Bulk LPG storage tanks are an invaluable way to ensure that you’ve always got a ready supply of fuel for your home. If you’re not connected to the mains gas supply — usually because you live in a rural area — your fuel will need to be stored in a tank for you to be able to access it. A bulk storage tank will store up to four tonnes of LPG, ensuring that you can’t run out. In some cases, more than one storage tank may be used.
The LPG storage tank or LPG cylinders will often be owned by the company who supplies your gas, with the supplier looking after the tank and its fittings as well as the maintenance of the tank. When the tank is installed, there are a number of guidelines which must be followed in order to keep within the law.
Legally, there is a minimum distance between the storage tank and any building, boundary line or fixed source of ignition. This depends on where you live, so you should check the guidelines before arranging the installation of an LPG storage tank. Any modifications made to the area after the installation of a tank should be made carefully, with walls, trees, sheds or electrical installations needing to be kept a certain distance from the tank in order to remain legal.
The tank needs to be sited somewhere where it can be maintained, which includes ensuring that plants and grass do not accumulate around it and that the tanker delivering LPG can easily access it, including a flat parking area close by.
In some cases, LPG tanks can be installed in underground pits with trenches carrying gas pipes from the tank to the property. Usually, the excavation and backfilling work will need to be done by the customer, and there’s the added complication of different planning regulations for underground LPG tanks. Some suppliers prefer not to install tanks underground as they can be more difficult to maintain. Major suppliers such as Calor can happily help you site your LPG tank underground and will assist you in doing so, leaving you with a discreet small green cover providing access to the tank’s valve for the delivery driver.
With Calor, an above-ground tank is free to install and can easily be placed on a concrete or prefabricated base. This is often the easiest choice for most consumers as it saves on costs and is easy to install. For those who cannot have an above-ground tank due to space limitations with surrounding walls, boundaries or buildings — and for those for whom an underground tank is impractical — a four-pack cylinder installation is available, which houses four 47kg cylinders in an outdoor cupboard, with a change-over valve automatically switching between cylinders as they run out. This is an easy, compact solution for LPG customers who don’t have the space or a practical area for an above-ground or underground storage tank.
Put simply, LPG is a versatile form of energy which can be installed in a number of different ways to suit you and your property. From large, discreet underground LPG storage tanks to compact, practical options such as LPG cylinders, there’s an option to suit everyone, making LPG energy an accessible and practical solution for all domestic heating requirements.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
