Removing a heating oil tank

[NetWareHead]

Curious about what happens in an oil tank removal scenario. Bought a house with oil boiler and tank in the basement. There are about 50 gallons or so left in the tank so I want to convert to natural gas before I start needing another fuel delivery for the fall/winter heating months.

My question is what happens to the oil in the tank? Do I have to pay for its disposal? Does the disposal company pay me for the oil at the going rate?

 

[Scarpozzi]

There should be a drain on the tank. #2 fuel oil is similar to kerosene (not as flammable as gasoline)....so you could drain it into some smaller tanks to transfer somewhere else. *(maybe even post on Craigslist to have someone come get it from you)

After you get the tank drained, post it on Craigslist too.

 

[boomerang]

In some areas of the country you must be permitted to remove the tank and it must be disposed of by a licensed contractor. It's treated like hazardous waste.

If they treat it like propane, you will have to pay to have the oil removed.

 

[cabri]

You should be able to find a heating oil company that will take the existing oil; possibly the company that delivered it in the first place.

They also should be able to advise you on the regulations for removal.

 

[Murloc]

for that quantity of oil, I don't think you're going to get any money out of this. You may even have to pay.

I would leave the tank there if it doesn't fit through the door and you don't need the space. This eliminates the unknowns, i.e. regulations and contamination issues.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Use it as supplementary fuel for some nasty bonfires :sneaky:

I have a fuel oil tank from my old furnace with a little left in the bottom too, but mine is in a separate room. Odds are it will stay in that little room for a very long time. Not worth the hassle. Probably the easiest thing to do is just let it sit.

 

[edro]

My propane company paid me for the left over propane in my tank when we moved.

Do you live in the city or in the country?
Country? Drain it yourself, pour it on a fire.
Cut the tank up into smaller pieces with a reciprocating saw and put it in your trash a piece at a time.

 

[NetWareHead]

for that quantity of oil, I don't think you're going to get any money out of this. You may even have to pay.

I would leave the tank there if it doesn't fit through the door and you don't need the space. This eliminates the unknowns, i.e. regulations and contamination issues.

I wouldnt want to leave it. It will leak at some point when it ages. Even if drained, there willl be oil sludge on the bottom that will leak too.

I'll probably just craigslist it and have someone come truck it away for free along with the oil.

if I scrap it, I have to dispose of the oil/sludge and saw the tank in half (law) before the scrap yard will take it.

 

[boomerang]

My propane company paid me for the left over propane in my tank when we moved.

Do you live in the city or in the country?
Country? Drain it yourself, pour it on a fire.
Cut the tank up into smaller pieces with a reciprocating saw and put it in your trash a piece at a time.

It's probably different around the nation. I used to have propane. The tank had a leak. I could smell the leak when outside by the tank. I called the propane company and asked if they could come out and fix the leak on the tank they had just dropped off a few weeks prior. They said sure, but that they would have to charge me for the propane.

I asked, you mean there is a charge associated with removing my propane to fix the leak and then putting it back in, right? They said no, they would have to charge me the going rate for propane I had already paid for to put it back in the tank. Essentially, they were going to double dip on it. I told them I'd let it leak.

The next spring they ran natural gas in front of the house. When I tapped into that, before I called the propane company to come get their tank, I vented what was in it to the atmosphere. Screw them. I also made sure everybody I ran across heard the story and the name of the company.

On cutting up the tank, it's kind of important to not create a spark. A steel tank full of heating oil fumes is a potential bomb. Just something to give some consideration to.

And for those of you suggesting leaving the tank in place, know that there will be condensation in that tank with the water collecting at the bottom. That water will eventually corrode the tank and there will be a leak.

 

[Blain]

And for those of you suggesting leaving the tank in place, know that there will be condensation in that tank with the water collecting at the bottom. That water will eventually corrode the tank and there will be a leak.

Where would the water for condensation come from, assuming that the tank stayed sealed?

 

[NetWareHead]

Where would the water for condensation come from, assuming that the tank stayed sealed?

Tank is not sealed. The tank vents to the outside of the house. Homes with an oil tank have the fillup tube and the vent usually right next to one another.

 

[Blain]

Sorry, boomerang was replying to a propane tank disposal post by edro.
My brain got locked into "propane tank" mode.

 

[NetWareHead]

So looks like I'm going to give my coworker the oil tank. He has a 40 year old tank in his basement that is rusting so he said mine looks perfect in comparison. The 50+ gallons of oil are his to keep as well. He will help me out with some yard work around the property, taking down some trees etc... so its a good deal all around as far as I'm concerned. Im happy to repurpose the tank and keep it out of scrap for the time being.

The question is, how hard is it going to be to move a 275 gallon tank with 50 gallons of oil in it? And how do I do this? The basement has a walkout that we can park a pickup truck next to the exit. Do you guys recommend draining the tank to make it easier? Seems like a logical solution and a surefire way to avoid spills. Im assuming the tank has a drain plug on the bottom, near what looks like an oil filter and then the line leading to the boiler (this is my first time ever dealing with removal of an oil system). Or just easier to move the tank with oil in it? Thanks for your recommendations...

 

[cabri]

You will want to drain it before moving.
Motor oil weighs about 1 lb/qt - you have 200 lbs of oil. With it sloshing around, it will be a headache.

Consider putting it in on furniture dolly.
If the walkout has steps, put a sheet of plywood over the steps.

Maybe also consider using the plywood as a ramp to get it onto the bed of the truck.
Or get a UHaul trailer ($15-20) and slide it onto the trailer; then attach the trailer to the truck.

 

[skyking]

get a barrel to transfer the oil to.
put barrel where it will be easy to load.
Transfer the oil to the barrel
Move the tank. Load the barrel up and move it last.
I have demo'd large gasoline and oil tanks in the past. You get the local dry ice company to make you 2x2 bars of dry ice. So many pounds per 100 gallons of capacity.
Dug up the tank and cut the ends out of it with a cutting torch or hot saw.. Taped up the cuts as I went and added more dry ice. No air, no fire.