Kerosine stolen from outside tank.

[Mike53]

Just noticed my kero has gone down fast in the last 6 weeks. This is not due to normal use. Main tell tale apart from the amount missing is the flexible plastic sight gauge is now full of pure clean Kero whereas 6 weeks ago it was full of crap & dead flies etc. I think you know what I am saying.

Any suggestions.

Mike

 

[moliver34]

put a lock on the filler cap and block off the sight gauge. Use a tank watchman instead.

I assume the tank can be seen from the road. If you think its theft, inform the police.

 

[htgeng]

Do you want to warn, injure, scare, maim them or worse? Ideas... Plod will do nothing as oil, red diesel etc has been nicked for years.

 

[studips]

can you make it inaccessible? possibly move it to a more inconvenient location that the oil truck can still pump to?

locks get broken, pipes get cut - maybe a breeze block wall around it as a physical barrier?

my local water works is in the corner of a publicd car park - couple of years ago the fuel tank for the diesels was bricked up and around with a novalux canopy over it. now the only people who know it's a diesel tank are those that remember.

maybe the old proverbial dummy camera? course, that won't stop ******...

 

[Mike53]

Thanks for replies,

I don't think there is an easy answer.

It is a plastic tank so I guessed there was not much point trying to secure it with a padlock as it only takes a stanley knife to cut it off. I might be wrong thou!

Road is half a mile away so tank not visible but everyone knows the areas who do not have gas so reasonable to assume we have oil. Tank is visible on Google Earth!

I don't imagine plod would be interested, more likely to laugh. Leaving £1,000 worth of fuel outside in a plastic tank. What do you expect?

I do have a large outbuilding but would need to knock a substantial hole in the wall to get the tank through. Alternatively I could buy a slim tank for £400 that would fit through the door. In this case I would need building regs and would have to construct a fire proof room vented to outdoors within the outbuilding.

Yes it is possible to build round the existing tank with brick, block or timber. Not sure about planning permission & building regs. Suspect I would need both!.

Surveillance is certainly worth thinking about.

I am sure it is only a matter of time (unless it alreadt exists) before someone invents a device to monitor either the fuel level or pressure at the bottom of the tank which in case of unusual alterations would telephone the house owner.

Mike

 

[studips]

hmmm... what about geese?

 

[Mike53]

Already have enough animals to look after!

Mike

 

[htgeng]

hmmm... what about geese?

the pikies would just nick them too for xmas dinner!

Did you see any tyre tracks from their truck? They will be obviously back for more when you've refilled it... Can you make it more difficult for them to remove it by stopping them vehicular access.

You said they removed it via the sight glass. Would it be possible to bung the bottom hole and just put a small bit in the tube. Then when they get a torch on the sight glass they will think the tank is empty.

Id be tempted to rig a camera and remote control device. Then if you see them approaching, turn on lights, air horn etc. Try and scare the ʇıɥs out of them. Maybe one of these... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGUrM19BnJ8

 

[muggles]

A Watchman Alarm will sound an alarm if the oil level drops too fast, never heard one go off though so no idea whether it's loud enough to wake you or not.

Trip wires loaded with shotgun blanks are available legally, could rig a few of those up...

 

[Boilerman2]

I had a Customer who sucessfully managed to claim the cost of stolen Kero from his House Contents insurer, we had to produce a letter saying that the system was sound and show calulations of how much his boiler would sensibly use over the time period in question ... in this case Tank was filled on 20th Dec 2009, he went away on 23 -28th Dec, boiler was at lock out and not a single drop in a 1250 Ltr tank ..
Might be worth contacting your insurer?

 

[Boxerman]

Just fitted a Fuelproof steel tank for exactly this reason, the lockable lid will be extremely difficult, if not impossible for anyone to get to if they want to cut the lock, I guess they could try and pick the padlock but it wouldn't be easy at all.

http://www.fuelproof.co.uk/domesticheatingoiltanks/index.htm

 

[Agile]

Unfortunately none of those things on the tank will stop people with the tools on sale for less that £40.

When my house was broken into they used a diamond saw to cut through the lock tongues on a very solid internal door.

Tony

 

[gasbanni]

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/ALARM_MINES.htm

You can get them from Henry Krank of Pudsey near Leeds !

 

[Mike53]

Thanks,

Lots of interesting suggestions most of which I was unaware of.

Depending on circumstances, location etc I accept it is not possible to guarantee we will never have oil stolen again but I believe an appropriate course of action for me at the moment is to select one of the more cost effective solutions suggested & closely monitor the oil level & record registration numbers of all vehicles seen near our property.

I am sure a steel tank is the answer if I ever decide to replace my plastic one but the one pictured in the link seems to have an obvious weakness. The bottom outlet is more or less unprotected. I suppose once the tank is installed this outlet could be encased in concrete.

I think the idea of arranging the sight glass to make it look as if the tank is empty is clever. I am sure this is possible and it might just fool someone. Good thinking htgeng.

Mike

 

[studips]

hey, if you do go for a new tank, maybe leave something in the old one....

like 50/50 petrol oil for instance..............