Karl wrote:

I'm in the process of buying a home with oil fueled heat and hot water
and my question is about the storage tank. The tank appears in good
shape, but I noticed two "plugs" screwed into the bottom of the tank.
These plugs appear to consist of a screw, washer, and rubber gasket,
screwed directly into the bottom of the tank. Does anyone know the
purpose of these "plugs" and whether I should be concerned about their
existence? Thanks for any advice. -Karl

The 1850s house in Staten Island which I owned for seventeen
years was a bit of a "dump" when I bought it. The oil tanks had
rubber patches supported by sheet metal over their entire bottom.
One early project was a new furnace and new oil tanks.