Plastic diesel tanks are very good these days, built using high quality plastics and precise moulding technologies. However you will generally find that steel tanks will last longer and offer more protection to vandalism and theft of the diesel inside. Steel diesel tanks are also more resistant to impacts, so if your tank is positioned in an active area, steel tanks will have a higher threshold to collisions.

Generally diesel will begin to deteriorate after 6-12 months, this depends on storage conditions and the quality of the steel tank. Water ingress and condensation are some of the main enemies of fuel storage, moisture can cause microbial growth and lead to fuel degradation. Fuel quality can be sustained using fuel circulation systems with filters and conditioners, these will circulate the fuel contents of your tank and clean them constantly and gradually.

You will need a bunded diesel tank if you are storing more than 200 litres of fuel in a commercial or business environment.

These regulations are subject to change and you should always check GOV.UK for the latest guidance.

No, you can no longer use red diesel for applications in the construction industry. Please see the regulations below for more information:

Restrictions on the use of red diesel came into force on 1st April 2022 for a range of industries including plant, construction, leisure, mining, quarrying, road maintenance and logistics.

• From 1 April 2022, Registered Dealers in Controlled Oils will need to flush their tanks and supply lines when switching a fuel tank from red to white diesel, so there is no trace of the rebated fuel.
• End users that are losing their red diesel entitlement will need to make sure that they run down their existing stocks and do not purchase red diesel from 1 April 2022.
• The government has recognized that some users such as data centres are holding large amounts of red diesel but may only use it for a few hours a year in case of emergency. So it has been decided that HMRC will investigate and decide if the user can provide enough evidence that they have not built up their stocks or taken red diesel after the rules changed.
• As the price of red diesel is a lot lower compared to the average price of white diesel, users will see an increase in how much they spend on fuel
• As white diesel is so much more expensive and also widely used by the public, it needs to be considered that a rise in fuel thefts may occur once the switch has been made, meaning those storing fuel on-site need to consider protecting their fuel, as well as controlling and monitoring its use amongst staff.

Yes, at Tank Station we are able to supply diesel tanks ready to be positioned and once the customer has arranged for the power to be connected to the supply (if the tank has a mains powered pump) the tank is ready to fill with diesel and use.

There is a wide range of diesel tanks available these days and the focus on town main variables: power and flow rate. Among the available power options are: hand pumps, 12v and 24v battery powered, 110v and 240v mains powered and petrol powered diesel pumps.

Due to varying power inputs, these pumps will offer a range of flow rates, these range from 25 litres per minute to 150 litres per minute and beyond in some cases. On a power basis it is important to consider what power is readily available to you, if the tank is static and has a local mains power supply your problems are over. If the tank is mobile and often in remote locations you may consider pumps that can connect to power supplies available on vehicles and plant via the batteries on board these vehicles. Or for total pump independence you could opt for petrol powered diesel pumps and these also offer very high flow rates.

Once you establish your power options you can focus on your flow rate, this will be governed by the pump power method, but if you are relying on mains or battery powered pumps you can choose high flow pumps. These are very useful when machinery have large fuel tanks and you can shorten the fill time, especially when fleets need to be filled and this can dramatically reduce your fuel downtime.

You are welcome to contact our sales team on: 01702 845133 or email us on sales@tankstation.co.uk

You do not need a fuel filter, but they are highly recommended, especially on larger tanks, where fuel can remain in the tank for longer periods. Filters are capable of removing water and/or particles from fuel and this can be very useful when you consider most fuel tanks will sit never full and never empty, somewhere in the middle on average and this can encourage condensation inside the tank. So a means for collection of this water and particles before they reach your machines highly developed systems can only be advantageous.

You are welcome to contact our sales team on: 01702 845133 or email us on sales@tankstation.co.uk

Tanks need to be ADR approved for transportation, but regulations only allow for a maximum of 1000 litres of diesel for transportation, without ADR training. Generally tanks above 5000 litres are not designed for transportation and once positioned remain as static fuel dispensers. Most manufacturers will instruct that tanks should be emptied before transportation due to lift ratings of the tank.

