OIL CENTRAL HEATING STORAGE TANK - HOW TO MAINTAIN

[LucyLastic]

Looking for some urgent advice please. My Dad (in his 80s) has oil central heating. The boiler is serviced annually and is less than 10 years old. The huge oil storage tank in the garden is metal and was probably installed when the house was built in the 1960s. It used to be treated regularly but not for the last few years. I have been unable to find a company who would do this. Enquiries suggest a replacement tank would cost about £4k - this is for the item only not transportation and placement - out of Dad's price range. There is no gas supply in the vicinity.

The tank itself has lots of rust but this appears to be be surface only and I cannot see or smell any leakage. It sits on concrete blocks and there are no stains to suggest leaks. I have been told that treating with bitumastic? paint would help preserve the tank.

Can anyone advise whether there is a more precise way to check the condition of the tank - would any rot start on the outside or inside? Also, has anyone any experience of treating a tank that they could share? What products used etc. Dad is due delivery of his annual oil top up next month and obviously we need to ensure that the tank is sound beforehand.

Tks

 

[muggles]

If it's that old it's probably knackered and needs replacing, but if you want to paint it you can do. First you need to strip off all the old loose paint, then get a wire brush and remove all the loose rust too. As we're moving rapidly towards winter you'll probably want to get it done quickly, in which case, if it was me, I'd go for Hammerite Direct To Rust paint, which is supposed to give five years of protection and needs no primer or undercoat. Dries quickly too. http://www.hammerite.com/uk/products/ps_dtr_metal_paint.html
I believe B&Q sell it. Bituminous paint could well attack any paint still on there so you'd need to remove it completely before you start. No idea whether it'll stick to rust, but I'd expect it to give good protection.

£4k for a replacement tank is astronomical. I know nothing of the price of steel tanks, I'll admit that now, but a bunded plastic tank will set you back around £1k plus fitting, and most come with a ten year warranty.

 

[Boilerman2]

The top of the tank can corrode from the outside in, due to sap from trees etc, eventually pin holes can appear, which lets rainwater in, causing problems with water in the fuel oil.

At the bottom of the tank the corrosion is usually from the inside-out, due to the presence of condensate on the bottom of the tank.

keep an eye on the bottom of the tank, in particular around the welded seams for oily marks which will look damp.

Your Boiler Service Engineer should also be inspecting the tank and advising on it's condition annually

Most rust on steel tanks can be cleaned off with a wire brush, and a good cot of bitumastic paint will give the tank the best possible protection

Just a note, I prefer Steel tanks they will last far longer, provided they are maintained

 

[oilman]

Sorry to have to throw a spanner in here, but Hammerite is one of the least effective treatments IMO. There are water based treatments which work well.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Followed by a coat of oil resistant paint. Bitumastic is not much use as it is soluble in the heating oil.

I have tried all, and they are in order of preference. It is not easy to tell the condition of the tank, there may be quite deep pits in the surface and they aren't easy to see. Where the pillars meet the rusting can be quite severe.

£4k is taking the mick. £300 will buy a painted 1200 litre steel tank, delivered. £500 should sort the installation provided it can go in the same place. A steel tank will outlast a plastic one, probably why purveyors of tanks tell you the opposite.

 

[Burnerman]

I find that the steel tanks tend to fail on the bottom outside where they are supported by the blockwork.....water collects there and starts the corrosion process. I use a car trolley jack with a beam of timber to just lift the tank clear of the supports for painting...when its nearly empty, of course! John

 

[kevplumb]

Sorry to have to throw a spanner in here, but Hammerite is one of the least effective treatments IMO. There are water based treatments which work well.

have to agree

and was told so by a paint rep

 

[Burnerman]

Sorry to have to throw a spanner in here, but Hammerite is one of the least effective treatments IMO. There are water based treatments which work well.

have to agree

and was told so by a paint rep

Never does what it says on the tin.

 

[Tipper]

It's very likely that any interference with the tank will cause a leak....so leave it well alone or bite the bullet and replace it.

 

[mrlapou]

I found using a grinder fitted with a poly disc removed all rust and flaking paint with ease. Two discs used on a standard 600gal tank.
So much easier than a wire brush. Treated any suspect rust areas with a rust treament/convertor, then painted with Hammerite.
Normally this solution will last up to 10yrs.


http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Abr...y+Abrasive+Disc+115mm/d130/sd1920/p18114[url]

 

[oilman]

The trouble is you may be able to remove rust and paint, but you can't put back the metal. The pits are surprisingly deep.

As for Hammerite