NJ Oil Tank Locating and Tank Sweep Services
Tank locating in NJ is mandatory. Prior to purchasing any property, it is incumbent upon the buyer to hire tank sweep services so one can be certain that there is no oil tank underground and if there is then the home buyer would have to opt for oil tank removal. This is a mandate as per the building code in the state of NJ and many other states in the country as well as in many other countries.
Having an underground oil tank is not desirable for various reasons and the two most significant ones are financial liability out of any damage that the oil tank would cause, inevitably, to the property and the hazards to the environment, local surrounding including soil and land as well as the health of the residents and neighbors.
The two primary concerns that compel tank sweep or tank locating are leakages or oil spills and sinkholes. There can be many other damages to the property due to an old abandoned tank underground. Many homeowners are aware of such an oil tank being underground but most homebuyers have to find out unless being told by the seller. Tank locating is also necessary because the insurance companies normally do not cover any expenses that are incurred due to damage caused by underground oil tanks and if there is an expense of anywhere from $10,000 up to $100,000 which would be unavoidable in case of any damage, the new homeowner or the homebuyer would have to bear the entire amount. Thus, tank sweep is necessary and after tank locating, oil tank removal is imperative. Either the tanks must be removed completely or they should be back filled properly according to the building codes issued by the municipalities.
Here are a few aspects you may wish to look at to know if you have to hire tank sweep services.
- Properties that were built before 1975 would typically have underground oil tanks because of the natural gas heat that was prevalently used back then.
- If there is an oil tank above the ground for the purpose of providing fuel to heat water or for home heating purposes then there may be an underground oil tank as well.
- If you find pipes that are in any specific part of your home such as the driveway or simply protruding out from the ground somewhere then that is an indication as well.
- At times, some pipes or extra lines would be present in the basement originating from somewhere outside which may not have any utility you can think of right now.
Tank locating is not difficult provided you hire efficient tank sweep services from an experienced and licensed contractor or company. Using special and sophisticated metal detectors and various tank sweep methods, expert technicians can easily cater to tank locating and can help you with oil tank removal. Such an exercise, at the least the tank sweep to know if there is one, should be done by every home buyer.