The steel heating oil storage tank in your basement has a maximum lifespan of about 25 years or so – which means if your home was built in or before 1995, you’re probably due, or maybe even overdue, to replace your oil tank.
If you have underground model, that life expectancy is considerably less – typically about 15 years – and the consequences of a leaky tank are far more dire.
Don’t be fooled: even if your heating oil tank looks and seems like it’s working just fine, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to continue to use it. That’s because older, single-wall steel heating oil tanks usually corrode from the inside out due to trapped moisture and sediment. That means you won’t see a tank failure coming until it’s too late – to the tune of $10,000-$50,000 in remediation costs for an underground model, since oil spills are not usually covered by homeowner’s insurance.
Needless to say, that’s a scenario you definitely want to avoid in your North Shore home.
The takeaway here: if you already know your oil tank needs to be replaced, don’t wait – it’s simply not worth the risk, especially considering the affordable, double-walled, eco-friendly in-ground and above ground heating oil tank options that Holden offers (heating oil tanks have come a LONG way in the last 20 years – today’s models are virtually leak-proof and available in a variety of configurations).
If you have an oil tank and want to keep it (and yourself!) protected, consider signing up for Tank-Guard protection. During our regular heating oil delivery, we will treat your tank with Tank-Guard’s corrosion inhibitor, which can protect both above- or underground oil storage tanks.
Spring is one of the best times of the year to install a new heating oil tank – contact us today for a FREE estimate on new tank installations in the North Shore of Massachusetts!