Oil Tank in Building

[MrsRenovator]

I'm going to have central heating! Exciting times. But the only place to store an oil tank is within an out building.

I want to research what options there are for a 60 minute fire enclosure before my plumber (who is oftec registered) comes round. But I can't find any pictures on the internet of what they mean. Plenty of fire barriers, but no enclosures.

Does it mean 4 walls built around it? And a fireproof lid? Or can you buy a kit made for this purpose?

It would be helpful if I knew what "a self closing door" looked like. Does it mean a hatch to access the tank from above for filling?

Thank you

 

[just pumps]

Leave it to your oftec plumber to advise you, after all that is part of what you are paying him for.

 

[Terrywookfit]

BS 5410 parts 1&2 cover it....Tank chamber type C internal.

 

[MrsRenovator]

Thanks. But I still would like to know what a fire resistant chamber looks like. I might then see straight away that it's not a feasible option for our outbuilding.

My only other options are LPG bottled gas, or stick with my electric heaters.

 

[muggles]

Do you not have enough land to have an underground tank buried in the garden?

Oil tanks can go indoors but as you've already realised, the requirements are quite stringent. A self closing door is one that closes on its own, such as you often see in offices and schools, except of course that yours needs to be fire rated. Fire-rating an enclosure for an oil tank can be costly. You need concrete walls building round it ideally (you can use plasterboard but that gets complicated) and the ceiling also needs to be fire rated to 60 minutes. The entire thing needs to be sealed, light switches need to be outside the chamber, any cables need to be in screwed metal conduit. The light needs to be a sealed bulkhead type, and the oil tank must be bunded.

 

[MrsRenovator]

It can't go under the garden because it wouldn't be 2m away from the road on 2 sides.



Looks like my £2500+/year electric bill is here to stay then. I saved £500 this last winter by never heating above 14°.

The house used to have an lpg boiler circa 1984. Before it was condemned I tried it a few times. But a bottle of gas lasted no time at all.

I suppose the amount I save on a boiler and tank etc will buy a lot of jumpers.

I do get a bit jealous when people complain about their £300 mains gas bills though.

 

[Nozzle]

Can you have a large tank of LPG rather than small cylinders?

Nozzle

 

[muggles]

It's worth getting someone round to look and advise you on both bulk LPG and oil options - remember we can't see your property so we can't offer solutions as to where else it night be positioned