So you live in Rockville, Maryland. It’s a good chance you live on a property that has (or had) an underground storage tank (UST). More specifically a tank used to hold heating oil. Or perhaps you are looking to purchase a property in Rockville, MD and have no clue about heating oil tanks or if you will need oil tank removal? Well my friend, look no further – you have come to the right place.
A Bit About Rockville, MD
Let’s talk about Rockville (great name right?). Rockville sounds strong huh? “I Live in ROCKVILLE, I’m tough like the ground here”. Or not really but sounds cool? OK… lets get back on track…
Rockville was NOT in fact named so, because the ground is full of rocks (although in some parts of Rockville when we remove a buried oil tank and dig out contaminated soil, the name really does fit the bill, so it would make sense to you then if you have seen what we have seen). Rockville was named by the Maryland General Assembly way back in 1801 because of its proximity to Rock Creek. (I know, not as fun right?)
So Rock Creek and Rock Creek Regional Park must be a big part of Rockville then? Aaaaaaagggghhhhnt Wrong again! The majority of Rock Creek is just outside the limits of Rockville, so the MD General Assembly made as much sense in 1801 as they do today. But that’s a topic for another day.
OK time to move on to… OIL TANKS!
Oil Tanks in Rockville, MD
There are many heating oil tanks in Rockville. Maybe your tank is a UST, or tank located below the ground. Maybe you have what we call an AST, or aboveground storage tank. In that case, your tank may be in the basement, garage, shed or outside of the house and is most likely a 275-gallon tank.
What do you need to know if your tank is buried?
Well, a lot actually. Your tank underground is almost certainly much older than 20 years. That’s bad because the average lifespan of a UST is 20 years.
But what’s more is that your UST was probably NOT installed after the year 2000, so it was probably, almost certainly (unless you have proof to the contrary), installed when the house was built. I know what you are thinking “My tank can’t be as old as the house, it was built over 40 years ago, it wouldn’t have lasted that long.”
Well, I’m sorry to tell you it probably was. And guess what. It probably didn’t last that long! We remove many tanks from Rockville, MD and surrounding areas and we do find a lot of leaking tanks. So no, it means it didn’t last that long.
Is my oil tank leaking?
Maybe. Many different factors go into if your tanks gets holes in it or not, such as:
- the type of soil
- if buried electric lines are very close to the tank
- if there is poor drainage over top the tank area
- if your tank has water in it
- the age of tank, the gauge of the steel
- if there is a high water table around the tank
You’re already thinking (if you have a UST) well my tank isn’t leaking! I can tell you for sure, YOU DON’T KNOW. If a homeowner knows that their tank is leaking, that is bad. If the leak has progressed to the point where you know it’s leaking, it has been leaking for years.
Signs of an Oil Tank Leak in Rockville
Signs of a bad leak are:
- dead vegetation and grass downhill from tank
- oil smell in house
- oil in sump pump croc
- a lot of water in the tank
- excess of sludge build up in the tank
The reason you won’t know if tank is leaking is because the soil is packed tightly around the tank and the holes (if there are holes) start very small and grow. It’s a slow or small amount of seepage of oil, but over a long period of time that creates contaminated soil that has to be removed.
Well, great…Now wait?
OK so what to do? Call GreenTRAX, Inc. 410-439-1085, email us at admin@greenTRAXinc.com and we will help you with everything. We make the process quick and simple. We recommend an oil tank REMOVAL in Rockville, MD – it is always better AND CHEAPER to remove the tank instead of abandoning it in-place (or filling it).
Call us for more details on why that is or read my other blogs about that.
How GreenTRAX Does Oil Tank Removal in Rockville, MD
We would use a small, rubber-track mini excavator to remove the tank. Since you are in Rockville your tank is probably a 550-gallon or a 1,000-gallon UST. After the oil tank is removed, we would:
- dig up to the top of tank, cut a hole in it, clean it, remove it, and check for holes
- check the soil and take soil samples
- backfill the hole
- seed & straw the disturbed area
- provide you a closure report that has everything you need to prove the tank was dealt with legally
If your tank is leaking, we will deal with that the same day as well. GreenTRAX owns all our own equipment & trucks and get everything done right away. We have been in the underground tank business for almost 30 years, so we have the experience, the knowledge and expertise to take care of any tank situation you have. We are the best, most efficient and most respected when it comes to residential oil tank removal in Rockville, period. We are expert equipment operators and we have removed tanks and contaminated soil from some tight areas that other companies would not be able to have done.
Your tank is touching your foundation? No problem. A portion of tank is under a small retaining wall, easy peasy.
You tank is under concrete, under your AC unit, under a driveway, under a flagstone patio, under a gas line or electric line, we have done all that before.
Heck, maybe your tank is under your house! We have dealt with that before also.
There is probably nothing we haven’t seen in relation to tanks.
Going Forward with your Rockville Oil Tank
If you will be staying with oil as your heat source, or maybe the oil tank is a backup for a heat pump? Maybe you have oil for your hot water heater or boiler? Or perhaps the buried oil tank is for your pool heater? GreenTRAX will install a new aboveground tank the same day and transfer any good oil from the UST to the new AST. We will properly dispose of all the waste and sludge from the old tank so as not to put that in the new tank.
Just so you know…
Most people have a large UST and do NOT get a large AST, the most common size AST is 275-gallon. But there are larger options is you really want a bigger tank. Or perhaps you have nowhere to install an aboveground tank. We still can install a new underground tank if that’s what you need or want. It costs more money than an aboveground tank, and 99% of people switch from a buried tank to an aboveground tank. So, whatever you may want, we can help you.
Call GreenTRAX, Inc. today and we will be happy to answer all your questions and walk you through the process. 410-439-1085
