KNOWLEDGE BASE

In most cases, probably not. Installing a domestic heating oil tank (i.e. a tank with a capacity no greater than 3,500 litres, supplying a single, family dwelling) within the grounds of your home, will often fall within permitted development rights, or equivalent local planning provisions, meaning a separate planning application is usually not required.

There are, however, exceptions. Planning requirements can vary depending on where you live, the size and position of the tank, and the type and location of your property. 

Additional restrictions may also apply to listed or protected buildings, dwellings within conservation areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, together with other specially designated areas.

And remember, planning permission is only part of the picture. Your new oil tank will also need to comply with the building, environmental and fire-safety requirements applicable where you live.

So, if you’ve any doubts, it’s always worth checking before work begins. Your local planning authority can advise on planning requirements, while a suitably competent heating professional (e.g. an APHC or OFTEC Registered Technician), can advise on the technical requirements applicable to your installation.

Our advice? Check first and install second. It’s much easier to resolve a planning or installation issue before your new tank is installed.

Almost certainly. And even at the very small number of installations where a bunded tank isn’t strictly required, we would always recommend one.

Before installing or replacing any domestic heating oil tank, the site should be properly risk assessed to determine the type of tank required and whether secondary containment — usually provided by a bunded tank — is necessary. A risk assessment should be carried out only by a suitably competent storage tank professional, familiar with the regulations applicable in your area, such as an APHC or OFTEC Registered Technician.

In practice, a bunded tank will be mandatory at almost all new and replacement oil storage installations. A bunded tank places the oil-storage container inside a second protective outer tank, providing an additional line of defence should a spill occur.

And even in the relatively small number of situations where a single-skin tank may still be permitted, we would always recommend considering a bunded tank. It provides greater protection against leaks and pollution, while also helping to future-proof your installation against changing regulations and the continuing development of alternative liquid fuels, including HVO.

Our advice? If you’re buying a new oil tank today, think beyond what you can install and consider what you should install. At almost every installation, that means going bunded.

Assuming the tank has a capacity of less than 3,500 litres (that’s most domestic heating oil tanks) and services a single, family dwelling, it should not be placed any closer than 760mm to a boundary. This assumes there are no flue outlets, or buildings between the tank and boundary. 

Where a 760mm clearance distance cannot be achieved, fire protection (30 minutes minimum) must be afforded to the tank. The protection must extend at least 300mm above and beyond the ends of the tank. 

At installations with a capacity of 3,500 litres or greater, and prior to the installation of any oil storage tank, you should always consult a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Assuming the tank has a capacity of less than 3,500 litres (that’s most domestic oil tanks), and services a single, family dwelling, it should not be placed within 1,800mm of a flue outlet. 

Where a 1,800mm clearance distance cannot be achieved, fire protection (30 minutes minimum) must be afforded to the tank. The protection must extend at least 300mm above and beyond the tank. 

At installations with a capacity of 3,500 litres or greater, and prior to the installation of any oil storage tank, you should always consult a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Home heating oil tanks with a capacity less than 3,500 litres – that’s most domestic oil tanks – supplying a single, family dwelling, should not be fitted any closer than 1,800mm to a non fire-rated wall and/or eaves. 

Where these clearances cannot be achieved, a fire-resistant (30 minutes minimum) barrier, which extends at least 300mm above and beyond the ends of the tank, must be constructed. 

Additionally, it is necessary to protect exposed eaves forming part of a roof within 1,800mm of the top of the tank, to create a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance. Fire resistant cladding is typically used for this purpose.

At installations with a capacity of 3,500 litres or greater, and prior to the installation of any oil storage tank, you should always consult a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Yes, just so long as both appliances use the same fuel. If each appliance uses a different fuel, then separate tanks will be required.

No, a dedicated and purpose-designed, underground tank will be required. 

Yes, purpose designed underground heating oil tanks are available. But beware - underground tanks are expensive, and belowground installations can prove especially challenging. 

Before commencing any underground installation, we recommend taking advice from a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

Yes, in principle you can. But be warned… internal installations can sometimes prove challenging, and frequently more expensive than you might think.

Heating oil tanks should never be installed in habitable areas. Detailed requirements exist for the installation of oil storage tanks within homes, outbuildings and domestic garages. Furthermore, some manufacturers do not permit their tanks to be installed indoors. 

Before commencing any internal installation, we recommend taking advice from a suitably competent person e.g. a technician registered with the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

No, the underside of the tank must be supported in its entirety. 

