Many older homes have unused heating oil tanks buried in the ground or located elsewhere on their properties. Those heating oil tanks might be in a state of disrepair and need to be removed. Instead of undertaking heating oil tank removal yourself, you should speak to an experienced contractor to do the job right. Here's why you should hire pro services to remove your home's heating oil tank.

Leftover Heating Oil Could Be Dangerous

Heating oil is flammable and potentially very dangerous when you try to remove an old heating oil tank. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, you get 138,500 Btu of energy per gallon of heating oil. While old heating oil likely isn't going to ignite, it is still a possibility. Using a backhoe to dig one out of the ground might cause sparks that ignite leftover heating oil inside the tank. An experienced crew can remove the tank safely and prevent any potentially tragic accidents from occurring.

Degraded Tanks Might Leak Heating Oil

Many old heating oil tanks collect water from condensation. That water causes rust and corrosion, which weaken the metal and make it prone to leaking its contents. Even if an above-ground tank isn't visibly leaking or a buried tank isn't leaking while in the ground, you might rupture the degraded tank while trying to move it with heavy equipment. Hiring an experienced heating oil tank removal service is the best way to protect against rupturing an old heating oil tank and contaminating the soil on your property. An experienced service has the equipment and expertise needed to minimize the potential for a dangerous incident.

Soil Might Require Remediation

It's important to ensure that your property is not a source of groundwater or soil contamination. Unfortunately, many old heating oil tanks degrade so badly that they leak their contents into the surrounding soil. Experts in tank removal also provide site remediation work, which contains and removes any soil contamination. This will keep your property and any groundwater beneath it clean and safe.

Need your oil tank removed from your property? If so, then you can get in touch with Tank Specialists Plus, LLC to learn more about our heating oil tank removal service. We look forward to learning how we can meet your needs.