Baltimore: the central hub of Maryland. When you are talking about Baltimore, you could be talking about Baltimore City, Baltimore County or many cities, towns, neighborhoods, and subdivisions within a much larger area of Maryland. But did you know there is another thing about this area you should know? There are a lot of heating oil tanks in Baltimore – both underground heating oil storage tanks (USTs) and aboveground fuel storage tanks (ASTs). There are also many fuel storage tank removal & installation companies in this area.
GreenTRAX Can Remove Oil Tanks in One Day
GreenTRAX, Inc. is the very best of these companies. Having been in the fuel tank industry for 30 years, we are Maryland’s pre-eminent home heating oil tank removal installation company for both underground tanks and aboveground tanks. We have buried oil tank removal in Baltimore down to a science and can complete the project with efficiency and ease.
Underground Oil Tanks in Baltimore
Common Buried Oil Tank Sizes in Baltimore
There are many, many buried oil tanks in and around Baltimore. Residential buried heating oil tanks come in various sizes. The most common being a 550-gallon tank. But some other sizes we typically see are 275-, 290-, 300-, and 1,000-gallon. However, we do see some properties particularly in Baltimore City that can be much larger.
Tanks over 1,000 gallons are regulated by the MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment). These larger tanks are considered commercial and therefore during an oil tank removal in Baltimore, the MDE inspector must be onsite. However, for tanks 1,000 gallons or smaller, there is no inspector needed onsite during the removal. Although, if you are in Baltimore County, then an inspector from the Department of Groundwater Management will be onsite and a permit from the county is required.
If the buried oil tank is removed and the soil is not contaminated, the process onsite is very quick and the job can be completed the same day.
How Buried Oil Tank Removal Works in Baltimore
The typical buried oil tank removal process involves:
- digging up the tank with a small machine
- cutting the tank open
- cleaning the tank
- removing it from the ground
- checking it for holes
- checking the soil onsite for contamination
- taking a soil sample to be sent for lab analysis
- backfilling the hole with clean dirt
- removing the tank offsite for disposal
- providing the owner with a closure report which is required if/when you sell the property
Average Life of a Buried Oil Tank
You should know the average life of an oil tank is 20 years and almost all buried residential tanks in Maryland are much older than that and therefore should be removed. It is never recommended to test, repair or attempt to salvage a tank that is say 30, 40 or 50 years old. The best course of action is removal and replacement (with an aboveground tank). If you are no longer using your underground tank, the MDE requires you to remove it. You cannot leave your underground tank in-place forever.
Oil Tank Abandonment vs. Removal
By now you are probably wondering about filling the tank in place…… right? Yes that is an option, however it is always cheaper and better for everyone involved to REMOVE the tank instead of a proper abandonment. The tank CANNOT be filled with foam or concrete or sand thru the fill pipe, dumping anything in the pipe trying to abandon the tank is not only a waste of time it is also not legal. Trying to do it this way will:
- not clean the tank out that way
- not fill the tank 100% (if you are using sand)
- leave you with no proof the tank is not leaking, which you will need when the house is sold, you try to refinance the house or try to get new home insurance.
Proper Underground Oil Tank Abandonment
The way to do a proper tank abandonment in place for those customers who have to go this route looks like this:
- digging up the area to expose the top of the tank
- cutting a hole in the tank
- cleaning the tank out
- cutting a hole in the bottom of the tank and sampling the soil below
Then if the soil is clean, we can fill it in-place. However if the tank is leaking and it has contaminated the soil, then the MDE requires you to remove the tank.
Aboveground Oil Tanks in Baltimore
Common Aboveground Oil Tank Sizes in Baltimore
Now let’s discuss aboveground home heating oil tanks. If your property does not have a UST, maybe you have an AST? The most common size AST is a 275-gallon tank. This could be inside, in the basement, in the garage or shed, or could be located outside of the house.
The ASTs also come in a few sizes for those people who have space restrictions or need more fuel storage. Some size options are 110-, 138-, 165-, 220-, 240-, 330-, 400-, 500-, and 1000-gallon.
Average Life of an Aboveground Oil Tank
The average life of these tanks is also 20 years. So, if your tank is older than that, it should be replaced. You do not want to wait until you have a leak. And despite popular belief, you cannot judge the condition and integrity of the tank by the way it looks on the outside. It doesn’t matter if your tank is located outside or inside. The tank will degrade from the inside out.
Also, just because you think your tank looks ok, doesn’t mean it is. It could have been painted previously and it makes it look newer than it actually is.
These tanks also come with varying warranties depending on the size, The factory warranties are, 3 years for the larger tanks, but for the normal size tanks they are 10-year, 20-year, 25- and 30-year warranties.
GreenTRAX Remove Oil Tanks in Baltimore
GreenTRAX can remove your old tank and install a new one the same day. We make the process fast and simple and we take care of everything. Our customers appreciate our excellent level of customer service and dedication. We are here to help you through the process and explain everything to you. And if you are in the process of buying or selling a house with a UST, you only need to make ONE call! Call GreenTRAX, Inc. and we will handle everything for you and get it done before settlement, you will not have to delay settlement because of us!
Call today for your free, no-hassle consultation. 410-439-1085