Yes, a de-aerator (e.g. Tigerloop or similar) should normally be installed in the fuel supply line, when using a top outlet tank to fuel an appliance with a pressure jet burner. 

Yes.

No, Tigerloops are self-priming.

No.

No, not unless an oil lifter is fitted to the oil supply line.

Plastic oil tanks must be installed on a flat, level and fire resistant base capable of supporting the weight of the tank when fully laden. 

When concrete slabs are used, they should be a minimum of 50mm thick. The base should extend at least 300mm beyond the widest points of the tank and fully support the underside of the tank in its entirety. Piers are not suitable for this purpose and can cause irreparable damage to the tank.

Any doubts as to whether a base is suitable? Contact a suitably competent person, such as a storage tank technician registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

No. 

You might think that insulating your heating oil supply line would be a sensible precaution against freezing winter temperatures. But the good news is, there's no need.

That's because kerosene, the fuel used in most domestic oil-fired heating systems, can withstand temperatures far colder than anything we're ever likely to experience in the UK or Republic of Ireland. In fact, kerosene typically has a cloud point - the temperature at which crystals will form - of around -40°C, and a freezing point of between -40°C to -50°C. 

To put that into perspective, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK was -27.2°C, whilst the Republic of Ireland's record low is a comparatively balmy -19.1°C.

And insulating your oil supply line could actually do more harm than good. That's because insulation can trap moisture against the pipework, potentially encouraging corrosion and making it harder to spot leaks or deterioration.

So, when it comes to your heating oil supply line, our advice is simple: forget the insulation, but make sure your pipework is properly installed, adequately protected against accidental damage, and regularly inspected.

Our preference would always be for a separate isolation valve, fitted between the tank and the oil filter. And there's a very good reason why.

Should the filter unit ever become damaged, develop a leak or need replacing, a separate isolation valve allows you to shut off the fuel supply directly from the tank, before removing the filter assembly for replacement or repair. So, there's no need to drain the tank first, potentially saving considerable time, inconvenience and expense.

A separate isolation valve and filter is a simple, practical arrangement that makes future maintenance and repairs easier. Admittedly, it's a small detail. But it could make a big difference further down the line.

As always, ensure your heating oil tank and associated pipework are installed by a suitably competent technician, such as a technician registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC). 

Diesel, Gas Oil and Kerosene. Additionally, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) can be stored in selected new bunded heating oil tanks, including those manufactured by Atlas Tanks, Carbery Plastics, DESO and Titan.

No.

No.

Yes, you can if fuelling a fixed combustion appliance e.g. generator, boiler, space heater etc. However, you cannot connect a gravity fed discharge system to the tank, making it unsuitable for refueling vehicles.

Yes.

No.

No.

Yes, subject to manufacturer approval. Leading manufacturers including Atlas Tanks, Carbery Plastics, DESO and Titan have all confirmed that Bunded Tanks supplied today, are suitable for the storage of HVO fuel.

In Great Britain, when choosing a plastic tank, you should look an OFCERT license number, together with a UKCA mark, or a CE mark. In Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, when buying a plastic tank, you should look for an OFCERT license number and a CE mark. 

When purchasing a steel tank, check the tank has been licensed and manufactured in accordance with OFTEC’s OFS T200 standard. 

Call OFTEC in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man on 01473 626 298. In the Republic of Ireland, call OFTEC on 01 864 5771. 

Ask the supplier to provide a valid Declaration of Performance. In many instances, these can be downloaded directly from the manufacturer’s website. 

There is no agreed industry position on product life expectancy. However, we’d recommend consideration is given to replacing a single skin tank after no more than 10 years, and a bunded tank after no more than 20 years, from date of installation.

Newer tanks will usually have the year of manufacture marked near the fill area. Older tanks usually have a product code instead, which can be interpreted by contacting the manufacturer.

A very definite no.

Oil storage regulations not distinguish between new and existing installations. So, if a risk assessment today requires the installation of a bunded tank, a single skin tank cannot be installed - irrespective of which tank type was installed previously.

A single-skin heating oil tank is the simplest type of oil storage tank. As its name suggests, it consists of a single container or ‘skin’ which holds  heating oil.

Unlike a bunded tank, a single-skin tank has no built-in secondary containment. This means that if the tank develops a leak, splits, is overfilled, or is damaged, there is no secondary containment to prevent an escape of oil. 

As a result, oil can escape directly into the surrounding environment, potentially contaminating soil, drains or watercourses and resulting in a costly and disruptive clean-up.

For this reason, the use of single-skin tanks is increasingly restricted, and they are unsuitable for many new or replacement domestic installations.

