Test The Tank - Basic Advice about Testing Buried Oil Tanks

Hire an expert to find hidden or buried tanks, abandoned tanks, or to test existing tanks: Willard Environmental Group Inc has equipment to test buried tanks for leaks. Tanks and soil around and below tanks are tested for evidence of leakage using:

Common oil tank leak tests listed below can tell you if a tank has already leaked and can help assess the chances of an upcoming oil tank leak. The tests are listed here.  

• Water testing in oil tanks can indicate the risk of in-tank corrosion and thus leakage - an easy first-pass which can be used at both above ground tanks and buried oil tanks. However, just having no water in the tank does not indicate that the tank is not leaking.
• Soil testing looks for evidence of actual oil contamination in the soil. A proper soil test is based on having located the buried tank or the site where a tank was buried, and taking borings to a depth approximately just below the tank bottom.
• Low-psi tank pressure-testing is used to test a tank for existing leaks.
• Electronic testing can also screen tanks for evidence of damage - usually this is used only on commercial jobs.
• Ground scanning radar or magnetic sensing is also used to locate buried steel tanks.

I advise home buyers to have a soil test performed rather than a pressure test of an existing oil tank, since even if the tank is not currently leaking we would prefer an assurance that it didn't leak before, say from a plumbing connection that was repaired.