In the past I have written a number of articles about underground fuel tanks, both heating oil and gasoline tanks. Such tanks were common in older homes and, sometimes, I find homes where the tanks are still in use supplying a furnace.
The most common signs of a storage tank underground consist of seeing either the vent, or breather, pipe.

Or a fill pipe or cap.

The first photo is a vent at an underground oil tank. The next one is the fill tube and cap for an old underground gasoline tank. Another thing the inspector might see is a small diameter copper pipe entering a basement or a crawl space wall.
Since I have written about this topic before, my intent here is to show a schematic view of what these systems look like if one can only get under the soil. I have had clients who are confused by the configuration. They cannot visualize how the system is setup. I think the photo below makes it all pretty clear. That is the fill pipe at the right and the vent at the left. You can also see a fuel line entering the home.

Thanks for stopping by,
Steven L. Smith





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4 Comments on Looking Under the Surface -- Can You Dig It!
Not being able to see what is under the ground, it looks like you have to be a good detective to know what is going on.
Do these tanks deteriorate underground? Just wondering how to determine the condition of the tank.
Yep, buried.
These tanks do deteriorate, leaking oil into the soil. They can become a major nightmare for the homeowner since all contaminated soil has to be removed and disposed of in an ecological manner.
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