If you need petroleum tank installation in Northern Virginia, spring is a great time to have it done. Why?
For one thing, you’ll have (hopefully) used up your winter supply of home heating oil in your old tank. An empty tank is easier to remove, and – if handled properly – there will be no oil spill to clean up.
In addition, it’s easier to use the equipment needed to remove the old petroleum tank. The ground is soft – but not too soft; and landscaping is easier to see, remove, and replace, if needed.
If you’ve had a steel petroleum tank, you’ve probably had to deal with rust inside and out – plus sludge. Interior rust contributes to sludge, which clogs filters and fills the bottom of the tank, right where the tapping is. And then the oil can’t really get into the burner. Rust on the outside of the tank can cause leaks and the tank’s legs to give out, which would result in a costly oil spill and environmental clean up.
So with new petroleum tank installation, now is the time to look into an alternative to a steel petroleum tank, such as a polyethylene (plastic) double-wall petroleum storage tank. These plastic tanks are new to the American market, however, they’ve been used successfully in Europe since the 1970’s.
It works like this: a polyethylene (plastic) tank is placed inside of a galvanized-steel outer shell. The polyethylene tanks do not rust, and are pressure-tested and liquid-tight. Other features include a leak detector which will sound off if there’s a leak in either tank, and the tapping for the oil to leave the tank is up off the bottom, so oil sludge won’t clog filters.
The double-walled plastic tanks last many years longer than steel tanks, and are highly unlikely to cause expensive spills. While they do cost more than your traditional steel petroleum heating oil tanks, they are well worth it.
For more information on for petroleum tank installation in Northern Virginia, or to discuss other issues with a petroleum tank on your property, please contact SES Mid Atlantic LLC. Serving Northern Virginia and Washington DC residential and commercial markets since 1987, SES Mid Atlantic LLC, specializes in installing, testing, and safely removing above- and below-ground petroleum tanks.