Plastic diesel tanks will not require much maintenance, but regular inspections can prevent future problems. There are measures that can be taken to increase the potential lifespan of your tank, such as applying UV protectants to the outer surface of the tank. Polyethylene is commonly used in plastic diesel tanks and is known for its durability and resistance to corrosion. However, exposure to certain environmental elements, such as prolonged sunlight or extreme temperatures, can contribute to the gradual breakdown of the plastic. Many plastic diesel tanks are now manufactured with UV-resistant additives to prolong their lifespan.
Steel diesel tanks will benefit from maintenance and care. In fact if you apply fresh paint to your tank and address rust if it appears you will greatly increase your tanks life and it will last for many years. It is also good practice to position all tanks in dry areas and preferably not low lying land that can flood or hold water. Where possible tanks will benefit from not being positioned in areas where direct and prolonged sunlight is available.

A bunded tank is a tank within a tank. Two tanks are manufactured, the (inner) tank is built to the capacity of storage that the tank is designed to meet and the (outer) tank is larger to allow the inner tank to fit inside and provide a minimum 110% bund area. The (outer) tank provides a secondary containment for leaks and spills of the (inner) tank and drastically reduces the chance of pollution to the surrounding area.

All non-domestic oil storage tanks over 200 litres need to be bunded. This relates to the storage of fuel at commercial, industrial or institutional premises.

Domestic installations will need an oil storage risk assessment to be obtained, the key requirements of this assessment are that you do not store over 2,500 litres. The tank cannot be cannot be located within 10m of a river or waterway, or on ground that could allow the fuel to travel to controlled water. The tank location cannot be within 50m of a borehole, spring or well. It can also not be located near to an open drain or loose manhole. The tank vent must not be visible from the fill point.

A form (TI/133D) can be obtained from OFTEC to complete a risk assessment.

There are now very specific rules governing the location of tanks and it’s important to take these rules into account if you are making subsequent changes to your property. The rules are in place for fire safety reasons and although a fire is highly unlikely to originate in a fuel storage tank, it is very important to protect the stored fuel from fires or heat sources nearby. To protect tanks from an ignition source, tanks should be sited:

• 760mm away from a non-fire rated boundary, such as a wooden boundary fence
• 600mm away from screening (e.g. trellis and foliage) that does not form part of the boundary.

If it is impossible to comply with the separation distances, the protection measures noted in OFTEC Technical Instruction Book 3 and British Standard BS5410 must be provided by means of a fire protection barrier (with a minimum 30 minutes fire rating) should be provided. The separation distance required between the tank and the fire barrier should be a minimal 300mm unless a greater distance is specified by the tank manufacturer.

For oil tanks with a nominal capacity of 3,500 litres or greater please contact your local Building Control Officer or OFTEC

There are now very specific rules governing the location of tanks and it’s important to take these rules into account if you are making subsequent changes to your property. The rules are in place for fire safety reasons and although a fire is highly unlikely to originate in a fuel storage tank, it is very important to protect the stored fuel from fires or heat sources nearby. To protect tanks from an ignition source, tanks should be sited:

• 1.8m away from non-fire rated eaves of a building
• 1.8m away from a non-fire rated building or structure (e.g. garden sheds)
• 1.8m away from openings (such as doors or windows) in a fire rated building or structure (e.g. brick-built house/garage)

If it is impossible to comply with the separation distances, then the measures noted in British Standard BS5410 and OFTEC Technical Instruction Book 3 must be provided, a fire protection barrier (with a minimum 30 minutes fire rating) should be provided. The separation distance required between the tank and the fire barrier should be a minimal 300mm unless a greater distance is specified by the tank manufacturer.

For oil tanks with a capacity of 3,500 litres or greater, please contact your local Building Control Officer or OFTEC.

There are now very specific rules governing the location of tanks and it’s important to take these rules into account if you are making subsequent changes to your property. The rules are in place for fire safety reasons and although a fire is highly unlikely to originate in a fuel storage tank, it is very important to protect the stored fuel from fires or heat sources nearby. To protect tanks from an ignition source, tanks should be sited:

• 1.8m away from liquid fuel appliance flue terminal

If it is impossible to comply with the separation distances, then the measures noted in British Standard BS5410 and OFTEC Technical Instruction Book 3 must be provided, a fire protection barrier (with a minimum 30 minutes fire rating) should be provided. The separation distance required between the tank and the fire barrier should be a minimal 300mm unless a greater distance is specified by the tank manufacturer.

