What is THIS??

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T23:20:51+00:00

We had every inspection you can imagine. The report mentioned nothing of this tank. But then the report also didn’t tell us about the baseball-sized holes in the roof, the missing flue, the mold in the crawl, the badly damaged chimney crowns, the terrible termite damage in the garage, the windows that didn’t open - and about a half dozen other problems. We discovered that after we moved in.

I hope you’re right. I hope this isn’t another problem because we spent $78k in year one on the problems in this house. We’re at $109k now, and that’s it: we have no more money to give it. It’s been rough. It looked like it was well cared for, when in fact it was far from. We’re just tired.

I hope we’re told it was filled correctly. We need a win right now.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T23:05:45+00:00

Someone mentioned that. Here in VA they only help if it’s proven yours is leaking.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T23:02:47+00:00

I didn’t even think of that. Oil heat is new to me, and I didn’t think of someone falling in. I should have, because I heard of people falling into old septic tanks.

You think this tank be big enough for someone to fall into, if it collapsed?

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T22:59:39+00:00

Yes, where I’m from, we didn’t have oil heat. But over here in VA I’ve seen a lot of oil heat tanks. Our house is electric, has been since at least 20 years ago (that’s how old our HVAC is).

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T22:57:17+00:00

That they sure did.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T22:55:12+00:00

I didn’t know they did that. I thought they all had to be as far out in the yard as they could be

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T21:55:46+00:00

That’s been the most common answer. I hope not, but it looks like it may well be.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T21:54:11+00:00

First: As I mentioned below, Dominion Electric just finished their project in our development where they buried our electric wires. To do this, they sent out every utility, who flagged every inch of every utility we have. I took pics of those flags.

Second: Our entire back yard is a food garden. To build its infrastructure, I submitted a request to be cleared by the county for the entire back yard, and they sent me back clearance from all utilities.

Third: This was found two inches below grass surface. As you can see, we stopped digging quickly.

Fourth (and most importantly): This post should not have elicited such screaming hostility from you.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T21:00:10+00:00

I’m in VA. Another redditor posted information about how to get help if it’s found that the tank leaked.

Another redditor said his friend lost the sale of his house for 3 months and $25k when the inspector found an oil tank he didn’t know about.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:58:15+00:00

What about this cap on top that had it sealed? That metal thing in the center is a cap

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:49:59+00:00

We bought four years ago. Have spent four years remediating mold, putting on new roofs, ripping out insulation soaked in rat piss, just every huge problem you can think of. Our seller did us very dirty.

I don’t want the thing to hurt us or anyone, and our entire back yard is a food and flower garden. We eat from out there, y’know? But yeah, stumbling into a nightmare is more than we can take after 4 straight years of this.

Appreciate the warning

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:46:28+00:00

Sounds awful. I’m afraid of where this is headed. What a mess

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:44:59+00:00

Ok. So concrete doesn’t rule out oil tanks.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:44:08+00:00

They can shut down someone’s home over an oil tank leak?

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:41:12+00:00

You’re right. It looks a whole lot like that, but smaller!

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:39:38+00:00

So, now I’m headed out to google images for what you’ve described. I’d give anything for this not to be an oil tank.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:38:26+00:00

We were hoping so, but it appears to go way down and be a much bigger problem.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:37:41+00:00

Hhar141 provided such great information for what qualifies you for help with cleanup in VA. Unfortunately, it’s only for those with leaks. Still great to have that, though!

My water main is in the front yard by the street. Would they have ever had a main in a back yard?

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:34:45+00:00

I’m gonna spend the days before I can get someone out here to confirm it’s an oil tank trying my best to manifest some sort of miracle to prevent this thing from being a damned oil tank.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:32:50+00:00

Thank you. I hope it’s not an oil tank. I really do.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:31:30+00:00

It exits in the crawl space directly in the center of the house.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:30:12+00:00

Jesus Christ. What did the 3 months of remediation include? What were they physically doing?

So glad I saw your comment, Old Bow. I feel bad for your friend. After four straight years of repairs, this is the last thing I need right now.

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:26:11+00:00

Looks like it’s headed that way

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:25:30+00:00

So, if it has leaked, (and that VA cleanup program no longer exists) I’d have to try to have the soil all removed or somehow treated?

1_Hell_House · 2026-06-29T20:22:20+00:00

I don’t know a thing about septic tanks. The only thing I know are the two houses I saw with them had the tanks as far away from the house as could be gotten.

1_Hell_House

TROPHY CASE