14 GAUGE VERSUS 12 GAUGE

There has been a lot of discussion lately regarding the use of 14 gauge material for oil tanks. 14 gauge material has been used for decades with no problems associated solely with material thickness. Premature corrosion has caused 14 gauge (0.0747” nominal) tanks to fail in as little as eight months. This same type of corrosion has caused 12 gauge (0.1046” nominal) tanks to fail in slightly over one year. Clearly this slight benefit is no reason to go to a 12 gauge tank. The process of this premature corrosion is now well understood and it is preventable. The same ratio of extended life is equally applicable to the standard corrosion to which well installed and maintained tanks are subjected. Steel oil tanks are now given assigned lifetimes by provinces and insurance companies. These assigned lives are conservative for well installed and maintained tanks. 12 gauge tanks are given longer service lives than are 14 gauge tanks. Therefore there is no reduction of risk associated with the use of a 12 gauge tank.

14 gauge tanks weigh approximately 25% less than the equivalent 12 gauge tank. This reduction in weight makes inside installation considerably easier. The extra weight of the 12 gauge tanks has led some installers to tell homeowners that oil tanks must be installed outside. The reason for this is that they do not want to lug a 12 gauge tank down to the basement. Clearly placing the tank outside introduces more risk of failure than the benefit achieved by going to a 12 gauge tank. Therefore, an attempt reduce risk can actually increase it.

14 gauge tanks, properly installed and maintained, with appropriate assigned lifetimes, present no higher risk than 12 gauge tanks under the same conditions.