When you are moving onto a property that heats the house and structures with heating oil, it's likely that there are tanks in the area. However, it may appear that no tanks exist on the land but they're underground. To be safe, those tanks should be located and inspected. How can you know if you've got one? Try these ideas.

1. Chat with the Previous Owner

The first person to check with would be the person you bought the property from. Either they know from firsthand experience, or prior sellers may have given them information about tanks that were no longer being used. 

2. Meet Municipal Building Staff

Depending on the rules set out by your local municipal government, there could be some laws or guidelines about property oil tanks. In addition, the owner who had the tanks placed underground might have needed some permits in order to do so lawfully. They may also have information about the neighborhood; many houses in the same area had underground tanks at the same time. Therefore, if other homes in the area had tanks, yours might too. The permits office and your zoning office should be able to assemble enough information about your new property to determine whether underground tanks could very well still be there. 

3. Do Some Investigating

If you're still coming up without a definitive answer about whether heating oil tanks are buried on your property, it's time to use your vision and investigative skills. There could be clues out in the open that can tip you off to possible signals about the existence of tanks.

For instance, if you walk into the room with the furnace, boiler, or water heater, and there's a pipe poking out from the floor or wall without being attached to any equipment, there is a pretty good chance that an oil tank was there at one time. It could have been buried in the backyard or elsewhere.

Outdoor signals are very easy to see, if you know what you're supposed to be watching for. One patch of grass could be brown when the rest of the ground is green, for example. You might also notice a covered, small vent pipe.

With some sleuthing, you can get a pretty good idea of whether oil tanks under the ground are a concern. Discuss with heating oil companies how best to proceed or know for sure so that the tanks can be located and inspected. For more information, visit a site such as https://www.cashoilco.com/.

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