Prevent Oil Leaks -Looking After Your Oil Tank – Best Practice

Oil Spill Incident Response

Within Irish homes, oil and natural gas are the most common ways for families to heat themselves.

The oil that is used comes from and is stored in an oil tank. The maintenance of oil tanks is extremely important and is something that many homeowners often take for granted.

Oil Spill Clean Up

Oil Tanks can last many years, but like most things they need to be maintained and eventually replaced.

During a routine maintenance check the question that should be asked is how long will the oil tank last before having to be replaced?

The answer to that question is, as a rule of thumb, oil tanks last 15 to 20 years. Don’t leave it any longer as the oil tank skin begins to wear it could leak,  leaving you with a hefty cleanup bill.

Oil Leak – the things to check for

  • Many people have their oil tanks positioned down at the end of the garden. From that position everything can look OK, but don't assume this is so. Take a closer look.
  • Check that your oil tank doesn't have long vegetation growing around it which could obscure problems with its condition.
  • Check for discoloring in the grass around the tank base to ensure there are no signs of leakage.
  • Ensure the pipe work leading up to the oil tank shows no evidence of cracks or leaks
  • Ensure that the foundation base that supports the oil tank has no cracks on it.
  • Continue to monitor the amount of oil you use. Ensure there are no unusual drop offs.
  • Secure your tank with a lock at the key fill point to ensure no one can siphon off any of your oil.

What to do if you have an oil leak

There are a number of does and dont's if you are unlucky enough to experience an oil spill or leak

As oil can cause pollution quickly you need to take the following action

  • Try and stop the flow of oil safely. Get a bucket under the leaking valve and close of the taps.
  • If you have a spill kit to hand or failing that sandbags or earth, use them to stop the oil flowing in to rivers, watercourses or soaking into the ground.
  • Do not try and wash away split oil into drains as it will end up polluting water courses which flow into rivers and streams and causes an even bigger environmental problem.
  • Do not use detergent as this is another pollutant and will be adding to the problem, making the environmental damage much worse.

What to do next

In the event of an oil spill emergency you can contact Bio-Logix Environmental on the following number 086 8075544

We have rapid response crews that can deal with any emergency quickly and are on standby 7 days a week.

Our experienced teams have 28 years expertise in dealing with oil spill incidents. You can rest assured they will quickly get to the root of the problem.

We offer a free initial visit to provide a competitive quotation and considered advice.

We use a variety of extensive products and equipment to cater for all environmental contamination.

If your property or surrounding area has been the subject of a heating oil spill at home, then get in touch with Bio-logix Environmental Ltd  by calling us at 086 8075544

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