Many older homes in the Long Island and New York area had underground oil tanks when the house was built, or had coal fired boilers that were converted to oil.
Many also had underground oil tanks for these boilers, and are now seeing the light of day after a home inspection is performed. Home Inspectors are on the lookout for these tanks and sometimes there are signs that they exist, and sometimes not.
The house that I inspected yesterday in Amityville, NY had these signs of an underground oil tank. Copper oil lines, 3/8 " diameter (see picture below), were found protruding from the foundation wall below grade. Also, a petrometer was found mounted on the wall in the basement and these were used to pressurize the tank which would give you a reading telling you how much oil was left in the tank.
I found both of these at the home inspection yesterday and, of course, had to bring it to the attention of the buyer as well as the real estate agents on site. In my report, I recommended that the property be checked for an underground oil tank as there were no outside signs such as piping protruding from the ground indicating an oil tank existed on the property.
Typically, if the seller has no proof that the tank was abandoned, such as a certificate from the oil tank contractor, we have to recommend an oil tank contractor be called in.
If it is found that a leak has occurred underground, cleanup costs can be astronomical. Who bears the cost of this is not the decision of the home inspector and it is worked out by the attorneys involved in the transaction.
Sometimes sellers hide the signs that the tank existed by covering or removing the copper lines or removing the petrometer from the wall. This can be a real problem for the home inspector, especially if it is found out after the buyer moves in. We typically tell the buyer or the buyer's agent to ask the seller if they have any knowledge of an underground oil tank or perhaps abandonment paperwork if it has been done by a proper contractor. Some sellers will state that the tank was abandoned, but they offer no proof in the form of a receipt or a certificate from the oil tank abandonment contractor.
When buying an older home from the early 1980's and previous, it is very important to determine if an underground tank was present. -Ray
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