Four years ago we had our furnace checked and some maintenance done by a
repairman who worked for the company that gave us our oil. He said our
fuel tank was getting thin and we ran the risk of it rusting out and
therefore spilling fuel oil all over the floor (the tank is inside our
house). He said we had maybe 2 more months and should get it done.

This was four years ago. Our tank is still holding up fine so far.

Last week, we had another guy come in and do maintenance on our furnace
again. Not surprising to me, he also said the tank was getting thin and
we should have it replaced within 2-3 months.

How can I trust these guys?

Sure, I have no way to know if they are telling the truth or just need
some more income coming in.

Or, if I don't act now, will I have a flood soon in the furnace room?

How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Thanks

How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.

Check with your homeowner insurance company. They will tell you the maximum
age of the tank that they will cover with insurance. If the tank is getting
close, or is over the limit, get it replaced even if it "seems" sound.
Around here the maximum age is 25 years.


wrote in message
oups.com...
How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.

In article s.com,
"EXT" etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM wrote:

Check with your homeowner insurance company. They will tell you the maximum
age of the tank that they will cover with insurance. If the tank is getting
close, or is over the limit, get it replaced even if it "seems" sound.
Around here the maximum age is 25 years.


That's a great idea, thanks.



wrote in message
oups.com...
How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.

Steve K wrote:

Four years ago we had our furnace checked and some maintenance done by a
repairman who worked for the company that gave us our oil. He said our
fuel tank was getting thin and we ran the risk of it rusting out and
therefore spilling fuel oil all over the floor (the tank is inside our
house). He said we had maybe 2 more months and should get it done.

This was four years ago. Our tank is still holding up fine so far.

Last week, we had another guy come in and do maintenance on our furnace
again. Not surprising to me, he also said the tank was getting thin and
we should have it replaced within 2-3 months.

How can I trust these guys?

Sure, I have no way to know if they are telling the truth or just need
some more income coming in.

Or, if I don't act now, will I have a flood soon in the furnace room?

How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Thanks


GOOGLE: oil + tank + rust

Look for signs of rust (pinhole size) on the bottom, especially.

The repair guys have lots of experience with similar-age tanks
in your neighborhood and may be basing their opinion on that.
Assuming they're honest, they could have good advice.

In the meantime, order a rubber gasket patch with straps that
go around the tank...

Jim

In article .com,
wrote:

How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.


Don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.

wrote:

....
I have never heard of an oil tank getting thin unless it's in a real
wet basement and rusted severely. ...

I wouldn't say "never" but it certainly should last the proverbial "long
time". Of course, the prime location they rust is from inside out from
condensation moisture collected over the years. How much of an issue
that is depends also to large extent on how wet the locale/installation
is and whether there is a water trap installed.

Steve K wrote:

Four years ago we had our furnace checked and some maintenance done by a
repairman who worked for the company that gave us our oil. He said our
fuel tank was getting thin and we ran the risk of it rusting out and
therefore spilling fuel oil all over the floor (the tank is inside our
house). He said we had maybe 2 more months and should get it done.

This was four years ago. Our tank is still holding up fine so far.

I replaced a basement oil tank that seemed to be on its last legs. In fact,
the legs were completey rusted off. It was sitting on concrete blocks.
It looked horribly rusty all over, but when I cut it up with a sawzall to
get it out of the basement, I was amazed to see very shiny metal inside,
at least 1/8" thick all over. The oil protected the inside from rust,
even tho the outside was rotten. Seemed to me the tank would have lasted
at least another 10 years, or maybe 20.

Nick

There are even instruments that can tell the thickness of a
tank's walls without any cutting, drilling or damage. DeFelsco
is one instrument maker that comes to mind. Fairly expensive
though.


wrote in message
...
: On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:06:40 -0400, Steve K
wrote:
:
: Four years ago we had our furnace checked and some maintenance
done by a
: repairman who worked for the company that gave us our oil. He
said our
: fuel tank was getting thin and we ran the risk of it rusting
out and
: therefore spilling fuel oil all over the floor (the tank is
inside our
: house). He said we had maybe 2 more months and should get it
done.
:
: This was four years ago. Our tank is still holding up fine so
far.
:
: Last week, we had another guy come in and do maintenance on
our furnace
: again. Not surprising to me, he also said the tank was getting
thin and
: we should have it replaced within 2-3 months.
:
: How can I trust these guys?
:
: Sure, I have no way to know if they are telling the truth or
just need
: some more income coming in.
:
: Or, if I don't act now, will I have a flood soon in the
furnace room?
:
: How can I be sure this guy is telling the truth?
:
: Thanks
:
: I have never heard of an oil tank getting thin unless it's in a
real
: wet basement and rusted severely. I had an outdoor tank that
came
: with a house built in the 1940's and lasted till I sold the
home in
: the 1990's. Worse yet, it was installed where the roof ran
onto it
: until I installed rain gutters when I moved there in the 80's
The
: tank never leaked or had severe rust, howver I did paint it
with some
: aluminum paint, more for appearance than anything else.
:
: You might contact someone that welds or works with steel to
take a
: look. They ought to know.
:
: Mark

Pop wrote:

There are even instruments that can tell the thickness of a
tank's walls without any cutting, drilling or damage. DeFelsco
is one instrument maker that comes to mind. Fairly expensive
though.
....

