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Underground Oil Tanks

Underground oil tanks (also known as UST’s) usually are never thought about until it is too late. They will eventually corrode, but one cannot predict when this will happen. Most home heating tanks are made out of metal with an average life of around 30 years. We have seen a tank last longer however, tanks as young as 15 years can leak. Furthermore, leaks can go undetected for years, therefore causing fuel oil to migrate away from your home, contaminating nearby soil and nearby drinking wells and eventually the underground aquifer, which supplies everyone’s drinking water. The longer a tank leaks the more the soil becomes contaminated at which point the EPA becomes involved. A leaking tank, in many cases is not covered by your homeowner’s policy and can quickly become the most expensive problem you may ever encounter. We can help before this becomes a problem for you.

Underground tank testing is not part of a normal home inspection unless requested. If the home you are buying or just purchased has an in-ground oil tank, many lawyers and some mortgage companies will advise/require you to have the tank tested. This will not only protect the purchaser, but also the seller in the event a leak occurs in the future and causes substantial contamination.

At AC&E we take tank testing seriously! We use state of the art vacuum testing equipment that can determine if there is a leak at that time in the system. The equipment cannot in any way cause damage to the tank. It is only a vacuum test to see if there is a current leak present. Some companies use soil testing in the area around the tank instead of vacuum testing, but this will only tell if a large-scale leak has occurred and not if the tank has just started leaking or if the feed line is leaking. We can also take a soil sample in addition to the vacuum test, if a leak is detected.

If the tank is old, but not currently leaking you may choose to abandon the tank for safety reasons. At AC&E we also specialize in oil tank abandonment in accordance with the county code.