New oil tank

[saveasteading]

Our 2000 iitre, plastic oil tank is getting old. It is fading, and perhaps getting brittle after 30 years.

It is about 1.5m to the boundary, with nothing near. There is no drainage or watercourse near.

 

My reading of the building regulations is that it can be single skin on a hard base (blinded  stone would be easiest).

 

I see lots of 'advice' online saying that it "should" or " must" be bunded, double bunded, double skin (i know these all mean the same) and on concrete. 

 

The regulations do not say any of this, so the advisers would be wrong; deliberately so or mistakenly.

The cost difference will be about £2k.

What do you say?

 

What I'd really like is a magic paint.

 

[JohnMo]

For £2k you buy a heat pump!

 

But, do what the regs say.

 

8 hours ago, saveasteading said:

bunded, double bunded, double skin (i know these all mean the same)

They do not mean the same. Double skin is just a additional external layer to the tank, more for protection from impact. A bund is an oil tight area below the tank, which should the tank leak would catch the contents and not allow it to leak to the environment. A bund done correctly allows water (rain) to drain away, but not oil.

[Bonner]

I would say open bunds are not commonly used in a domestic setting. Most tanks have an integral bund formed by a double wall design in a similar way to oil tankers (there may be some with secondary skins purely for protection so best to check specs).

[saveasteading]

38 minutes ago, Bonner said:

open bunds are not commonly used in a domestic setting.

No, im not considering a brick or concrete bund ( often seen in heavy industrial settings) 

Some plastic tanks are decribed as bunded, but I'm pretty sure it just means 2 skins. If the inner tank mysteriously bursts, then the outer one is still there.

[Bonner]

4 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Some plastic tanks are decribed as bunded, but I'm pretty sure it just means 2 skins

Correct, some are also described as ‘self bunded’

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, Bonner said:

self bunded’

I can't figure out the point of that. The outer skin could be considered sacrificial I suppose. Any minor accident may only affect the outside? It ceases to be bunded at that time. So perhaps it depends on location if it is at risk or not.

 

Anyway the reg's, read again, don't require it, but some supposed experts are reading, or assuming, otherwise.

I don't want to satisfy the reg's but then have a plumber or surveyor saying it's wrong.

[ProDave]

Our previous house was required to have a tank with internal bund because it was close to a watercourse.  you are supposed to have a bund alarm that detects fluid in the bund meaning the tank has failed.

 

But agreed is is much more likely the outer bund will have failed due to damage or UV degredation long before the inner skin fails and then leaks into the now ineffective bund.

[saveasteading]

7 hours ago, JohnMo said:

bund done correctly allows water (rain) to drain away, but not oil.

Clever that! Any idea how that works? I've seen loads and always assumed it was just oversized to prevent that. Even the rainproof double skin plastic ones are said to hold 110%, 

[Iceverge]

I think single skin is ok if you're more than 10m from a watercourses or 50m from a bore hole. 

 

 

Paving slabs or concrete seem to be suggested though. 

 

https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-guides/home-guide-to-domestic-liquid-fuel-storage-up-to-3500-litres

 

 

[saveasteading]

Thanks @Iceverge.

That's one of the pages I found.

Vague. 

Should, might, if  etc 

"Ask one of our approved techiicians" is their main thrust.

So now I have to convince an approved technician that should / could etc do not mean the same as must.

Or do it myself without the small amount of plumbing being by a proper

plumber, which I'd rather it was.

 

We are looking at the difference between a £700 tank or £1800. Plus margins. And  whether on the existing stone base or a new concrete one.

 

[Iceverge]

The whole thing is worded very much like " you really should pay us to do it properly" while stopping short of mandating it. 

 

I can't see anything to stop you making a reasoned assessment of the criteria and self installing. 

 

I also don't think a good quality single skin plastic tank is much more risky than a double skinned one provided steps are taken to prevent it from external damage. Even an appropriate paint should keep the UV away. 

 

 

Edited 23 hours ago by Iceverge

[ProDave]

I had no problem just installing mine myself on the previous house, onto a concrete base.

 

BC even allowed us to put the tank right next to the house, not a distance away, as the wall it was adjacent to had an outer skin of rendered blockwork and no windows so was deemed to be "fireproof"

[saveasteading]

5 hours ago, Iceverge said:

appropriate paint 

It feels so simple but I haven't come across any such being mentioned or advertised.

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

no problem just installing mine myself on the previous house,

 

I would have to allow for pumping out the oil then returning it to the new tank.

 

Was the plumbing part simple?

 

I wouldn't need to involve the bco. Quote was well over £4k.

diy more like 1.5.  

For a couple of days' work even slowly.

 

I'm hoping there's nothing complex eg the boiler will suck the oil in past the tiger loop.

[Iceverge]

35 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

It feels so simple but I haven't come across any such being mentioned or advertised.

 

Normal House emulsion should do if it sticks. 

 

Might need to prime it first but I've found it's pretty good, sticks to glass and uPVC pretty ok anyway. 

[saveasteading]

8 hours ago, Iceverge said:

Normal House emulsion should do if it sticks. 

If. Any second opinions on this? It's obv not mentioned by the tank industry.

At some stage the house will be surveyed and I don't want that to be tut-tutted.

[ProDave]

9 hours ago, saveasteading said:

would have to allow for pumping out the oil then returning it to the new tank.

 

Was the plumbing part simple?

Plumbing was simple.  The tank came with a basic filter bowl and isolating tap and it was just a 10mm plastic coated copper pipe to the tiger loop by the house.  

 

Pumping oil out of the old tank somewhere else will be expensive, can you not wait and run the old tank almost dry then what's left you could transfer yourself to small suitable containers?  I imagine disposing of the old tank won't be cheap.

[saveasteading]

3 minutes ago, ProDave said:

  I imagine disposing of the old tank won't be cheap

I'm intending to use it as rainwater harvester on the barn project. Buried with pipes in and out and a pump for garden watering..   oily water for a few uses but bugs will deal with that.

Otherwise it will cut up easily.

 

Agreed , timing is important. But sod's law will kick in and cold weather require that the tank be refilled....  or just imagine the domestic pressure!

I guess I can buy or hire a small pump, and find some barrels.

 

I will diplomatically ask the plumber to reread the regulations..  atm he says the rules require it be bunded.

[dpmiller]

you're replacing an exsisting tank so just do it. No plumber involvement either, it's just a couple of fittings, plus a plastic tank aint heavy. And whatever you do, don't involve OFTEC...