Generally, one can tell pretty well simply w/ a "tat-a-tat" w/ a small
hammer---the sound will change in any place w/ a significantly thinner
wall or heavy rust scale.

As noted above, the likely place is the bottom where condensation tends
to collect and sit. If there's an accessible drain, simply pulling it
for a small sample can tell a lot, too.

"Steve K" wrote in message
...
Four years ago we had our furnace checked and some maintenance done by a
repairman who worked for the company that gave us our oil. He said our
fuel tank was getting thin and we ran the risk of it rusting out and
therefore spilling fuel oil all over the floor (the tank is inside our
house). He said we had maybe 2 more months and should get it done.

This was four years ago. Our tank is still holding up fine so far.

Last week, we had another guy come in and do maintenance on our furnace
again. Not surprising to me, he also said the tank was getting thin and
we should have it replaced within 2-3 months.

How can I trust these guys?

You can't trust them.

We are required to have our air tanks at work inspected every two years.
They use an ultrasonic device to determine the condition. It is done from
the outside just by putting a contactor on the tank and taking readings.
Takes maybe 5 minutes per tank.

I'm not sure who to call to have it tested that way, but that would be far
cheaper than buying a new tank.

PipeDown wrote:

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
wrote:

...
I have never heard of an oil tank getting thin unless it's in a real
wet basement and rusted severely. ...

I wouldn't say "never" but it certainly should last the proverbial "long
time". Of course, the prime location they rust is from inside out from
condensation moisture collected over the years. How much of an issue
that is depends also to large extent on how wet the locale/installation
is and whether there is a water trap installed.

I disagree. This is an oil tank. If condensation did collect on the
inside, the oily coating would work to prevent rust*. ...
....
*(my reasoned opinion not from experience with oil tanks)

I disagree.&

& (My experience w/ fuel and diesel tanks.)

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
wrote:

...
I have never heard of an oil tank getting thin unless it's in a real
wet basement and rusted severely. ...

I wouldn't say "never" but it certainly should last the proverbial "long
time". Of course, the prime location they rust is from inside out from
condensation moisture collected over the years. How much of an issue
that is depends also to large extent on how wet the locale/installation
is and whether there is a water trap installed.

I disagree. This is an oil tank. If condensation did collect on the
inside, the oily coating would work to prevent rust*. It possibly could
happen (especially if oil never contacts the topmost portions of the tank
interior) but I doubt it is the prime location (components of oil probably
vaporize and condense more readily than water in the same vessel)
furthermore, there is likely to be an oxygen depleted atmosphere in the tank
further inhibiting rust. On tanks containing other liquids maybe
(especially compressor air tanks) but not an oil tank. Tools are often
coated with oil to prevent rust during storage or shipping as an example
(different oil but similar effect).

I would expect condensation on the outside of a tank full of cool oil
sitting in a warm damp basement during humid summer days (like a half full
cold can of soda on the table). Rust would be particularly evident on the
bottom where any formed water droplets would migrate.

If you do see rust, don't use a wire brush to clean it off. Use a rust
inhibitor paint that will chemically convert the rust and cover it up. You
don't need pretty, just functional.

The insurance caveat does give real reason to consider replacement though.
I would wait for the first pinhole leak then patch first, it's unlikly the
tank would suddenly burst open anyway.

*(my reasoned opinion not from experience with oil tanks)

On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 00:24:33 GMT, "PipeDown"
wrote:


"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
wrote:

...
I have never heard of an oil tank getting thin unless it's in a real
wet basement and rusted severely. ...
around here, toronto, insurance companies are beginning
to force a tank replacement at 25 years or so.
....thehick

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.

Don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.

My bad, I thought you had termites.

Duane Bozarth wrote:

...the likely place is the bottom where condensation tends to collect and sit.

Under oil, with no oxygen.

Nick

In article om,
wrote:

Grab a screwdriver and start jabbing at random locations on the tank.
If it goes through the tank wall it needs replacement.

Don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.

My bad, I thought you had termites.


I hope you realized I was trying to be as funny as you were. I got a
kick out of that response.

I hope you realized I was trying to be as funny as you were. I got a
kick out of that response.

Phew! Relieved, I wasn't sure if your skin was thinner than your tank.
g You know how people get sometimes when you try to be funny at
their expense...

"I dont doubt that at all. Now lets who is sleeping with the
manufacturers and installers of oil tanks......
Well, you guessed it, the insurance companies....
Each one holds the hands of the other, and all parties get rich in the
meantime while the consumer gets robbed. "

Another grand conspiracy theory, without a shred of evidence to support
it. We're supposed to believe Allstate and Aetna are in cahoots with
not only the manufacturers of tanks, but also the local small guys that
install them? LOL!

The simple fact is, insurance companies have paid out a hell of a lot
of money for environmental cleanup of leaking oil tanks. It's not
unusual for cleanup to cost $50K or more. That's why the insurance
companies are putting limits on oil tank coverage or not covering it at
all.

On 12 Oct 2005 04:53:57 -0400, wrote:

Duane Bozarth wrote:

...the likely place is the bottom where condensation tends to collect and sit.

Under oil, with no oxygen.

Well, there's oxygen in the water

Nick