Glen Arm, Maryland is a rural city located entirely in Baltimore County, Maryland. Glen Arm only has one zip code, 21057, and at just about 16 square miles with a population around 4,000 people, it is fairly small.
There are three main roads running through Glen Arm: Glen Arm Rd, Manor Rd, and Harford Rd. Neighborhoods in Glen Arm include Long Green, Manor View, Meadow Cliff, Notch Cliff, Summer Hill, Dulaney Hills, and Ravenhurst, among others.
Because Glen Arm is one of the more rural areas in Baltimore County, you will still find many homes serviced by heating oil for their in-house heating use. That heating oil is stored in tanks.
That’s where GreenTrax comes into play. If you have a heating oil tank, whether it is buried underground outside, sitting in your basement, tucked away in a crawlspace, or sitting outside your house, we can help you deal with the tank properly and in a professional manner.
Having been in the heating oil tank business for over 25 years, we have seen it all. We’ve even seen tanks under houses because someone thought it a good idea to build an addition on top of the buried tank (as if the tank would last forever without degrading and needing to be replaced!).
Let’s go through some common questions we get from residents in Baltimore County every day about heating oil tanks.
Q. Can Greentrax install a new heating oil tank for me?
A. Of course! We can install a new aboveground tank for you.
If you have no place for a tank outside or in the basement, we can install a new buried oil tank.
However there are some considerations to think about before going that route, so you’ll want to send us a message so we can discuss this option further.
Q. Can I just leave my buried tank in place when I get a new source of heat?
A. No – the Maryland Department of the Environment and MD state law require the tank to be removed or properly abandoned in place once the tank is no longer in use.
In fact, in Baltimore County, the county says that any tank that can be removed MUST be removed, so owners don’t even have the option to abandon the tank in place.
Q. What happens if my underground heating oil tank (UST) is leaking?
A. No problem! GreenTrax deals with this every day.
We own all our own equipment and trucks to be able to remediate this for you the same day we are performing the tank removal.
There will be, of course, an additional cost for this extra work, but we will only charge the minimal amount needed to clean up your site.
Q. Am I allowed to fill my underground tank in place?
A. If the tank is in an area that we cannot get equipment to in order to perform a tank removal then yes, the heating oil tank can be filled in place.
However, it is Illegal in Maryland to pump/dump anything in the fill pipe to attempt to abandon the tank in place. The tank must be opened up and thoroughly cleaned out.
Afterward, the dirt below the tank must be checked. If the soil is clean and not contaminated, the tank can be filled in place.
Q. Is it cheaper to fill the tank in place than to remove it?
A. No, it’s more expensive to fill the tank in place.
In most cases in Baltimore County (because each county has their own tank department), the Inspector requires the lab tests be performed on the soil below the tank prior to filling it in place. That means we have to come out to the jobsite twice on two different days in order to complete the abandonment process.
That’s why it’s much cheaper, easier, and faster to remove the tank.
Q. My air conditioner is sitting on top of the buried tank, can you still remove it?
A. Yes, we deal with this all the time. You may qualify for a tank abandonment.
However, if the tank is leaking (in which case it has to be removed) or if you still prefer a removal, you can have your HVAC company or GreenTrax can have our HVAC company we work with all the time.
With their help to temporarily disconnect the AC unit, GreenTrax will perform the required tank removal and soil testing and backfill the hole, then the AC unit can be put back in place.
Q. Does GreenTrax offer tanks with longer warranties or additional sizes?
A. Yes, of course. We offer tank warranties for one year, three years, 20 years, 25 years, and 30 years. We also offer tanks with insurance against leakage.
As for additional sizes, the most common tank size is 275 gallons, but we offer larger (and smaller) sizes as well.
Q. Why would I need a larger tank or multiple tanks?
A. If you are in an area where the oil delivery truck has a hard time reaching you during the snowy parts of the year, that is a good reason to have a larger tank.
If you have multiple furnaces, boilers, or water heaters that all use heating fuel, that would be a good reason to have multiple tanks.
Some customers also just want a larger tank for peace of mind.
There are also some that may want to purchase larger amounts of heating oil when prices are lower, and a larger tank allows them to do so.
Q. What size tanks are offered if I want a larger tank?
A. A 275-gallon tank is standard. You could even get two of them.
We also have a 330-gallon heating oil tank that is only slightly longer than the 275, which gives you more capacity and the same look on the outside of the house.
For larger capacities, we also have a 400-gallon tank, and this comes standard with a 30-year warranty. Finally we can jump up to a commercial size tank with a capacity of either 500 or 1,000 gallons.
Q. I want to get rid of my oil heat because I heard electric heat is better. Is that right?
A. This is a matter of opinion, but we let our customers speak for themselves.
Many people tell us they do not like heat pumps and electric heat as much as oil, propane, or natural gas. Because the heat coming from the register is not as warm, the house can end up feeling drafty if not really well insulated.
For many older homes, if you prefer a really warm house, or if you are elderly, electric-only heating might not be the best option for you. If you are set on going electric, we would suggest getting a dual system: electric with oil backup.
Now when the temperatures drop below 20 degrees, you will still have oil that can kick in and keep the house warm.
Q. How can we contact GreenTrax to get our new heating oil tank?
We hope we have been able to answer some of you questions. Should you have any more questions, or you need help removing an oil heating oil tank and replacing it with a new one, we are here to help.
Feel free to call us directly with anything you need at (410) 439-1085.
