The installation of an oil tank must comply with the standards set by the decree of 1 July 2004, in particular concerning the installation and commissioning of storage facilities for petroleum products such as fuel oil.

Buried, in a room, outdoors: the installation of an oil tank can be carried out in different ways.

Unburied storage of a fuel oil tank in a building

The standards for an unburied tank differ according to the volume of the storage. With a maximum capacity of 2,500 liters, the tank can be installed on the first floor or in the basement on a flat masonry floor. The room must be :

  • Well ventilated
  • Closed by a flameproof door (degree 1/4H).

In addition, the walls and floors (top and bottom) must be fireproof to a degree of 1/2H.

If the capacity of the tank is greater than 2,500 liters, the tank must be installed in a dedicated room. In this case, the fire door must be 1H degree and open to the outside. Another important point: a fresh air inlet of minimum 1dm² is mandatory in the room.

Standards for unburied outdoor storage

The installation of a tank in the open air can only be done if it is designed for outdoor use. The implementation of a tank in the open air must respect a minimum distance between the wall of the tank and the nearest building, to be defined according to the storage capacity:

  • Less than 2,500 liters = no distance required;
  • From 2,501 to 6,000 liters = 1 meter;
  • From 6 001 to 10 000 liters = 6 meters ;
  • From 10 001 to 50 000 liters = 7 meters ;
  • More than 50,000 liters = 10 meters.

Installation of an oil tank in a pit

The storage of heating oil via an ordinary tank is possible in a pit. The installation of the oil tank can be carried out either outside or inside, but only if there is no living space under the tank. In both cases, no water, sewage, gas or electricity pipes should be routed in or under the pit. To meet the standards, the pit must:

  • Be covered with a waterproof coating and petroleum product on the inside;
  • To form a reservoir with a volume equal to the capacity of the reservoir at least ;
  • Include a lookout to control the low point of the platform.

Last but not least, the pit should not be backfilled so that it is easy to see that there is no leakage.

Buried storage

In the case of buried storage, the tank must be of reinforced safety. It can be buried outside or inside, at the lowest level of the building. The other rules are:

  • Mooring of the tank to a concrete invert;
  • Electrical protection and insulation in the case of a steel tank;
  • Passage of pipes other than for storage at more than 0.50 meters.

The plastic oil tank

A plastic fuel tank can be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or glass fibre reinforced thermosetting resins. In the first case, the tanks can be unburied outdoors or inside a building. In the case of a plastic fuel tank composed of thermosetting resins reinforced with glass fibres, the installation must be in a pit or buried.