What to Do When You Find an Abandoned Oil Tank

So you found an old oil tank on your property. Don’t freak out — this happens to tons of New Jersey homeowners. Maybe you’re selling your house, or just poking around your basement. Either way, here’s how to handle it without losing your mind.

Proguard Insurance

Step Back and Take Stock

Don’t go near that thing yet. Even empty tanks can have leftover oil or nasty vapors hanging around. Keep your kids and pets away too.

Grab your phone and snap some pictures. Different angles work best. Jot down where it is and roughly how big it looks. See any pipes running to your heating system? Write that down too.

What Kind of Tank Are You Dealing With?

Is this thing still working, or has it been sitting there like a rusty lawn ornament for decades? Look for obvious problems — rust eating through the metal, dents, oil puddles nearby.

Underground tanks are the real headaches. Most got buried way back in the 40s and 50s. After 25 years or so, they start leaking. If yours is from that time, you’ve probably got a problem on your hands.

Quick check — look at your heating bills. Using oil to heat your house? No? Then that tank’s gotta go.

Time to Call Someone Who Knows What They’re Doing

This isn’t something you want to tackle yourself. Tank removal needs special licenses and equipment you don’t have in your garage. Plus, there’s a ton of paperwork and permits involved.

Oil Tank Remediation NJ companies handle the whole mess from start to finish. They’ll check if there’s contamination and figure out how to protect your property value.

Get a few quotes, but watch out for the lowball guys. Some companies throw out cheap numbers, then nickel and dime you with extras later.

Insurance Stuff You Should Know

Here’s something that’ll surprise you — regular homeowner’s insurance usually doesn’t cover tank problems. Proguard Insurance actually covers oil tank issues that most other policies ignore completely.

Some tank removal companies offer guarantees on their soil samples. If they find contamination after they pull your tank out, they’ll pay for the cleanup. That’s pretty sweet.

Got a tank that’s still working? You can get protection for about $59 a month. Covers up to $150,000 if your tank decides to start leaking.

Don’t Skip the Soil Testing

Old tanks and dirty soil go together like peanut butter and jelly. Professional testing tells you if oil leaked into the ground around your tank.

Soil Remediation near Me NJ services clean up contaminated dirt the right way. They test everything before and after to make sure it’s actually clean.

Trust me on this — contaminated soil makes selling your house a nightmare. Plus, it’s not exactly healthy for your family.

How Tank Removal Actually Works

Underground Oil Tank Removal NJ isn’t rocket science, but it takes know-how. Workers pump out any leftover oil first. Then they clean the inside and carefully dig the whole thing out.

It takes about one or two days, depending on the size and where it’s buried. They use special equipment so they don’t wreck your driveway or turn your yard into a crater.

After they haul the tank away, they fill the hole back up and try to make your yard look normal again. Good companies stand behind their work too.

Don’t Wait Around

Tank removal takes time because of all the permits and scheduling. Selling your house? Start this process yesterday.

Buyers love asking for tank removal before they’ll sign on the dotted line. Having your paperwork ready makes everything go smoother.

But some situations can’t wait. Smelling strong petroleum odors? Tank obviously leaking? Call someone today.

Wrapping Up

An old tank doesn’t have to torpedo your plans. Working with pros who know what they’re doing protects your investment and lets you sleep at night. Make sure you get documentation for everything they do. You’ll need those papers to prove you followed the rules and to help with any future sales.

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