Oil central heating, involving fuel stored in an oil storage tank and used to heat your radiators and hot water, is becoming more and more popular. In fact, over a million homes in the UK have oil heating. It’s 31% cheaper to heat an average home in the UK with an oil system as opposed to a gas boiler, so it’s no wonder more and more savvy home-owners are choosing to make the switch to oil.

Oil Heating is Cheaper

In fact, heating oil prices have risen only slightly since 2016. Oil is a highly efficient fuel. It burns at a higher temperature than natural gas. This means you get a good calorific return on every unit of energy. Modern gas condensing boilers waste some of the hot flue gas produced so are less efficient.

As a rough guide, the average annual cost for a UK home for both oil-fuelled heating and hot water is £830. Your insulation, home-size and individual preferences influence this figure, but it’s often cheaper than using a comparable gas heating system.

Oil Heating is Safer

There’s also safety to consider. All systems that burn fuel to produce heat must comply with relevant UK safety standards. They should also be regularly checked and maintained – always check your heating oil storage tank before refilling. However, although oil is flammable, it isn’t explosive like gas. It also doesn’t produce deadly carbon monoxide when it burns, eliminating worry about carbon monoxide poisoning accidents.

Oil Fuel Deliveries and Heating Oil Storage Tanks

Whereas gas is delivered by networks of pipes, heating oil is delivered by a small tanker and stored in an oil storage tank. That means that you can easily monitor your fuel usage and buy more fuel when you need it. You control when and how you use your fuel.

Remote locations and smaller villages often have no gas supply line close by, that’s not a problem for home-owners who choose to use heating oil. Deliveries are available in the most remote locations in the UK. There are thousands of heating oil suppliers. Competition between suppliers means you’re often able to shop around and get a really good price for your fuel.

Have a look at our EasyTank range of oil storage tanks.

Cost-Effective Oil Heating Appliances

Another considerable financial benefit of oil over gas is the life expectancy of oil heating appliances. Appliances used to heat oil may last over 30 years, whereas comparable gas appliances can be expected to last between 11 – 14 years.

If you’re thinking of choosing oil heating and installing an oil storage tank, read our blog on how to choose the right heating oil tank for your needs: https://atlantistanks.co.uk/oil-storage-tanks-what-tank-is-right-for-you/

There are many different sizes and designs of tank available. Plastic, steel, bunded, single skin, underground and many more. The type of tank you choose should take into consideration your unique requirements. If in doubt, always consult an OFTEC registered technician, who will help you choose the tank best suited to your needs.

There are specific regulations that must be followed when choosing a tank. For example:

• Under Building Regulations, any tank with a capacity of over 2500 litres must have a secondary containment unit (bund).
• Tanks that have a lower capacity than 2500 litres may also need to be bunded, depending on the individual site pollution risks. You may need to get an OFTEC registered technician to do a site risk assessment if you live in a high risk area, such as near any water sources.

Plastic Oil Tanks

Oil should never be stored in a translucent plastic container due to the detrimental effects of ultraviolet light on both the plastic and the contained fuel. Plastic oil tanks are manufactured using coloured Polyethylene and are moulded using a rotational moulding process.

Steel Oil Tanks

Most domestic steel oil storage tanks are rectangular in shape with a tented top. They are constructed with mild steel and contain internal bracing.  The thickness of the steel used varies according to tank size.

Single Skinned Oil Tanks

A single skin oil storage tank is fabricated from one layer of steel or plastic and should only be considered for installation where it can be proven that there is no risk of environmental damage in the event of an oil spillage.

Bunded Oil Tanks

A bunded tank has a secondary containment (bund) either inside the tank itself or around the tank. This bund must hold at least 110% of the capacity of the tank to comply with regulations. Many areas require a tank to be bunded to reduce the risk of oil escaping into the environment.

The team at Atlantis Tanks Group have many years of experience in supplying installers and merchants with domestic oil tanks. We find that 1000-1500 litre bunded plastic oil tanks are the most popular among domestic households, but the size of the tank depends on your individual fuel requirement.

Read our blog ‘How to Choose an Oil Tank’ for more information or browse our range of domestic oil tanks now.

We are excited to announce that as of 1st April 2019 Atlantis tanks acquired Freerain, a leading manufacturer of water storage tanks!

What is Freerain?

Freerain are best known as a manufacturer of water storage tanks for domestic, light commercial and large family dwellings. The company will now join with Atlantis and form the bedrock of our PuraTank sub brand.

What did we acquire?

Through this acquisition we now own: the Freerain website, customer data, supplier information for all the accessory parts, their design of systems used for pumping the water into the house, as well as all of their Water Tank moulds, including moulds for 8 underground tanks with capacities from 1800 litres – 10,000 litres and 3 above ground tank moulds with capacities from 1400 litres – 5000 litres.

Why did we purchase Freerain?

We are a family business with a vision to succeed and become one of the biggest and best storage tank suppliers in the UK and this new acquisition is an important step on the ladder for us. The new products we can offer coupled with Atlantis’ reputation for providing legendary customer service will put our PuraTank range in an amazing position to provide clients with a tank to suit any needs and a service which gets it to them quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.

What improvements will we make?

After getting a closer look at the moulds and manufacturing process, we have already spotted numerous areas which can be improved. As a result, the quality and efficiency of production for our water tanks will exceed that previously offered. We have implemented a better moulding process, greater quality control, and can offer a much more comprehensive and personal customer service experience.

What is the effect on existing customers?

Existing customers of both Atlantis and Freerain can now benefit from a much broader choice of tanks, not only encompassing water storage, but oil storage, portable tanks, stationary fuel tanks and much more, all under the Atlantis roof with the Atlantis legendary service and personal, caring staff.

Moving Forward…

We acquired Freerain because it will help strengthen our PuraTank range and Atlantis as a whole, allowing us to better service the needs of our various customers, to form relationships with new customers, and progress into the future.

Here is a video of one of our water tanks being installed at a castle in Thirsk

Freerain Website: https://freerain.co.uk/shop/

View our range of water tanks