How rusted is too rusted?

[sepefrio]

Image Insert:

169.6 KB

Image Insert:

173.54 KB

Image Insert:

163.05 KB

Image Insert:

170 KB

Image Insert:

181.3 KB

Image Insert:

189.02 KB

Image Insert:

180 KB

[sepefrio]

I blew up the picture of the leg that really concerns me. After all these views maybe this will help someone make a suggestion, lol.

The leg itself is rusted through with a almost quarter sized hole in it.

Image Insert:

75.7 KB

[Eric B]

I look at the thickness of the flaking. If it has some "meat" to it where there's flaking on the flaking it's pretty serious.

Image Insert:

141.63 KB

[sepefrio]

The pipe is hollow and I can put my thumb through the hole. But from you reply I think I got the answer. Thanks.

Image Insert:

76.62 KB

[Brandon Chew]

Originally posted by sepefrio

I blew up the picture of the leg that really concerns me. After all these views maybe this will help someone make a suggestion, lol.

The leg itself is rusted through with a almost quarter sized hole in it.

Image Insert:

75.7 KB

My 10 year old son was looking over my shoulder while I was reading and scrolling down this thread. When I came to this photo he immediately exclaimed "Oh, that's not good!" He's well on his way to being a great inspector some day.... [:-graduat

FYI - that looks like a 250 gallon tank. When full, there is about 1500 pounds of fuel oil in there.

P.S. - a rusty leg like that one would have me on high alert looking for water intrusion in that area of the room.

[ghentjr]

It is an abandoned tank and it should be a snap to remove as all the piping has been taken care of. If it is leaning on the wall it could stand as is for another few/many years, no?

[msteger]

If the tank was still in use and was holding fuel oil, I would definitely have it replaced. All of that weight could cause a major catastrophe, possible injury, and oil spill.

Being abandoned, simply have it removed. Initially, from the 1st photo, I couldn't tell what I was looking at.

[Chad Fabry]

I inspected a house in which the oil tank was hanging from the fill and vent lines that were run through the basement wall.

[StevenT]

Chad, what are u doing up so early?

[sepefrio]

Originally posted by msteger

If the tank was still in use and was holding fuel oil, I would definitely have it replaced. All of that weight could cause a major catastrophe, possible injury, and oil spill.

Being abandoned, simply have it removed. Initially, from the 1st photo, I couldn't tell what I was looking at.

It is a in use oil tank, the previous owner built a shelf unit around it. lol.

[hausdok]

Are you certain it's still in use? It looks like those fuel lines are broken and I don't see any others coming out of it anywhere.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[ghentjr]

Originally posted by sepefrio

Originally posted by msteger

If the tank was still in use and was holding fuel oil, I would definitely have it replaced. All of that weight could cause a major catastrophe, possible injury, and oil spill.

Being abandoned, simply have it removed. Initially, from the 1st photo, I couldn't tell what I was looking at.

It is a in use oil tank, the previous owner built a shelf unit around it. lol.

Show me! The fill and vent lines are stubbed at the top of the tank and the oil lines are cut. Look before you leap. If this tank is still in use it must be filled with a funnel.

[sepefrio]

Lines are at the right hand side of the tank. No close up photo though.

Image Insert:

45.66 KB

[ghentjr]

That's interesting. The line on the right looks like the original gravity feed line. The top lines that are cut are a more modern fitting and would have been put on the tank during an upgrade of the heating system. I was not aware that filling the tank in the basement is allowable, and that it would be o.k. to vent it to the space like that, but I am not a code guy. There does not appear to be a whistle in the vent to indicate when the tank is full so that could also be a problem.

[Bill Kibbel]

If that tank is still in use, I'm surprised as the fill and vent are within the building, there's no level gauge, the fuel line looks like it's not connected to the tank and the flare fitting nut isn't at an end of the fuel line.

I see many tanks with only minor surface rust and the leg pipes are history. Most folks here just cut off the legs and support the tank with concrete blocks.