Basement Tanks

Tank Exchange Program

MTR offers an in-basement oil tank exchange program for older, leaking, or sludge-plugged in-basement, in-garage, or inground tanks. This includes the removal and installation of any of the 26 AST tank configuration packages saving you hundreds of dollars!

MTR is equipped to handle any type of removal and or install. Our courteous staff can perform an oil tank exchange generally in a couple of hours and a reasonable cost thereby limiting down time. The work is done professionally and neat.

Tank Configuration

There are many configurations of basement oil tanks – one or more will certainly be a perfect fit for your situation! (See Installations page).

Most recognizable is the traditional single-walled tank (available in 275 and 330 gallon capacities*), such as those manufactured by Granby Industries. These oval-shaped tanks are constructed of 12 gauge ASTM A 1011 known as (the new steel). The external surface is finished with electrostatic baked powder paint and offers a ten-year warrantee. The dimensions are 28 inches wide and either 5 feet (275 gallon) or 6 feet (330 gallon) long. Magnetic oil level sensor with optional LED display and a “whistling” fill vent complete the new tank installation. The most commonly installed of all tank types, these single-walled steel tanks will provide many decades of safe and economical indoor heating oil storage.

Double-walled tanks, such as those manufactured by Roth, are also available. They provide the added security of a double-wall containment system. The Roth system offers the added advantage of being able to better fit through doorways, down stairs, and in smaller areas where the traditional oval tanks would be inappropriate. Roth tanks offer a one million dollar accidental pollution liability insurance standard for the homeowner, provided the installers are Roth certified (all MTR’s installers are Roth certified). Some towns also require a double-wall tank for basement replacement systems, due to an aquifer.

*Most towns allow for installation of multiple integrated tanks for capacities of 680 gallons or less. Tanks are installed to code by MTR`s licensed installers and are inspected and tested to ensure years of trouble-free service.

Outdoor On-ground Tanks need to be placed on a floating slab. MTR’s steel-reinforced, six-inch thick concrete slabs are constructed in various sizes to accommodate any AST package considered by the homeowner.

Home heating oil begins to degrade when temperatures drop below 20°F. If an outdoor AST installation is your only option, we recommend using Fuel Right® COLD FLOW which protects outdoor tanks during the winter months. Lowers pour point to -25°F. Cold Flow also contains glycol ether to provide anti-freeze protection for systems water deposits in them. Dose: One 6-ounce bottle per 250 gallons for full protection. One bottle of Cold Flow is equal in protection to two bottles of most competitive “multi-purpose” additives.

Indoor Basement Tank Removal

MTR’s process for in-basement oil tank removal varies depending on the home. In some homes the oil tank can be removed in one piece. Others were added onto or were simply installed before the home was completely constructed. This process is different.

The remaining oil is transferred into a holding tank.
The lines are purged and removed.
The pipes are cut and removed.
If necessary, the tank is cut into pieces, cleaned and then removed in sections.
The holes in the side of the house are sealed.

In-ground Tank Removal (see In-ground Tanks)

Convert to natural gas

Leaving your basement tank in place for future removal can have undesirable consequences which insurance will not pay! The unused oil tank is likely to leak sooner due to the lack of usage. The natural condensation remains stagnant on the inside, which causes it to leak more quickly than if it were still in service.

Reasons to consider removing your unused tank now!

In the past, basement oil tanks were made poorly and installed improperly, causing premature wear and leaks.

Hazards: Even if a basement tank has been pumped, it is not empty. It is impossible to pump a tank clean to the point that it poses no environmental threat. The remaining sludge and liquid (collectively between 10 and 20 gallons) still poses a hazard if a leak were to occur, as so often happens. Full tanks, half-full tanks, and even so-called ‘empty’ tanks can leak.
Space: Think of what you can do with the additional storage space!
Pitch: In order to keep accumulated condensation from causing premature interior rusting, the basement oil tank must be pitched (sloped) towards the filter, allowing the condensation to exit daily to the inline filter.
Oil line: Today’s oil line is coated with poly butyl ethylene, which allows the oil line to touch or be poured directly into concrete. This eliminates the corrosive, leak-causing effects of concrete on uncoated oil lines.
Venting: Codes now require a 2-inch venting system (same size as the fill) to allow the air to escape your tank as fast as it is being filled. Back in the day, the oil trucks had few or no fuel transfer pumps, mainly allowing gravity to transfer fuel oil into basement tanks. With today’s high volume pumps, fuel oil drivers must take measures not to over-pressurize older in-basement oil tanks in order to prevent leaks.
Maintenance: By starting fresh with a clean system your furnace’s efficiency will increase! Having a clean tank you can now maintain your fuel with Fuel-Rite®, which will eliminate sludge deposits not only in the oil tank but in the filters, screens and nozzles which will make your burner most efficient.
The New Steel: Steel has been a part of our lives for more than 150 years, yet today we describe it as “new”….with good reason! The steel industry has invested over $50 billion in the latest technologies to make steel more innovative, lower in cost to you and stronger than ever. Here’s an example of steel’s high strength. If the Sears Tower in Chicago (one of the world’s tallest buildings) were erected today, 35 percent less steel would be needed than when it went up in 1974.