An oil tank sweep is like a home inspection but is specific to one thing, finding an "undisclosed" buried oil tank. This is an investigation into the existence or non-existence of an underground oil tank on a particular property using subsurface detection instruments and visual cues.  A tank sweep will include visual evaluation, looking for clues as to prior oil heat, and a scan of the property to detect the existence of an underground mass consistent with the location and size of a potential abandoned underground oil tank. The purpose of identifying an underground tank is to avoid the potential of costly removal and contamination cleanup from leaking tanks.

Purchasing a home with an underground oil tank is a significant risk. There is no way of determining with 100% certainty the condition of an underground oil tank without removing it from the ground. Both, sellers and buyers are having tank sweeps performed due to the large concern over leaking tanks. ​Most insurance companies exclude liability for home fuel oil tanks, so homeowners are left on the hook for remediation. Based on our experience, an average of about 50% of the tank sweeps find evidence of prior oil heat.  That number should not be that surprising since natural gas really only became popular in the 1970's.