Oil Tank Replacement, Installations and Removals

Oil tank removals and installations – domestic servicing

Oil tank removals and replacements for home heating are at the core of our skills.  We are experts at removing oil tanks that fuel oil-fired appliances such as boilers, AGAs and Rayburns.  Our friendly teams of OFTEC certified (Oil Firing Technical Association) engineers perform our decommissioning and fuel tank removal work professionally.

Our teams are experienced, trained and fully insured for domestic and commercial installation work.  With over 17 years’ experience our tank removal services are second to none.

How much will it cost to replace my oil tank?

All job requirements are different.  However, we can give you an overview of the average cost of replacing a heating oil tank. The work can be divided into three main parts; labour, materials and the price of the fuel tank.  These are broken down over the next few sections below but here is a typical range of example prices.

• Labour and installation of tank £400 – £800
• Integrally bunded oil tanks cost in the region of £900 – £1400
• Oil monitor gauge – Often included with the Tank for free unless a specific model is requested.
• Outlet – free (this is often included in the tank price)
• Basework £80 – £300
• Fire screen – £0-1000+ Very dependent on the location of the tank. Due to OFTEC and building regulations, tanks need to be protected from any combustible material.
• Tigerloop – £250 if required for a top outlet tank.
• New oil line and trench – up to £500

A simple installation including labour, materials, recycling and removal of the old oil tank can be around £1400 inc. VAT or a more complex install could cost up to £2500 inc. VAT.
All prices are subject to a no-obligation FREE site assessment and will depend on the site requirements and size of the tank.

How much does oil tank installation labour cost?

We charge for labour in terms of half and full days; whether a job is considered a half or full-day is determined by one of our free assessments.  For Domestic customers, a half-day of labour is in the region of £400 and £800 for a full day.

Most installations usually only require a half day with removing an oil tank. However, bear in mind if the place you want to install the tank is particularly complex, due to building and OFTEC regulation requirements, it may take a whole day. The distance to the site is also calculated into the time it will take the team to complete their work.

Labour comes in the form of a 2-man team of OFTEC qualified engineers who will remove your old oil tank and hold your oil in a temporary tank while they install your new one. If the oil is healthy it will be pumped back into your new tank when the job is complete.

How much do the materials cost for an oil install?

This is especially appropriate where a concrete base needs to be constructed for the tank to rest on. Because OFTEC has very specific requirements for the surface the tank rests on, these very often need to be made from scratch.

Another big factor in material cost is fire protection.  Some installations require a fire screen to form a barrier between the tank and non fire-rated objects, as a tank can’t be within certain distances of non fire-rated objects. These fire-rated screens require fixings and construction supports to comply with the manufacturer’s rating.  This all adds to the cost so it may be more ideal to choose an isolated location for your tank.

How much does a new oil tank cost?

There is a wide range of fuel tanks available for installations that we hold in stock.  A typical example would be our SL1000BT DESO 1000 Litre Slimline Bunded Oil Tank at £1290 inc. VAT and an SL1250BT, a similar 1250 Litre version at £1374 inc. VAT.

Vertical, cylindrical tanks are a lot cheaper with a V1230BT DESO 1230 Litre Bunded Oil Tank at £1138.80 inc. VAT or a 1400VB Tuffa 1400 Litre Bunded Oil Tank at £894 inc. VAT

The areas we cover for Domestic tank replacement services

Based in Wiltshire, we cover the whole county and nearby Dorset and Somerset.  We are happy travelling from the south in Salisbury, Amesbury, Tisbury across to Warminster, Trowbridge, Melksham, Westbury and Devizes.

Oil tank replacement coverage extends up to Chippenham, Swindon, Marlborough, Calne and Malmesbury in the North.
In Somerset, we cover many areas including Crewkerne, Yeovil, Milborne Port across to Wincanton, Somerton, Langport, Castle Cary, Bruton and Glastonbury in the middle all the way up to Cheddar, Wells, Shepton Mallet, Frome and Norton St Philip in the North.

We have great access to serve the whole Dorset area including all the major towns and villages such as Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport and Poole in the south of the county, Sherborne, Blandford and Sturminster Newton in mid-county, up across the North of the county, including Shaftesbury and Gillingham.

Oil tank replacement procedure

The procedures for removing domestic heating oil tanks and commercially sized tanks are essentially the same.

Typically, after the initial free assessment of the current oil tank installation, we’ll check your garden for access and perform an environmental risk assessment for oil storage. Then we will present a solution that will comply with current building regulations, oil storage regulations and OFTEC guidelines.  Lastly, after your agreement with the quotation cost and on your instruction, we will start the oil tank removal and replacement by:

• Pumping out your existing oil to our safe holding tank.
• Disconnecting, removing and recycling the old tank within both environmental code and best practices.
• Pressure testing the old oil pipe (if required for re-use)
• Constructing a base suitable for the new tank.
• Installing the oil tank replacement and connecting to the oil feed pipe.
• Transfer of the oil out of the holding tank into the new installation.
• Bleeding the oil pipes, priming the appliances and testing.
• Issue of an OFTEC CD10 completion report and registering the work with OFTEC, who will issue a Certificate of Conformity to you.

Oil storage installation regulations

OFTEC provides a checklist for the installation of oil storage that states a bunded tank is required when the tank:

• Is in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
• Installed in Wales from 15 March 2016
• Capacity is over 2500 Litres
• Is within 10 metres of controlled water
• Located where a spillage could run into an open drain or to a loose-fitting manhole cover
• Within 50 metres of a borehole or spring
• Over hard ground or hard-surfaced ground that could enable spillage run-off to reach controlled water
• Located in a position where the vent pipe outlet is not visible from the fill point
• Supplying heating oil to a building other than a single-family dwelling
• Located within an England ‘Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1’
• Is subject to any other potential hazard individual to the site

An oil tank located in a flood risk area or an area exposed to high winds will require a tank restraint. This prevents the risk of tank tipping and causing damage to itself and potentially leaking oil.

Fire protection for oil installations

Fire risks are also an important concern of ours when we install any fuel storage tanks. Oil tanks need fire protection if the install matches any of OFTEC’s fire hazard checklist, where the oil tank is located within:

• 1.8 metres of a non-fire rated building or structure (less than 30 minutes of fire protection)
• 760 mm of a non-fire rated boundary (less than 30 minutes of fire protection)
• 1.8 metres of non-fire rated eaves (less than 30 minutes of fire protection). That’s 1.8 metres from the part of a roof that meets or overhangs the wall of a building
• 1.8 metres of a construction opening in a building i.e. a door or window
• 1.8 metres of a flue termination i.e. An exhaust duct, pipe or opening in a chimney from a burner appliance of fireplace
• Or on a base which does not extend to a minimum of 300 mm around all sides of the tank

Tuffa fire protected oil tanks provide their own fire rating that is built into the tank.  This makes them suitable for locations where the above regulations would otherwise apply.

Regulators for oil storage

The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) is the trade association for the oil distribution industry in the UK and Republic of Ireland.  It publishes some very useful information for oil tank installation and the safe storage of fuel oils.

The UK Government website also has information on the oil storage regulations and home owner’s responsibilities when removing an oil tank.

Health and safety of our installers

The health and safety of our teams and our clients are always at the forefront of our minds.   In addition to being certified with CHAS who ensure our health and safety exceeds standards, all our staff regularly go through rigorous courses and retraining.

OFTEC  and FPS – advice on getting your oil tank installed