We recently had our old oil boiler removed and replaced with a centre heat pump but were told that the company were not ‘allowed’ to remove the oil tank for us. We were originally approached via a cold call offering insulation and replacement of the oil fired system for 1€. But we’re left with the old 1500 litre metal tank with the dregs of old oil in the bottom.
It seems it is an expensive exercise to remove the tank which currently stands disconnected in our yard.
So my question is does anyone know if there is a grant available to have this removed. If so, do I have to pay up front and get all/part of the money reimbursed. How does it work?
Thank you.
As you probably know, officially there are multiple environmental steps required to remove/clean an old oil tank. It’s possible that your supplier/installers didn’t want the hassle…
However I wonder if this is one of those situations where in the practical world, matters are applied rather differently from the regulations? We were led to believe that for an offer in a “suitable” form of payment, said oil tank would be picked up and transported to the dechetterie for cleaning and recycling. I was at the local dechetterie yesterday and witnessed at least 2 oil tanks being similarly ‘dealt with’…
you might have a look at this
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or this one
Your area SARP will do this. About 1000e but as France Renov are paying all but 1000e of my new air to water (I have radiators) all ok. thanks, Emmanuel!
Thank you all for your replies.
@George1 - I have written to the local dechetterie to ask if they accept oil tanks. I will let you know what they say when I get their reply.
Just a thought; if you drained the tank and washed it out with an oil remover-type detergent, could you sell it? Is there a market for a 1500l metal tank? Even for scrap if must be worth something?
Did that for a customer years ago, cleaned then plasma cut into pieces and trailer’d to scrap metal place, probably cost more in fuel towing the weight than I made in scrap. Probably why the company were not interested.
Nowadays, in France one needs to be extremely careful if contemplating this sort of thing… Washing it out… means you need to have somewhere suitable to dispose of the waste… without polluting the environment/waterways… much more highly controlled than in prior years…
I would suggest one really needs an authorised specialist.
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Light a fire under it, retreat to safe distance, cover ears.
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To late India landed one on the moon already, now they are of to the sun.
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It’s been done before. Then you cut it in half lengthways and turn it into a spitroast for a whole pig.
Chateau de La Motte Husson?
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Probably not an alternative use that will help here, but it at least saved on disposal issues…A friend cut his old oil tank in two, and uses the two halves to treat and soak large numbers of wooden fence posts with weather proofing (whatever the successor to creosote is now called) , prior to installing them round his fields.
No, I saw it at a large vide grenier in Deux Sèvres. I asked the guy how he made it and he told me. He was roasting a whole pig. Large oil drums are normal for this sort of thing, but this was massive.
Dick did the same thing, hence the reply.
We’ve just had a reply from our local dechetterie and the guy said we must empty the oil into cans, wash the tank and then cut it in half. It would then be our responsibility to take it to them as ‘scrap’. To be honest, I was expecting a better, more helpful answer than that. I want to keep within the law but the answer I got is making me think otherwise !!
Just to add the tank was kept indoors for the last however many years so it’s in good condition.
Anyone out there want a tank suitable for roasting a whole cow ?
there are several websites which talk about the correct and safe way to dispose or transform a fuel tank… and some talk about state aid…
Enlèvement d'une cuve fioul : coût et aide en 2022.
https://www.cuvefioulnet.fr/?
gclid=CjwKCAjwjOunBhB4EiwA94JWsJAoMmkmfJDcF_y9jDQ5rZWpOaky34VdU_R9QTEGRTFJjiXD8zd7dxoCtE0QAvD_BwE
Having looked at these websites and others along the way, unfortunately this will prove to be a very expensive exercise and although we could qualify for some sort of a grant, it would still be something we haven’t budgeted for. It would appear that on average you could get about 20% of the cost back though the grant (if you’re lucky!)
So it looks as if we are left with keeping the tank. We will need to move it into one of our spare barns as it is currently outside the room where the new heat pump was installed.
The government are keen for everyone to change heating methods to help save the planet but seem to have forgotten that there are some people with limited means that just can’t make up the shortfall between the actual cost of removal of the old tank. Although we are not blaming the company who installed the new system, everyone (including the government inspectors who came to assess then approve the work carried out) seems to gloss over how the old tank would be dealt with.
So often the case, provided the civil servant can add another tick in his statistical plan they couldnt give a crap about your problem. Unles of course you took it upon yourself to get rid in which case they will circle overhead with their big book of rules.
Find out what the price of scrap steel is and if its worth a local company coming in to take it. Was €80 a ton some time back.