Oil tank: Dispose of old fuel oil tank properly + cost overview
- Rules and Legal
- Cleaning and decommissioning
- Dispose of oil tank
- Disposal by specialist company
- residual oil
- procedure
- costs
- Checklist: Oil tank disposal
Perhaps you have opted for a new heating system and therefore have to dispose of your old fuel oil tank ">
Rules and Legal
One drop of oil is sufficient to contaminate 600 liters of water. Because of the great danger emanating from the environment, heating oil is considered a substance hazardous to water.
The provisions of the Water Resources Act (WHG) oblige tank system operators to commission a special specialist company for the disposal or decommissioning of their heating oil tanks. More details are regulated in the Ordinance on Installations for Handling Substances Hazardous to Water (VAwS). This ordinance states that the operator of an installation has the obligation to instruct only authorized specialist companies with the installation, maintenance, repair and cleaning if he wishes to dispose of or shut down an oil tank.
Cleaning and decommissioning
Before an oil tank is dismantled and disposed of, it must be cleaned by a specialist company in accordance with § 19 I WHG. These specialist companies issue a certificate of proper cleaning to the tanker operator. Instead of disposal, a decommissioning of the heating oil tank can be done here, this makes sense if you want to continue using the tank at a later date. Decommissioned fuel oil tanks must be reported to the water authority.
There are 2 types:
- Temporary closure
- Final decommissioning
When temporarily decommissioning, only the tank system and the piping system are cleaned. During the final decommissioning, apart from disassembling the inner sheaths, the leak indicator and the leakage protection system, the removal or refilling of the oil tank with a solid material takes place.
Note: Oil tanks should always be cleaned every 5 - 7 years.
Dispose of oil tank
A self-disposal of the fuel oil tank is basically possible, but this must have been previously expertly cleaned. The exact regulations please inquire with your responsible water authority, since there are different regulations of the individual federal states, from which size one may carry out the self-disposal. However, one should know that self-disposal involves some risk. Should damage to the tank occur due to improper disassembly and subsequent transport, then no insurance will be provided. Personal liability insurance does not cover such work and oil tank insurance only covers damage that occurs during normal operation.
Disposal by specialist company
As a specialist company according to the water budget law, who has a right according to §19 I WHG can apply. These companies were, for example, tested by the TÜV and ensure with their expert staff and the right equipment for a safe cleaning, disassembly and disposal of their old fuel oil tank. The involvement of a specialized company for the disposal of old fuel oil tanks is regulated differently in the federal states. Basically, it is a specialized company from 1000 or 10, 000 liters tank volume for disassembly and disposal consult.
residual oil
If you just replace your oil tank, the oil will be pumped or pumped out by the specialist garage. The latter is credited to the disposal costs of the old fuel oil tank. However, if you are planning to change the type of heating, you can first use up most of the fuel in your heating oil tank. The remaining amount of residual oil can then be pumped or transported by a specialist company to a neighbor or acquaintance.
procedure
Before the removal of the actual oil tank, the connections between the boiler and the tank system are disconnected and all piping removed and cleaned. Thereafter, the remaining fuel oil is pumped out. When the oil tank is empty, the employees of the specialist company start with a thorough cleaning of the inside of the tank, whereby oil sludge and other residues from the tank are completely removed. Finally, the oil tank is loaded and transported away, depending on the size of the container is preceded by a professional disassembly.
Procedure cellar tank
- Oil level measurement
- Pump off residual oil
- Remove oil sludge
- Degassing, cleaning and degreasing the fuel oil tank
- Disassembly with cutting tool
- Disposal of the oil tank
- Possibly. Acceptance by experts
- Issue of a decommissioning certificate
Procedure Erdtank
- Oil level measurement
- Pump off residual oil
- Remove oil sludge
- Degassing, cleaning and degreasing the fuel oil tank
- Exposing and lifting out the oil tank
- Disposal of the oil tank and backfilling of the pit
- Acceptance by experts
- Issue of a decommissioning certificate
costs
The costs for an oil tank disposal are quite different, especially the settlement of the journey and disposal of the residual oil, can vary greatly from specialist to specialist.
The most important cost parameters are:
- tank size
- tank type
- Residual oil quantity
- interior Skin
Note: There are also package deals in which simply according to the size of the heating oil tank is charged. Price comparisons are worthwhile.
| tank type | tank size | Prices |
| steel tank |
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| Plastic tank |
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| battery tanks |
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| Underground tank |
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Further costs are:
- around 200 € for the disposal of the inner shell up to approx. 20, 000 l tank volume
- around 70 € for the relocation of residual fuel oil
Checklist: Oil tank disposal
- Use up most of the fuel oil (calculate requirements in time)
- Possibly. Locate customers for residual oil
- Obtain cost estimates from specialized oil tank cleaning companies
- Obtain offers for the disposal of the fuel oil tank
- Possibly. Clear the cellar or garden for cleaning and removal
- Decommission the oil tank at the lower water authority
