A guide to domestic oil storage

This guide is aimed at domestic users of heating oil with tanks less than 3500 litres capacity. If you are a looking for information on commercial/industrial buildings, schools, community centres or other public buildings, please refer to OFTEC for advice about requirements.

Maintenance & Installation of your domestic heating oil storage tank

• Always use an OFTEC registered technician for any work on your oil tank, pipework or appliances. This includes both installation and maintenance.
• Ideally you should have your oil tank yearly by an OFTEC registered technician.
• Home insurance policies vary as to whether they will cover heating oil tanks but, if they do, they do expect them to be kept in good condition.

Heating Oil Tanks

• Heating oil can be stored in domestic oil storage tanks made from either plastic or steel.
• Ideally plastic tanks should comply with the OFTEC standard OFST100 and steel tanks with OFSTT200.
• In some situations (e.g. where the tank is within 10m of inland coastal waters or 50m of a well or borehole, or if located in a building) you may need to have a bunded tank i.e. a tank that has some form of secondary containment to prevent spills.
• Domestic oil storage tank installations need to comply with building regulations – section J.
• Heating oil tanks can be located above ground, underground or even inside a building (subject to compliance with regulations relating to fire safety and ground water protection).
• Domestic heating oil tanks must be located on a suitably strong base that can support the weight of the tank when full, be made from non-combustible materials e.g. concrete or stone, and must extend 300mm beyond the edge of the tank.

Oil Tank Location

• There are certain circumstances when planning permission may be required for an oil tank e.g. if the height of tank is more than 3m above ground level, larger than 3500 litres, near a public highway, located underground, if your property is listed, if your property is in a conservation area or if the tank is going to be located in the front garden. Contact your local planning office or refer to the planning portal for advice and full details.
• For fire separation purposes, building regulations state how close an oil tank can be to buildings that are fire rated e.g. houses and brick garages and non-fire rated e.g. wooden sheds as well as boundary fences, screening and trellis work. So, before locating your oil tank you must get advice from an OFTEC registered technician about this or refer to the OFTEC website.