it with a new basement tank.