Our advice? At most heating oil storage installations today, if you’re fitting a single skin tank, you’re fitting the wrong tank in the wrong place. Even at the very small number of installations where a single-skin tank remains permissible, we recommend considering a bunded tank for the additional protection and peace of mind it provides.

A bunded heating oil tank is essentially a tank within a tank, designed to provide an additional level of protection against oil leaks and spills.

The inner tank is the primary storage container and holds your heating oil. Surrounding it is a second, outer tank — known as the bund — which provides secondary containment should the inner tank leak, fail, be damaged, or overfilled.

The bund is designed to contain at least 110% of the capacity of the inner tank, providing sufficient space to contain the contents of the tank and helping prevent oil from escaping into the surrounding environment.

This additional protection significantly reduces the risk of oil contaminating soil, drains and watercourses, which is why bunded tanks are required for many domestic installations and have become the preferred choice for modern heating oil storage.

Put simply: a single-skin tank provides one layer of protection. A bunded tank provides two.

This is to allow fuel delivery personnel to connect a Type B electronic overfill prevention device to the tank. It is not intended for consumer use. 

Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE).

Rotational moulding.

Yes.

Coated or painted mild steel.

Yes, all aboveground plastic tanks manufactured to OFTEC’s OFS T100 standard, incorporate UV stabilisers to protect against the damaging effect of sunlight.

No. To reduce the risk of environmental pollution, openings (other than the tank outlet) are no longer permitted below the maximum oil level. 

Instead, tanks today are fitted with an access point – usually adjacent to the fill point – from which contaminants can be removed.

Yes.

A faint smell of heating oil around your tank can sometimes be more noticeable during warm weather.

As the temperature rises, the oil and air inside the tank warm and expand. Your tank needs to breathe, so vapour is released through its vent to prevent pressure from building up. On particularly warm days, you may therefore notice a slight smell of oil around the tank or vent.

However, a strong, persistent or unusual smell of oil shouldn’t be ignored. It could indicate a leak, spillage, problem with the tank or an issue with associated pipework or fittings. If the smell appears unusually strong, persists when the weather cools, or you can see any evidence of oil around the tank, have the installation inspected by a suitably competent heating professional e.g. an APHC or OFTEC Registered Technician.

In short: a slight smell around the vent on a warm day is not unusuall. A strong or persistent smell deserves further investigation.

Your heating oil tank should be professionally inspected at least once a year.

An annual inspection provides an opportunity to identify signs of damage, deterioration, corrosion, cracking, leaks or problems with associated fittings and pipework before they develop into something more serious.

The condition of the tank’s base and supports, surrounding area and any accessible components should also be considered, along with anything that may have changed since the previous inspection.

A convenient time to arrange this is alongside the annual service of your oil-fired boiler or heating appliance, particularly where your heating technician is suitably competent to inspect the oil storage installation too.

And don’t wait for the annual inspection if you spot something that doesn’t look right. A leaking or failed oil tank can be considerably more expensive to deal with than a problem identified early.

Our advice? Make checking your tank part of your annual heating maintenance routine — and keep an eye on it throughout the year. And always choose an APHC or OFTEC Registered Technician.

We recommend having your heating oil tank inspected and serviced by a suitably competent heating professional with appropriate knowledge and experience of domestic oil storage installations e.g. a technician registered with either The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

A competent technician can assess not only the condition of the tank itself, but also its base and supports, pipework, valves, filters, gauges and other associated components, as well as identifying potential environmental or safety concerns.

Our advice? Your heating oil tank can contain hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of litres of oil. When it comes to inspecting, maintaining or repairing it, use someone who knows exactly what they’re looking at.

If you discover a crack or leak in your heating oil tank, act promptly and treat it as a potential environmental incident.

Contact a suitably competent oil storage tank technician without delay e.g. a techncian registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC). 

Depending on the location and severity of the leak, it may be necessary to have the oil transferred or pumped down below the level of the damage before the tank can be safely replaced.

In the meantime, do not attempt to repair, seal or otherwise interfere with the tank yourself. Keep people, pets and potential sources of ignition away from the affected area and, where it can be done safely, take reasonable steps to prevent escaping oil from reaching drains, watercourses or surrounding ground.

If oil has already escaped from the installation, particularly if it has entered a drain or watercourse, seek professional advice immediately and contact your local environmental authority where necessary.

Our advice? A cracked or leaking oil tank requires professional attention. The sooner it is dealt with, the better the chances of preventing a relatively straightforward tank replacement from becoming a much more serious pollution incident.

