Step one: Understanding basic hydraulics
Hydraulics is defined as the study of fluid behavior, at rest and in motion. Properly designed piping, with sound hydraulics, can greatly reduce maintenance problems over the life of an irrigation system. Controlling the water flow velocity, holding velocity within proper limits, reduces wear on the system components and lengthens service life. Poor hydraulic design results in poor performance of the irrigation system, leading to stressed landscaping material, or even broken pipes and flood damage. Lack of design know-how can also cost the system owner more money because the designer may over-design the system to avoid unknown factors. In addition to wasting money, a poor hydraulic design will often waste water. Hydraulic analysis is important to minimize financial risks, produce efficient designs and eliminate waste.

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Large, unexpected bills can be a home and business owner’s nightmare. An improperly installed and/or poorly maintained oil tank can leak or spill unexpectedly, often costing in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and be harmful to people, your property and the environment. It is the legal and financial responsibility of the homeowner, commercial building owners and/or property managers to clean up all heating oil tank leaks and spills.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has developed this Homeowner’s Guide to Oil Tanks to help prevent this unwelcome surprise.

This Guide is intended to:

• act as a pollution prevention measure;
• alert home, building and property owners about the potential environmental and financial liability of an oil spill; and
• provide some simple, practical steps that can minimize the chances of an oil spill.

Most tanks used for domestic heating oil are steel or composite material containers that hold about 1000 litres (200 gallons) and weigh about 1000 kilograms (1 ton) when full. Their tall, narrow shape lets them easily pass through standard doorways, but it also makes them fairly unstable unless they have proper, secure supports to keep them from tipping over.

Recommendations:

• Your oil tank should be installed and labelled to show that it meets national construction standards. These standards include
  • National Standard of Canada’s CAN/ULC-S602, Aboveground Steel Tanks for the Storage of Combustible Liquids Intended to Be Used as Heating and/or Generator Fuels
  • Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada’s ULC/ORD C80, Aboveground Non-metallic Tanks for Fuel Oil

Prevent Heating Oil Leaks and Spills

Cleaning up oil leaks from home heating systems can be very expensive. The average cost can range between $20,000 and $50,000, with some cleanups costing significantly more. Here are some ways to save money, help prevent leaks and spills, and protect the environment.

For all heating oil systems:

• Retain all oil delivery receipts. Keep them handy so you can track your oil demand. Unexpected increases may indicate a leak.
• At least every 10 years, have the oil tank cleaned out. Over time, water (from condensation) and sludge can cause corrosion resulting in leaks.

For underground tanks:

• Determine if the underground storage tank is made of steel (common) or fiberglass (rare). Most steel underground storage tanks will last approximately 10 to 20 years. If the tank is older than that or the age is unknown, replace it with an above ground storage tank. Locate your new tank under a shelter, or inside a basement or garage to prevent rust, corrosion, or damage.

Before you start. At least 90% of any repainting is surface preparation. The finish is only as good as the surface to which it is bonded. Stripping off old finish can be done in three ways:

1. With a chemical remover
2. With heat
3. With abrasives

Sometimes it takes all three. It always involves lots of muscle power and plenty of patience.

Professional wood stripping is done by dipping the piece to be stripped into a large vat where it is immersed in a chemical bath. In seconds the powerful chemicals remove all old finish right down to the bare wood. The piece is then removed from the vat and hosed off with water. The cost of this service is not prohibitive. However, the chemicals are so harsh that a really fine piece of furniture can be damaged. The treatment can take the “life” out of the wood and it can damage glue joints. If in doubt ask before dipping.

Fibreglass sheeting: Corrugated fibreglass sheeting (and other plastic sheetings) used on pergolas and shade houses can be painted with an exterior water-based acrylic paint. This process will also extend the life of the sheeting. Sheeting should be scrubbed with a steel wool pad and a mild solution of detergent in water, rinsed off and allowed to dry before painting.

Texture coatings: Acrylic texture coatings are used for their decorative effect or to cover up uneven or cracked surfaces. They may contain fine or coarse aggregate or be unfilled. The textures range from a smooth rippled finish through sand-type finish to a bold rough finish. The finish also depends on the type of roller used. Because they produce a thick heavy film, the surface to which they are applied must be sound, otherwise loss of adhesion may occur. Because the spreading rate of texture coatings is only 2 sq. metres or less, they are relatively expensive coatings. The coarser the texture, the greater the dirt pickup especially on exterior surfaces.