oil tank weeping on bottom

[stratman1]

Does anyone know what to use? I dried the fitting and then tried Permatex 2 but that didn't work.

I can not remove the pipe on the bottom of the tank to put sealant, if I do the tank will drain.

I have a oil tank goes to my oil furnace. It is just weeping a very little bit, stains the bottom of the tank and then drips.

Any ideas?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Start looking for a replacement as that tank is telling you it's on it's way out. Around here you can find used tanks on CL for fairly cheap.

A quick fix might be some gastank repair putty/epoxy.

 

[kd3pc]

not a good situation, any surface treatment is just going to be dissolved or overpowered by the oil, it is a solvent. Leak indicates a failure in the integrity of the tank.

You really need to drain the tank and see what is actually leaking. If it is an old tank, the threads may be rusting out, as water will collect in the low points. If you have moisture paste and a dip stick, you may be able to see just how much water is collected there. Just be careful "poking"

Not sure what you mean by the pipe at the bottom of the tank, as most tanks will have a suction tube that enters at the top, and the end of that is always a few inches off the bottom, so as to not **** water in to your system. The return should also enter the top of the tank.

You can use oil diapers or drip pans to buy a few months, but eventually that leak will get bigger. And if the tank is rusty, a larger area may fail. I would use the oil up and then drain what is left to investigate or just replace it. Gallons of fuel oil in your basement will be a very costly cleanup, much more so than replacing the tank on your terms.

 

[sberry]

The fitting is probably loose, I would be a little scared to mess with it full of fuel in case it snapped off while trying to tighten. Put a catcher under it for now, run it down low, take the last of the fuel off in cans, work on tank, dump fuel back in.
My son working on mine, we cut a piece out of the bottom and welded a new one back in.

 

[ratdoggy]

Pig mats and start looking for a new tank. I had a friend whose tank weeped for years.He was unaware of it until it got to a wetlands area behind his house and the EPA got involved. Really bad situation then.
Just run it empty and put in a new one. Summers just around the corner

 

[NUTTSGT]

Not sure what you mean by the pipe at the bottom of the tank, as most tanks will have a suction tube that enters at the top, and the end of that is always a few inches off the bottom, so as to not **** water in to your system. The return should also enter the top of the tank.

Most of the tanks in this area like mine, draw out the bottom of the tank. Doesn't matter either for the OP, if the leak let's go, he's going to have a heck of a mess in his basement or where ever the tank is located.

 

[sberry]

It isn't much of a danger that its going to let go but to bust a fitting off while trying to turn it. No way to plug it off if you don't have a stick handy.

 

[Strouty]

Just so you know it can be a huge deal. If all the oil leaks out, you could lose your house. I have seen situations where they have to move the house to get all the oil out of the ground. If it is in your basement it would be just as bad, you will smell heating oil forever. The EPA is serious as **** about that. Get the oil out of the tank and either reseal the fitting or replace the tank.

 

[chruler]

This is nothing to mess around with. It needs to be dealt with sooner than later. Hopefully it's just the fitting.

 

[sberry]

Donnt panic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take a breath.

 

[Movover]

IF the tank looks in good condition we have replaced quite a few valves that were leaking by putting a shop vac on the fill pipe, and plugging the vent pipe. This will pull enough of a vacuum to let you change the valve and seal it with very minimal leakage. Should be done with a near empty tank and a minimum of 2 people and a stopper like this just in case things go south


I should add this was done using a small shop vac, or one service guy used his boiler cleaning vac

 

[sberry]

Gread idea about the stopper.

 

[CNGsaves]

Good time to start researching converting the whole house over to Natural Gas !!

Heating oil is way overpriced and messy, nasty "solution" for home heating.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Good time to start researching converting the whole house over to Natural Gas !!

Heating oil is way overpriced and messy, nasty "solution" for home heating.

It wasn't over priced this year and Natty Gas isn't available in all areas.

 

[Strouty]

Currently heating oil is cheaper than any form of heat out there. It is just over $2.00 a gallon right now. Even wood is more expensive than that!

 

[Jackfre]

Movover's shop vac use is surprisingly effective. That said, do you want to take a chance? Time for a new oil tank. Given the expense involved, it is time for a full evaluation of appliances, cost, comfort, etc before putting any money in a new tank.

 

[rburke65]

There was an old farm house down the road that sold and the new owners were going to doze and build. They hit a buried tank in the basement and it had oil in it that leaked to the ground. Oozed outside down through the back yards, then out to the road into a drainage ditch. Down the ditch into a pond that the local greenhouse/landscaper/garden center uses for his plants and seasonal crops. You talk about a mess?! EPA all over the place. I saw more new...sparkly Caterpillar equipment then you would see at a dealership! the new owner was delayed almost 3 years on his new home build. Was not pretty. All over a leaking tank! Good luck.....

 

[BillK]

Strat,
I don't know why nobody else has suggested this, but why don't you call your oil supplier and have them take a look at it ? That would be my first phone call. When we had oil heat we were on a maintenance plan and I am pretty sure the tank was included.

Just a thought,

 

[dfiler2]

I have had a few tanks emptied by the oil supplier they bring their truck and meter how much they pump out, I'm sure all will do it. They do leave a few gallons in the bottom so they don't **** up any water.

