Which to choose...

[Roger465]

About a year ago, they put gas into our street, and I was seriously tempted. Now my oil tank is close to end of life, so time to decide…

I have an oil boiler which was installed new 8 years ago, serviced every year, provides good heat. It’s on a vented system, which I see no reason to change.

My only real reason for doing anything is the 30-year-old plastic tank, which is definitely showing its age, though no leakage yet. I’ve just had a firm round to quote for replacement.

The job would consist of removing the old tank, transferring about 900L of oil over, putting a concrete base down for the new tank, a little bit of pipework where the fuel line goes into the ground, and installing a bunded tank (there’s a drain a couple of feet from it).

This would cost about £2150.

I could get the boiler replaced with a gas one for maybe £3500, to include I think removal of the tank etc. Bringing gas into the house is currently free.

What would you do? Hate decisions like this

 

[CountryFan]

Maybe try to work out running cost difference rather than installation cost with that little variance. Could you save money with gas?

 

[Roger465]

Maybe try to work out running cost difference rather than installation cost with that little variance. Could you save money with gas?

Yeah... been (fairly) reliably informed that oil is a bit cheaper, and of course if you time it right you can fill the tank when the price drops

 

[Roger465]

OK, realise nobody can answer this for me so, having thought hard about it, I don't want the hassle of getting gas in (they ruined my next door neighbour's block paved driveway), so new tank it is.

Now I've only got one quote so far - £2145 inc VAT to supply and fit a new tank, remove the old one, and transfer the oil over.

Any idea if that's reasonable? I'm pretty sure the slimline tank they're fitting would be this one - has to be bunded as it's beside a drain.

£1290 on top of the cost of the tank looks steep to me, but what do I know...

 

[Rodders53]

FWIW: I paid over £3k for a bunded 1225 litre tank in SE England just over 8 years ago. That involved water contamination due to rain getting into the single skin tank. Extra cost was a new oil pump for the boiler and a thorough clean and service.

You need specialist / insured / hazardous waste disposal. It took a good few (short) days to do.

You are in Northern Ireland so prices are different, no doubt. Ideally get more, competitive, quotes and consider a larger tank to avail cheaper per litre priced, 1000 litre, fills? An extra £100 or so for the tank may be worth the convenience of fewer refills.

AIUI Bunded tanks are pretty much a de facto standard as clean-up after split kerosene is uber expensive!

What about a wet ASHP install? NI has a different scheme to England I believe so it may not be that simple?

 

[Roger465]

FWIW: I paid over £3k for a bunded 1225 litre tank in SE England just over 8 years ago. That involved water contamination due to rain getting into the single skin tank. Extra cost was a new oil pump for the boiler and a thorough clean and service.

You need specialist / insured / hazardous waste disposal. It took a good few (short) days to do.

You are in Northern Ireland so prices are different, no doubt. Ideally get more, competitive, quotes and consider a larger tank to avail cheaper per litre priced, 1000 litre, fills? An extra £100 or so for the tank may be worth the convenience of fewer refills.

AIUI Bunded tanks are pretty much a de facto standard as clean-up after split kerosene is uber expensive!

What about a wet ASHP install? NI has a different scheme to England I believe so it may not be that simple?

Thanks, that's very helpful. They say it will be a same-day job.

Sometimes, sadly, things are MORE rather than less expensive here, as there's less competition

Wouldn't have a problem paying a bit extra for a bigger tank, but I think it's a question of what they can fit in the space... I'll certainly mention that when getting competitive quotes. If anybody ever calls me back.

Is ASHP a heat pump? No real grant here, and old rads etc - don't think it would be a goer. Maybe in 10 years!

*Actually, just checked, and I'd only save a fiver here by ordering 900L - suppliers don't seem to go for 1000, presumably due to size of most tanks...

 

[BS3036]

Not going to be particularly helpful, but I have experience of replacing the oil tank a few years ago now. They said we couldn't replace like for like because the neighbour had just built an extension (with planning permission) 1 metre from our tank, so we were not allowed to replace our tank as it would be 1 metre from their extension. The compromise was building a firewall in between. There was a load of other stuff involving where the oil would run to if the tank burst (i.e. not down the sewage drain). Sounds like you may avoid these issues.

 

[Roger465]

Sounds like you may avoid these issues.

Yes the guy who did the survey didn't highlight anything except the drain nearby, necessitating a bunded tank.

Got too more quotes, both more than the first one - so I've given them the go ahead.

Will report back when done

 

[muggles]

Personally I'd have gone gas to get rid of the tank in the garden, but each to their own. I'd be charging a lot more than that for a tank install, hope it's all to regs, good luck!

 

[Roger465]

Personally I'd have gone gas to get rid of the tank in the garden, but each to their own. I'd be charging a lot more than that for a tank install, hope it's all to regs, good luck!

Yes - the guy spent half the time quoting regs to me - pretty sure it'll be done right

 

[Rodders53]

They say it will be a same-day job.

Not a chance.

Pump out 900 litre of kerosene to ?200 litre? barrels to store safely.
Remove old tank for safe disposal.
Remove existing base.
Dig out for new base. Dispose of spoil.
Lay hardcore. Whacker down.
Lay reinforcing grid and base formwork.
Mix and lay concrete.
Wait a day or so to set properly.
Remove formwork.
Place new tank.
Connect up.
Pump kerosene from barrels into new tank.
Bleed air out of pipes and test boiler.

That's an approximate of the steps needed, possibly not all in correct order, if they are doing it properly and you said in your OP

putting a concrete base down for the new tank,

Now if bodging the job it may be re-use the inadequate (by todays standards) base... when it could be done in a single day.

 

[Roger465]

Now if bodging the job it may be re-use the inadequate (by todays standards) base... when it could be done in a single day.

Umm... he said they'd lay 3 concrete lintels on the existing base, and put the tank on that?

In what ways do you think the base would be inadequate? Seems to have kept the existing tank flat & level for 30 years...

 

[Rodders53]

Read the tank manufacturers instructions for the base required.
Needs to be flat and support the entire base plus circa 300 mm all round typically.

https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-guides/home-guide-to-domestic-liquid-fuel-storage-up-to-3500-litres

and

A Complete Guide To Oil Tank Bases | Oil Tanks Plus Blog

Read our complete guide to oil tank bases which is filled with advice on how to choose the best base for your oil tank needs.

www.oiltanksplus.co.uk

may be worth reading and a check conversation with your proposed installer may be in order?

(Not sure how they know what's under / how the existing base is constructed to know their add on bits atop it will be suitable support for the next 20 years. Mine had been down for 10 years from new build but was effectively just slabs on a bit of mortar on the soil.)

 

[Roger465]

Read the tank manufacturers instructions for the base required.
Needs to be flat and support the entire base plus circa 300 mm all round typically.

https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-guides/home-guide-to-domestic-liquid-fuel-storage-up-to-3500-litres

and

A Complete Guide To Oil Tank Bases | Oil Tanks Plus Blog

Read our complete guide to oil tank bases which is filled with advice on how to choose the best base for your oil tank needs.

www.oiltanksplus.co.uk

may be worth reading and a check conversation with your proposed installer may be in order?

(Not sure how they know what's under / how the existing base is constructed to know their add on bits atop it will be suitable support for the next 20 years. Mine had been down for 10 years from new build but was effectively just slabs on a bit of mortar on the soil.)

Thanks - will ask questions, but he did do a lot of measuring round the existing tank and base before saying all would be OK...