Our domestic oil tanks comply with British fuel storage standards and allow for the safe containment and supply of oil. All bunded oil tanks should be installed by an OFTEC registered installer in accordance with statutory requirements.
Who are OFTEC?
OFTEC establishes the standards for competence within the domestic oil heating and cooking industry. By ensuring the quality of people and businesses working in this area, OFTEC maintains standards for reputable companies and consumers alike.
What is an OFTEC approved installer/engineer?
They are a trained and approved competent person who is approved by OFTEC to install and service domestic and commercial oil tanks. Your oil tank must be installed by an OFTEC engineer and to maintain the 10 year warranty the tank must be inspected every year.
Tank location - OFTEC guidelines
Oil tanks are required to comply with fire separation distances in order to adequately protect the stored fuel from a fire or heat source, that may originate nearby. Tanks should be sited:
- 1.8m away from non-fire rated eaves of a building
- 1.8m away from a non-fire rated building or structure (e.g. garden sheds)
- 1.8m away from openings (such as doors or windows) in a fire rated building or structure (e.g. brick built house/garage)
- 1.8m away from oil fired appliance flue terminals
- 760mm away from a non-fire rated boundary such as a wooden boundary fence
- 600mm away from screening (e.g. trellis and foliage) that does not form part of the boundary
If it is impossible to comply with these requirements, then a fire protection barrier with at least 30 minutes fire rating should be installed, please call us for more details. A minimum separation distance of 100mm is required between the tank and fire-rated barrier.
View our fire-protected Domestic Oil Tanks
Tank base and support - OFTEC guidelines
The need to provide a suitable base and support for your oil tank is of paramount importance for reasons of both safety and environmental protection. The base should be:
- Adequate for the weight of the tank
- Non-combustible, imperforate and level
- Constructed of concrete, paving stones or stonework
- Large enough to extend 300mm beyond all sides of the tank
If an oil storage tank is not adequately supported, the tank itself can be weakened leading to the eventual failure and escape of the stored fuel. During the life of an installation, an oil storage tank base will need to provide continual structural support, even though ground conditions may alter from season to season and year to year.
To comply with British Standards, the base material should be one of the following laid on a hardcore base to give an imperforate base:
- Concrete at least 100mm thick
- Paving stones at least 50mm thick
- Stonework at least 50mm thick
The overall size of the base should be larger than the oil storage tank and any integral oil storage tank bund, so that when the oil storage tank is installed, the base has a clear projection of a minimum of 300mm around all sides of the oil storage tank.
