In many parts of the country, oil continues to be the only option for heating a home. Many homeowners, in these situations, find themselves needing to replace their ancient oil tank. Whether they inherited the tank through the purchase of a home or it’s been so many years since they first had their tank installed, the gut reaction is generally to simply ask for the exact type of tank they already had. Just the newest model.

Many homes have tanks that were installed prior to the late ‘90’s. These tanks have a life expectancy of 15-20 years, which means that, today, the majority of them are ready to be removed, remediated, or replaced. Early oil tanks were made of pure steel and these continue to be the most common type of existing tank today. Current homeowners are purchasing tanks that are made of fiberglass or tanks that are constructed of polyethylene, but

As oil tanks leak from the inside out, many homeowners may not realize their unit is leaking until it is already too late. Tanks that are unprotected and buried in soil will corrode the quickest, followed by those located outdoors, but aboveground and exposed to the elements. Finally, tanks that are protected in the basement of a home are the last to experience corrosion; however, they are still vulnerable to decay over time. It is important