 

[stratman1]

I should have provided more info. The tank is in the basement and in very good condition, its about 15 years old.

The weep is from the very first fitting that comes out of the bottom of the tank. I did try to tighten it. The next pipe is a 4 inch pipe that has a shut off valve on it that goes over to the furnace. Unfortunately the shut off is after the weep.

I asked the guy that fills the tank and he said ya no problem we will pump out the tank into a holding tank and do the repair and replace the oil. That is what I did not want.

I went to the hardware store and asked and the guy gave me JB Weld. I don't think so.

 

[k-os]

I asked the guy that fills the tank and he said ya no problem we will pump out the tank into a holding tank and do the repair and replace the oil. That is what I did not want.

Why don't you want someone that works with this everyday to do this? Did he say how much it would cost?

 

[CNGsaves]

OP . . . . WHERE are you located?? Update GJ Profile with City/State/Country.

Post up pics and GJer's with heating oil experience will give you best advice.

In general, you WILL want to empty the tank and make sure your "fix" will indeed stop the leak. With 15 yrs of crud on bottom of tank, this might be good time to clean out tank anyway. When fuel oil supplier pumps out tank they will run it through filters to catch any crud. Once tank is empty, would be great idea to flush it clean.

Likely best to pay proper vendor and make sure this is done right.

 

[ratdoggy]

OP . . . . WHERE are you located?? Update GJ Profile with City/State/Country.

Post up pics and GJer's with heating oil experience will give you best advice.

In general, you WILL want to empty the tank and make sure your "fix" will indeed stop the leak. With 15 yrs of crud on bottom of tank, this might be good time to clean out tank anyway. When fuel oil supplier pumps out tank they will run it through filters to catch any crud. Once tank is empty, would be great idea to flush it clean.

Likely best to pay proper vendor and make sure this is done right.

Good idea to clean out the sludge too. I had my line blocked and yes you can disconnect it at the filter and blow out the line to the tank but you only find out at night when it's -20 out and you have no heat

 

[Bondo]

OP . . . . WHERE are you located?? Update GJ Profile with City/State/Country.

Post up pics and GJer's with heating oil experience will give you best advice.

In general, you WILL want to empty the tank and make sure your "fix" will indeed stop the leak. With 15 yrs of crud on bottom of tank, this might be good time to clean out tank anyway. When fuel oil supplier pumps out tank they will run it through filters to catch any crud. Once tank is empty, would be great idea to flush it clean.

Likely best to pay proper vendor and make sure this is done right.

Ayuh,.... I don't pay to have done what I can do,.... Never have,......

If I were facin' the situation the OP is lookin' at,....
I'd gather enough 55gal. drums for the amount of oil in the tank,....
Get a pump, 'n rig rubber lines to pump off the leakin' tank, into the drums,....
When empty,...
Remove the outlet fittin', 'n see Why it sprung a leak,....

Then put it back together, 'n pump the fuel back in,....

Seein's I've already got a 12v transfer system, with a filter, I'd have just polished the fuel twice, just by movin' it,....

As for the Crud that grows in #2 fuel tanks,....
Addin' a bio-cide to kill it is the best way to get rid of it,...
I dope my tank every few years, or did, before I started heatin' with wood,...
The tankful there now, was well doped when delivered,...

The caveat is, ya wanta have a few spare filters on yer shelf, as they'll plug with the crud in the 1st few months after dopin' a bad tankful of fuel,....

 

[Alan Douglas]

Seems to me you want someone familiar with local conditions, who has seen the common problems and has the experience with what works to fix them.

My own experience: the tank was in the cellar in 1955 when we bought the house. There's a couple inches of space below the outlet for sludge to accumulate, and eventually, about five years ago, it finally blocked the outlet. I removed the center port with the gauge and rodded that end of the tank; it took several changes of filters to catch the loose crud (and I eventually had the service guy clean the lines and install a more modern filter). Last fall I had a new line installed to replace the copper buried in the concrete floor, on the recommendation of the service man. We though it perhaps best not to clean the sludge from the tank ("if it ain't broke...").

No leaks ever, burner runs just fine.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

IF the tank looks in good condition we have replaced quite a few valves that were leaking by putting a shop vac on the fill pipe, and plugging the vent pipe. This will pull enough of a vacuum to let you change the valve and seal it with very minimal leakage. Should be done with a near empty tank and a minimum of 2 people and a stopper like this just in case things go south


I should add this was done using a small shop vac, or one service guy used his boiler cleaning vac

Good way to turn your shop vac into a flame thrower...

Tommy

 

[Movover]

I guess it could, if it was gasoline I would say I agree, fuel oil does not light easily at all. But I do agree it could be a chance that some people shouldn't take. Void where prohibited, see rules for details, no warranty impressed or implied.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I guess it could, if it was gasoline I would say I agree, fuel oil does not light easily at all.

Liquid fuel oil is not explosive. It is however, flammable, especially when it's atomized. How do you think an oil fired furnace or boiler works? You're pulling fuel oil vapor through a brush motor...

Tommy

 

[TractorJeff]

Done it on railroad engines! Weeping gasket on the inspection port. Put shop vac on tank to pull a vacuum, removed cover, watched in fascination the quivering fuel while changing the gasket!