We can arrange to have your home heating oil tank inspected – please contact us to schedule an appointment.

Check whether the crack is above or below the oil level. If the crack’s below the oil level get some of your oil removed as soon as possible to prevent any leaks.

Once there’s no risk of a leak you’ll need to replace your tank as soon as possible. We can’t deliver more oil if your oil tank is in a poor state of repair. If you’d like more information about our oil tank replacement service or think you may need oil tank maintenance, please contact us.

We recommend you choose an insurance company that offers cover for any loss of fuel through theft or spillage.

You may wish to think about upgrading your account to our heating oil ‘EasiLIFE’ Top-up system, which means we monitor your oil tanks levels for you, and can top-up automatically.

If your account is eligible for a gauge to be fitted to your tank you will also benefit from ‘sudden drop alerts’. These alerts will send us notifications of any sudden drops in your oil tanks levels, which may indicate oil theft or a damaged oil tank.

Insert a stick into your home heating oil tank until it touches the bottom. Make sure your stick is vertical; if it goes in at an angle you’ll get a reading that’s higher than your oil level. Remove the stick from the oil tank to see how much of it has been immersed in the oil. If you have a heating oil chart for you oil tank you can use this to calculate the volume left in your tank. If you don’t have a chart, simply see where the oil is on your stick. If only the lower part of the stick is covered, you know levels are getting low and you’ll need to schedule a kerosene  delivery soon.

You’ll need a bunded oil tank if:

• The capacity of the tank exceeds 2,500lts.
• The tank is located inside a building or outhouse.
• Oil spills could run into an open drain or loose manhole cover.
• If the tank vent pipes cannot be seen when the tank is being filled, for example if the delivery tanker is parked too far away or it is filled using a remote fill.
• It is located within 10 metres of coastal waters or inland fresh waters such as lakes or streams.
• It is located within 50 metres of a drinking water source, for example wells, boreholes or springs.
• Oils spills could run over hard ground and reach coastal waters, inland fresh waters or a drinking water source.
• It is in the inner zone of a groundwater source protection zone 1.

For more information contact us on 01963 363555 or view the oil storage guidelines here https://www.gov.uk/oil-storage-regulations-and-safety/home.

We find that most customers now prefer to choose a plastic tank over a steel tank. Plastic oil tanks are low maintenance as they don’t need regular painting, and they can come in all shapes and sizes to suit your individual requirements. Installation costs for plastic tanks are generally lower as they are lightweight and easier to position than a steel tank.

Steel oil tanks are available and are more robust than a plastic tank.

To discuss what tank is best for you please call 01963 363555 and arrange for a free site survey from one of our OFTEC trained surveyors.

Not all home insurance policies cover oil tanks. We recommend that you speak to your insurance company to find out what is covered by your policy.

We can come out and remove water from your fuel tank.

We also offer a full tank check service which includes a visual check by one of our OFTEC qualified engineers, a water dip test and removal of water, and a pressure test of any underground pipe work to ensure there are no underground leaks. Please contact us on 01963 363555 for more details.

Locating your tank in a garage or outhouse can provide additional security and reduce the risk of your tank being damaged.

You can locate your oil tank inside of a garage or outhouse, provided it is with a self-contained 60-minute fire chamber. Your tank will also need to be bunded.

For more information or to arrange a site survey with one of our OFTEC qualified surveyors please contact us on 01963 363555 or email engineering@fordfuels.co.uk.

Our plastic oil tanks come with 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. All workmanship comes with a 12-month guarantee.