How to remove an oil tank - DIY

Before you do anything, think about how you will dispose of the old tank and how much it will cost you. Ask your local recycling company and you may be surprised at the cost of disposing of the tank.

Note that the recycler will never accept a tank with oil and sludge in it.
You will need a special pump to transfer the contents of the tank into separate containers. Don't forget that these residues also need to be disposed of, and this is a separate cost. Disposing of chemical waste is not cheap for an individual and this is a factor that should not be ignored.

You will need also plumbing tools to disconnect the fuel line that links the tank to the boiler. Note that there is also oil residue in the fuel line itself. If you are not careful, the oil will spill into your garden, with all the consequences that this entails. Depending on the distance between the tank and the fuel line, the amount of oil residue can be considerable. You will need to drain this into a container for disposal.

If the tank is in an open area with good access and can be easily moved through the side entrance of the house, this should not be too difficult. However, if the tank is in an area that is difficult to access, the process of removing the oil tank will be more complicated. For example:

• The tank is in a shed
• Surrounded by obstacles that make it difficult to move the tank
• A terraced house does not allow the tank to be removed.
• Steel tank makes removal difficult due to its weight

In this case, the tank will need to be cut into pieces and the inside surfaces cleaned. These are
1. avoid contamination of your property when moving the tank parts
2. Parts of the tank with uncleaned surfaces are unlikely to be accepted by the recycler.

A standard domestic heating oil tank fits perfectly into a standard van or tank-sized trailer.

So you are considering disposing of your unwanted oil tank yourself. The four points above will give you a better understanding of the do-it-yourself oil tank removal process as well as the cost of oil tank removal.

Of course, the decision is yours, and if you feel comfortable doing it yourself, you are welcome to do so.