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Home heating oil tank is leaking...

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  • 15-05-2006 4:58pm
    #1
    Sconsey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I have one of those heavy duty plastic home heating oil tanks. I have recently noticed that some oil is leaking from it, the tank is sitting on concrete blocks, the blocks are soaked in oil, so is the ground below the blocks. The copper pipe leading from the tank is also covered in oil.

    I think the leak is at the point where the the tank is joined to the metal pipe, there is a large metal nut up against the tank, at the join, whick has some corrosion on it.

    It's not a major leak, there is no oil dripping out, it is seeping out slowly in small volumes, the oil hasn't spread out very far past the blocks.

    To make life a bit more complicated, the tank is at least half full so removing the connecting pipe and doing a proper job is not really an option at the moment. I was thinking of just trying to seal up the whole are where the join is until the tank is empty. I had intended to use silicone but I don' think it will stick (area is covered in oil) and the oil will probably corrode the silicone anyway.

    So anyone got any ideas on how I could seal this leak? Alternatively any ideas what I should do (e.g.: remove the oil from tank somehow).

    Thanks
    Sconsey


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    #2
    JamesM
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭JamesM


    Sconsey wrote:
    Hi,

    I have one of those heavy duty plastic home heating oil tanks. I have recently noticed that some oil is leaking from it, the tank is sitting on concrete blocks, the blocks are soaked in oil, so is the ground below the blocks. The copper pipe leading from the tank is also covered in oil.

    I think the leak is at the point where the the tank is joined to the metal pipe, there is a large metal nut up against the tank, at the join, whick has some corrosion on it.

    It's not a major leak, there is no oil dripping out, it is seeping out slowly in small volumes, the oil hasn't spread out very far past the blocks.

    To make life a bit more complicated, the tank is at least half full so removing the connecting pipe and doing a proper job is not really an option at the moment. I was thinking of just trying to seal up the whole are where the join is until the tank is empty. I had intended to use silicone but I don' think it will stick (area is covered in oil) and the oil will probably corrode the silicone anyway.

    So anyone got any ideas on how I could seal this leak? Alternatively any ideas what I should do (e.g.: remove the oil from tank somehow).

    Thanks
    Sconsey

    The large nut against the plastic is sealed in the factory and you should not try to tighten it. You could make the leak worse. If there is a chance that the leak is further away from the tank along the connections before the copper pipe, then you can try to tighten it.
    Because it is wet with oil, you will not be able to use sealant. If you cannot stop the leak, then draining the tank is the only option. You can hire a pump. but you will have nowhere to put the oil. If you call one of the companies that replace oil tanks, they will have a tank in their truck and will pump out the oil - hopefully fix the leak and refill the tank.
    Jim.
    PS. Don't think that you can get a few oil drums and cans etc. and do it yourself - too much oil.


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