Preventing And Dealing With

heating oil spills

An oil spill at home poses a great risk to your health and the surrounding environment. If your home has a heating oil storage tank, it’s important to understand how to deal with and prevent spills. It’s also vital to ensure that you are complying with the latest regulations regarding heating oil tanks.
 
Being prepared for a leak or spill means that should the worst happen, you’re able to remain safe and minimise damage to your property and the environment

how to prevent
oil spills

Prevention is the best cure for oil spills. You need to ensure that you have the best equipment possible and follow the correct rules to contain heating oil safely and securely at home.

Tank position & location

Before installing a heating oil tank, it’s important to carefully consider where it will be sited. Most tanks are designed to handle being positioned outdoors all year round, so you should avoid storing your heating oil tank indoors if possible, particularly in a building that is inhabited.

Storing an oil tank within an outbuilding or similar can be a way to provide additional protection from the elements, however there are a number of regulations to be aware of. These include housing the tank in a non-combustible chamber, siting the tank on the lowest level of the building, and positioning the tank at least 1.8m away from non fire rated surfaces, openings and flue terminals.

If possible, your tank should be set up in a safe outdoor location away from any sources that could set it alight and from bodies of water. If your tank is in close proximity to a protected water source, it is a legal requirement for it to be bunded.

Remember that you must meet building regulations if you’re installing a new heating oil tank at home. Make sure to check which regulations apply to you, as they differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Bunded Tanks

Heating oil tanks can be bunded or single-skin, and are built from either plastic or steel. Single skin, plastic tanks are usually the cheapest option, whilst steel heating oil tanks tend to be more robust for added safety. They are, however, less agile and require more work to move, and over time may be susceptible to rust if not correctly maintained.
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Depending on where you are in the UK, if your tank is larger than a certain capacity, such as 3,500 litres, regulations state that it needs to be a bunded tank. A bunded heating oil tank comprises an inner tank that holds the fuel, surrounded by a second layer (a bund), which acts as a safety net in case of a leak. If your tank doesn’t meet the threshold, you should still consider opting for a bunded tank. There are a number of advantages to a bunded oil tank; it will save you the hassle and time of cleaning up a spillage, and is undoubtedly the safest option to minimise the risk of a spill occurring in the first place.

Maintenance & Inspection

You should be aware that regardless of your choice, you need to regularly check your tank for issues, such as rust in the steel options. As part of maintenance, you should check for dents, cracks, heating oil levels, and water contamination.
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It’s strongly advised to arrange regular inspections, at least on an annual basis, by a qualified professional. This will ensure that any issues can be identified early before a leak occurs, and steps taken to replace or repair parts of your system where necessary.