Leak in oil-tank

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gbcambridge

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Cambridgeshire
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United Kingdom
Hi,
our steel oil tank..just 8-years old has developed a leak. A single hole has appeared underneath and I have blocked it (temporarily) with a Gorilla Glue filler. So far this has worked. However, we have not found anyone to perform a long-term repair on our tank and this seems to lead us to the issue of boiler replacement. It seems to make no sense to replace the tank, give the age of the boiler..around 30 years.
We have a Camray II boiler...working perfectly. If we have to change because we cannot get the tank repaired then we would switch to a gas boiler. The house has no gas supply but the road outside has a gas main, so it is accessible.
Can anyone advise: 1) Is it really so difficult to repair a steel oil tank (without emptying it)?
2) What is the cheapest way of getting connected to the gas main?
and finally 3) we are considering a Greenstar FS 30CDi Regular to replace the Camray. Does anyone have comments on this choice?

This is a whole load of money about to exit from our house and I would really like some impartial advice on the best way to proceed....or not at all?

Thanks for the help

George
 
1) It's impossible to repair an oil tank without completely emptying it, and even then it's a hazardous occupation as welding a patch on could cause an explosion. It would ideally need to be filled with an inert gas prior to welding.

2) There isn't really a cheapest way. Your local network operator will be able to give you a price. Generally it's think of a number, double it, then add a bit for good luck

3) If you really must have a floor standing boiler then it's probably the best available, but if you consider wall hung options then there are better boilers out there for less money
 
Hi Andrew,

thanks for that..I do need confirmation of what I am being told or I end up being a mug.
The current boiler is a big floor stander and I was looking for a similarly rated boiler, which is why I ended up with the floor stander of around 30KW. Is there a wall mounted at this sort of rating?
Again, thank you for the info.
 
If rust has eaten through in one place its more than likely there are other areas close leaking so patching is useless.
I dont know your area or laws regarding tanks but I think in some, a replacement may need to be bunded.
 
gbcambridge said:
Hi Andrew,

thanks for that..I do need confirmation of what I am being told or I end up being a mug.
The current boiler is a big floor stander and I was looking for a similarly rated boiler, which is why I ended up with the floor stander of around 30KW. Is there a wall mounted at this sort of rating?
Again, thank you for the info.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can get wall mounted boilers of almost any size. It would be better to do a proper heat loss calculation to discover what size boiler you actually need though - many existing boilers are oversized for the homes they heat
 
Go gas ! I understand heating oil has gone up in price far higher than gas over the years, oil fired boilers are probably far more expensive than gas boilers.
You'll save space where the tank is and probably where the boiler is.
 
lostinthelight said:
If rust has eaten through in one place its more than likely there are other areas close leaking so patching is useless.
I dont know your area or laws regarding tanks but I think in some, a replacement may need to be bunded.
Click to expand...

Unlike a previous tank, where an entire area was leaking, this tank seems to be in very good condition apart from this one hole. In fact, one guy asked me if I thought someone might have deliberately punched a hole in it. The hole is small and clean, not like a rust hole at all. I shall check on the insurance situation, which is a good idea. Sadly, given the time it takes to get gas connected and a boiler changed, etc, it seems that staying with oil and just getting the current tank fixed/repalced, is the fastest option.
 
dal5band said:
Go gas ! I understand heating oil has gone up in price far higher than gas over the years, oil fired boilers are probably far more expensive than gas boilers.
You'll save space where the tank is and probably where the boiler is.
Click to expand...
You understand incorrectly. Heating oil is actually significantly cheaper than mains gas at the moment.
 
God 8 years old there are tanks in Lincolnshire I made 45 years ago still going strong that’s terrible. Bob
 
gbcambridge said:
Unlike a previous tank, where an entire area was leaking, this tank seems to be in very good condition apart from this one hole. In fact, one guy asked me if I thought someone might have deliberately punched a hole in it. The hole is small and clean, not like a rust hole at all. I shall check on the insurance situation, which is a good idea. Sadly, given the time it takes to get gas connected and a boiler changed, etc, it seems that staying with oil and just getting the current tank fixed/repalced, is the fastest option.
Click to expand...

If you are in the situation on having to have oil for heating only,(No Gas) then I suggest you replace the Tank as a priority, if the leak gets worse and the oil infiltrates the local ground area and gets into the water table , this will be a very expensive job the Insurance company will not want to know as it is steel , rusted and does not incorporate its own internal bund
Plastic ones these days incorporate two skins to contain any excess oil , the replacement should not take more than a day, drain tank into emergency container , remove and replace tank which would be garanteed ten years
 
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