If your West Vancouver or North Vancouver home was constructed before 1968 there’s a possibility you may have a buried oil tank on your property.  Here are a few things to look out for:

Fill pipe: This is a 2 inch galvanized steel pipe that has either a lockable flip cap or a brass cap that screws into a galvanized steel collar. These pipes may be flush with the ground or may protrude several inches. Fill pipes are typically located within twelve feet of the house foundation and connect directly with the tank. Because fill pipes can protrude above the ground surface, many property owners remove or cut these pipes below the ground surface.

Vent pipe: This is a 1 to 2 inch galvanized pipe with a mushroom shaped cap on the open end (top) of the pipe. Usually the vent pipe is plumbed away from the tank and set next to the house foundation. Vent pipes typically protrude 6 to 18 inches above the ground surface. Vent pipes were not always installed on underground tanks. In rare occasions the vent pipe is constructed of PVC.

An old oil furnace or parts of an oil furnace in or under the house: Glass and metal oil filter housings are commonly attached to the fuel supply lines (copper) described below.

Two Copper Tubing Lines in the crawl space or basement: After the tank is taken out of service, the old fuel supply lines are often left under the house even if the old oil furnace is removed.