Your sight gauge should be inspected at least annually and maintained in accordance with the gauge manufacturer’s instructions, by a suitably competent person e.g. a storage tank specialist reigstered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC)..

Over time, the transparent tube used on a traditional sight gauge can harden, discolour, become brittle or develop fine cracks, particularly after prolonged exposure to heating oil, sunlight and changing weather conditions.

If the manufacturer specifies a replacement interval for the tube, this should always be followed. Where no specific interval is given, our experience suggests that replacement approximately every five years by a suitably competent person, is a sensible precaution, although this will depend on the material from which the tube is manufactured and the conditions to which it has been exposed.

Most importantly, don’t rely on age alone. If the tube shows signs of cracking, brittleness, significant discolouration, deterioration or leakage, it should be replaced sooner.

Our advice? Ensure it is inspected annually, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and, where no replacement interval is specified, consider replacing the tube every five years — or at the first significant signs of deterioration, whichever comes sooner.

We’re keen to provide our readers with useful, accurate information about the range of heating oil storage products available. 

We therefore welcome enquiries from responsible manufacturers whose tanks are approved and currently licensed to OFS T100 or OFS T200 and, in the case of plastic heating oil tanks, fully compliant with EN 13341.

Where we believe a product or range will provide useful and relevant information for our readers, we’ll be happy to consider it for inclusion.

And the cost? Ordinarily, there isn’t one. Our aim is to provide useful, independent information rather than operate a pay-to-be-featured directory. Inclusion is therefore at our discretion and is not dependent upon payment, advertising or commercial support.

Think your products belong here? Get in touch — oiltankpro@gmail.com- we’d love to hear from you.

If you sell heating oil tanks online, we’re happy to consider adding a link to your website.

As a general rule, the tanks you supply should be produced by a responsible manufacturer, with products manufactured to OFS T100 or OFS T200, as appropriate, and plastic tanks additionally compliant with EN 13341.

We’ll also take a look at your website and the products you offer. Our priority is to direct Oil Tank Pro visitors towards established, reputable suppliers offering appropriately manufactured products and useful information to customers.

And the cost? Usually, there isn’t one. Links are included because we believe they may be useful to our readers, not because a supplier has paid to appear on the site. For that reason, inclusion is entirely at our discretion, and we reserve the right to add, decline or remove links where appropriate.

Think your website would be useful to Oil Tank Pro visitors? E-mail oiltankpro@gmail.com and tell us a little about your business.

It doesn’t.

Oil Tank Pro was created to inform, explain and help — not to generate an income.

The site’s publisher has worked within the heating oil tank industry for almost 30 years, gaining experience of the products, manufacturers, regulations and, importantly, some of the problems that can arise when oil storage goes wrong.

Oil Tank Pro is an opportunity to put some of that experience to good use: helping homeowners better understand their heating oil tanks, make more informed choices and know when it’s time to call in a professional.

There’s no subscription, no fee to access our content, and manufacturers don’t ordinarily pay to have their products included.

Quite simply, Oil Tank Pro is about giving something back to an industry that has given us a great deal over the years.

Ooops… sorry about that. We’d really appreciate it if you could kindly take the time to let us know. Just e-mail oiltankpro@gmail.com

We don’t recommend any single heating oil tank manufacturer. Instead, we recommend choosing a well-made, appropriately certified tank from an established manufacturer, and selecting the tank that best suits your home and installation.

If you’re choosing a plastic heating oil tank, we recommend a bunded tank manufactured to OFTEC’s OFS T100 standard and compliant with the relevant product standards and conformity-marking requirements for the region in which it is being installed. So, in Great Britain, you’ll want to ensure your tank has a CE and/or UKCA mark. In Northern Ireland, you’ll want to look for a CE and/or UKNI mark. And in the Republic of Ireland, you’ll need to look out for a CE mark. 

There are several well-established manufacturers supplying the UK and Irish markets, including Atlas, Carbery, DESO and Titan. Each offers a broad selection of tank shapes, sizes and capacities. So, choose from any of these brands, and the best choice will likely depend less upon the name on the tank, and more upon which particular model is best suited to your installation.

If you’re choosing a steel heating oil tank, we similarly recommend a bunded tank manufactured to OFTEC’s OFS T200 standard, supplied by a reputable manufacturer.

Whichever material or manufacturer you choose, remember that the right tank is only part of the equation. Correct specification, siting and installation are every bit as important to the safety and longevity of your oil storage system.

Our advice? Choose a properly manufactured and certified tank that is right for your property — and have it installed by someone who knows what they’re doing, such as a storage tank technician, registered with The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) or The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).