For oil tanks with a capacity of 3,500 litres or greater, please contact your local Building Control Officer or OFTEC.

It is possible to site a fuel storage tank inside a garage or out-house; however, they need to be self-contained within a 60-minute fire rated chamber. For more information contact your local building control officer or OFTEC.

All oil tanks supplied by Tank Station are CE marked and manufactured from MDPE. Medium Density Polyethylene is the industry standard for fuel tank manufacture and is highly resistant against chemicals and fuels.

All oil tanks must be on a non combustible base, such as a concrete base, concrete lintels or paving slabs. A concrete slab should at least 50mm thick (preferably with reinforced mesh) and not on newly made up ground. The base should be at least 300mm larger than the tank foot print on all sides.

All oil tanks available from Tank Station are manufactured from UV resistant materials. These block UV rays and protect the fuel from degradation.

At Tankstation we are committed to providing our customers with the most efficient end to end service available. This can be tricky as we work with many manufacturers and they offer different lead times, but we will discuss this with you prior to order. Below are our general terms for delivery of tanks and all other products:

Delivery options based on request

Standard delivery options will include:

• parcel delivery for small items
• Kerbside delivery for manually handleable items
• Kerbside delivery for tanks and a tail lift unload capability or an unload capability on your end (this will be confirmed and agreed at time of order)
• HIAB (crane off load) delivery, this is available at an extra cost. This will be quoted at time of order and is based on your location.
• Articulated vehicle (approximately 16.5m long x 2.6m wide x 4m high). This will have no offload capability and will be the responsibility of the customer to provide a means of unloading, by way of telehandler or fork lift (please make a note of the product weight, to make sure your lifting machinery is suitable and capable). Any restrictions to access, such as narrow roads or height/weight restrictions and turning points MUST be stated at time of order. The driver may refuse to enter locations with restrictions that have not been previously stated and noted. We will do our best to provide the most suitable mode of transport based upon information received from the customer at time of order.
• 18 tonne tail lift vehicle (approximately 8.2m long x 2.6m wide x 4m high). This will have no offload capability and will be the responsibility of the customer to provide a means of unloading, by way of telehandler or forklift (please make a note of the product weight, to make sure your lifting machinery is suitable and capable). Any restrictions to access, such as narrow roads or height/weight restrictions and turning points MUST be stated at time of order. The driver may refuse to enter locations with restrictions that have not been previously stated and noted. We will do our best to provide the most suitable mode of transport based upon information received from the customer at time of order.

Please note that all deliveries are kerbside and it is the responsibility of the customer to arrange suitable machinery for positioning and placing tanks in location. On request we can provide HIAB (crane off load) delivery, but this will be at an extra cost and positioning of tanks will depend on safe and easy access to desired location.

Small items, such as accessories and anything that can be delivered via courier will be delivered within 1-3 days. Subject to stock availability and next day service is available on some items (at an additional cost).

This is possible, but it will depend on which stage the order has already reached. Please contact us as soon as you can and we will try to avoid any additional costs to rearrange the delivery address being incurred by you, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Unfortunately deliveries can only be made on weekdays.

It is advisable that you or a representative is at the delivery address on the day of delivery. This is in order to check the goods and sign for them, it is also required for unloading of large items when 'special' delivery arrangements have not been made.

All orders are followed up with an email confirmation and this will include delivery details and an estimated delivery date.

Small packages will be delivered by either Royal Mail or other couriers. The driver will leave a card with information how and where to collect the item from their nearest depot. Larger items, such as palletised goods, will need to be re-arranged for delivery and will most likely incur additional costs. Tanks and other goods that require HGV delivery will require additional payment and the delivery will have to be a re-arranged for a later date, as close to the original delivery date as possible.

Some products can be available for next day delivery service, but cut off times may vary. You should contact our sales team as early as possible to discuss opportunities for this service.

Lead times generally relate to products either in manufacture or about to enter manufacture, such as bespoke products and products that are not in general product (special order). Lead times are available on the product page and once an order is made we will update you weekly on the progress of completion and delivery of your product.