The life of plastic oil tanks revised downwards

[tinchbray]

Thanks Boilerman2, really useful response.

There's me thinking I should be looking for a similar post and adding to that rather than adding new posts on the same topic !!!!

 

[mutineering]

BRING BACK STEEL TANKS

Please don't!
Just send them to china for scrap.
Wouldn't swap my kingspan tank for anything and yes its maintainance free.

You might be interested in this.

http://www.europeanplasticsnews.com/subscriber/newscat2.html?channel=430&id=1450

My tank is failing... make sure you check yours. Depending on the tank design, adding lateral / annular support and resin bonding any cracked areas may extend the life of the tank.

 

[Boilerman2]

Well done Mutineering the link above makes for VERY interesting reading, anyone with a failing maintenance free plastic oil tank should read and note the contents most helpful!!

 

[Norcon]

My two steel tanks are sitting up the yard rusting and leaking. Remnants of a by gone era.
Plastic all the way.

 

[mutineering]

Yes of course steel had loads of problems too. Rust, condensation, weight, cost..... Well perhaps the answer is a 'composite'? Those tanks failing at the horizontal seam ribs seem to have a design fault... too much strain on the poor old plastic. So why not put a steel belt round the tank to take the load off the plastic? Should extend the life by a few years? On mine I have put in some angle iron and ply bracing for now - it seems to have taken the load off the cracked areas.

Is there a decent tank designer in the market? I'd have had a go myself for a chunk of the £20m court costs that Kingspan have ended up paying out!

 

[mysteryman]

It seems to me that a plastic tank should be drum shaped, or cylindrical, like a copper cylinder, and standing upright like a copper cyl for the same reason. It should be supported on a flat surface beneath the whole tank, again like a copper cyl, and again for the same reason. The stresses on the walls are then uniform in every direction. Horizontal cylindrical tanks or rectangular ones will have gravitational stresses acting due to their shape, and these stresses are trying to distort the tank. Large steel tanks had internal bracing to hold them in shape. Also, plastic needs to be protected from direct sunlight, as it will break down under ultra-violet radiation.

 

[Boilerman2]

In other words "Bring back Steel Tanks" actually these are increasing in popularity again as they are solid, behave better in event of fire, do not suffer degredation in sunlight and can be made more secure to prevent theft of contents, yes they do need painting every 5 years, but that is a small cost compared to all the advantages!

 

[Norcon]

If your going steel then insist on one that is shotblasted to at least sa25 standard prior to painting....Like these....
http://www.fuelproof.co.uk/domesticheatingoiltanks/index.htm

A superb looking paint job. Not cheap though.

 

[OILDELIVERYMAN]

I DELIVER HEATING OIL TO DOMESTIC OIL TANKS AND HAVE SEEN SOME REAL LASH UPS OVER THE YEARS. IF A TANK(PLASTIC) HAS A CRACK ANYWERE,ANY SIZE OR ANY REPAIR IT WILL NOT BE FILLED(EVEN IF OIL HAS BEEN PAYED FOR).A SITE SAFETY REPORT WILL BE MADE AND DISTRIBUTED THRU OUT THE INDUSTRY AND NO FURTHER DELIVERY WILL MADE UNTIL TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED.LEAKS ARE CLASSED AS SPILLS AND ARE REPORTED TO ENVIROMENT AGENCY .WHEN A TANK FAILS THEY LOOK TO SEE WHO LAST FILLED IT,HIS NAME,COMPANY AND REGISTRATION ARE ON THE DELIVERY ADVICE.SO IF A DRIVER DECIDES NOT FILL YOUR CRACKED TANK IT IS FOR A GOOD REASON,HE WILL BE SACKED.NO AMOUNT PLEADING,BRIBERY,PERSUASION,SHOUTING, THREATS OR REFERANCES TO HIM BEEN BORN OUT WEDLOCK WILL GET YOUR CRACKED TANK FILLED.