Total Tanks is the online shop of”>J Seed & Co based in Preston. J Seed & Co began manufacturing steel oil tanks shortly after the war. Click on the link to learn more about J Seed & Co and see more of our products, as there is only a very small selection of our products listed here.
Steel oil tanks are as popular now as they have even been. So this blog is to answer some questions we commonly get asked.
How Long Do Steel Oil Tanks Last?
Steel oil tanks are designed to last around 20 years but can last longer than this, but they do require some minimal maintenance.
Steel oil tank maintenance can be as simple as repainting the tank as and when needed with a good quality household gloss, but also dipping your tank annually for water, as covered in our last blog, the importance of checking your oil tank regularly.
How Should Steel Tanks Be Installed?
Any steel oil tank supplied by us with a flat bottom must be installed on pillars with bitumen roofing felt between the top and base of the tank. We can supply tanks with channels fitted to the oil tank base to allow air to circulate instead of fitting onto pillars.
When installed, any chips to the paintwork must be touched up using the paint provided. We send out a tin of touch-up paint with all our tanks.
Any tank should be dipped for water annually and documented as part of an annual boiler service. Any water found present must be removed immediately. The bund should also be checked, and any fuel found within the bund must be removed. The filling must be carried out via the OPV if fitted.
The paintwork on a steel tank needs to be maintained as and when required using a good quality household gloss or similar paint.
Any moving parts, such as lid hinges, must be oiled regularly.
All our steel oil tanks are pressure tested upon manufacture and made using a controlled ISO procedure.
Our steel oil tanks are manufactured generally following BS799 part 5 and should be installed as per the relevant section of BS5410.
New Steel Oil Tanks Vs Used Steel Oil Tanks Which Is Better?
As with buying anything used, you need to be very careful to ensure what you are buying is suitable. The critical thing with any used steel tank is the base. If they have yet to be manufactured with feet on (or channels, as we call them), I would be very careful, as lifting the oil tank from its original position could weaken the base or cause it to fail and leak.
Also, you need to check to see if there has been any water inside the tank, as this could have corrupted it from the inside out.
Steel Or Plastic Oil Tanks – Which Is Best For You?
It is a completely personal choice which you go for as there are pros and cons for both. There have been a lot of problems with plastic oil tanks over the years, failing prematurely, and when plastic oil tanks first came onto the market over 30 years ago, many people thought they would last forever, but this was never the case.
We wrote a blog post about Steel Vs Plastic tanks with more details. Click on the link to read more.
Most plastic oil tanks were only ever designed with an anticipated lifespan of 10-15 years However, there was a big problem with a faulty batch of polymer in the 90s, so many people are on their second or even third plastic tank. Plastic oil tanks are lighter, easier to handle, readily available, and don’t require painting, but they can get damaged easily. Steel oil tanks can be made in any size or shape. Therefore, they are far more secure than plastic tanks but are heavier. Therefore they require more thought about how you will get them into position. Also, they are mainly made to order, so lead times are longer.
5 Reasons Why You Should Use A Steel Oil Tank.
- They are designed with a 20-year anticipated lifespan
- More secure than plastic oil tanks
- It can be made in any size or shape
- It can be painted any colour
- Inlets and outlets can be in any position on your tank so that the outlet can be one end and the fill point the opposite, for instance
Contact Us!
Need help with your steel tank? Our helpful, knowledgeable staff are on hand to help. We have many years of experience, and know everything there is about steel tanks!
