Yesterday’s heating oil tanks may look like they’re built to last forever, but the reality is they aren’t – and they don’t.

How long do they last, you ask? Well, that depends on the answer to many questions, including these:

• How thick are the tank walls?
• Is the tank single or double walled?
• Is the tank made of steel, fiberglass, or plastic?
• Is the tank installed inside, outside, or underground?
• What kind of environment has the tank been exposed to?
• How well has the tank been maintained?
• Do you keep it empty in the offseason? (a bad idea: empty tanks accumulate condensation, which can cause a build-up of tank-corroding bacteria).

As you can see, there are a lot of variables to the equation – see the table below for some averages based on those variables courtesy of inspectapedia.com

How do you know if you need to replace your heating oil tank? Well, the one thing you should never do is simply trust your eyes. Why? Because heating oil tanks usually corrode from the inside out due to trapped moisture and sediment. That means a tank can fail without showing warning signs in advance, leaving you with a big and expensive remediation headache on your hands.

That’s why it’s important to have a professional check your oil tank regularly – and to replace your tank when it’s reaching its age limit.

If you already know your tank needs to be replaced, don’t wait – it’s simply not worth the risk, especially considering the affordable, leak-proof, eco-friendly tank options from leading manufacturers like Grand and Roth that Burt’s Reliable offers.

Contact us today for a FREE estimate on a new heating oil tank.

Average Oil Tank Life Expectancies*

Indoor tanks

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall, connected at tank end wall                     15 years

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall, connected at tank bottom                       20 years

Steel tank, 12-gauge, single wall, connected at tank end wall                     20 years

Steel tank, 12-gauge, single wall, connected at tank bottom                       25 years

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall upper, double wall bottom                      50 years

Fiberglass or Plastic tank, single wall                                                             50 years

Fiberglass or Plastic tank, double wall                                                          50+ years

Outdoor tanks

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall, connected at tank end wall                     10 years

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall, connected at tank bottom                       15 years

Steel tank, 12-gauge, single wall, connected at tank end wall                     15 years

Steel tank, 12-gauge, single wall, connected at tank bottom                       20 years

Steel tank, 14-gauge, single wall upper, double wall bottom                      50 years

Fiberglass or Plastic tank, single wall                                                              50 years

Fiberglass or Plastic tank, double wall                                                          50+ years

*Data from Inspectapedia.com

Get peace of mind and avoid the nightmares oil leaks can cause –Contact us today for a FREE estimate on a new heating oil tank for your home.