Have you ever heard of heating oil being robbed from the tank?

frobisher

I've never had oil fired heating until my new place. I moved in last Sept and the oil didn't run out until the end of Jan. So I filled it up again but the heating stoped over the weekend. Had a look in the container and where there should be about €300 of oil there's nothing :eek:

WTF?! There's no leak, the heating has been used very little but it's all gone! Have you ever heard of oil being stolen from these things? That or the delivery person lying about what the delivered are the only things I can think of. Mystery!

Ruu_Old

I have heard it happen a number of times, common enough I think. My brother has a lock on his tank.

prendy

ya its common enough-at least iv heard of it a few times before. My aul fella and a few in our area have a padlock on the tank....because the feul is diesel people nick it.

Frelance

aye it happens.

especially with the price of oil these days.
Our business had £700 worth of oil stolen about a month ago.

the funny thing is the police told us it was probably one of the neighbours that had recently got a council house closeby. B*astard even had a load of plastic containers and crap sitting beside his tank.

Run_to_da_hills

prendy wrote: »

ya its common enough-at least iv heard of it a few times before. My aul fella and a few in our area have a padlock on the tank....because the feul is diesel people nick it.

It is quiet common for fuel to get nicked in detached houses down the country. They can get around the padlocked cap easily, i.e. use a hole saw and cordless drill and get it from the bottom.

The most common vehicle used by those who swipe fuel would either be the low roof Ford Transit or Toyota Hiace. Instal a CCTV pointing down on your fuel tank and get a big dog ie an alsation doberman or rottweiler and keep it loose in the back garden where the tank would be kept. Alternately build a concrete strong room or shed with steel padlocked door and keep your fuel secure inside and a dummy tank outside.

deisedevil

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

It is quiet common for fuel to get nicked in detached houses down the country. They can get around the padlocked cap easily, i.e. use a hole saw and cordless drill and get it from the bottom.

The most common vehicle used by those who swipe fuel would be the low roof Ford Transit or Toyota Hiace. Instal a CCTV pointing down on your fuel tank and get a big dog ie an alsation or a doberman and keep it loose in the back garden where the tank would be kept. Alternately build a concrete strong room or shed with steel padlocked door and keep your fuel inside.

Lol. That's all abit drastic. Just get a lock,they couldn't be bothered with your tank then when they can go for another one without onewith less hassle. Travellers love robbing those tanks and out of town they go for the farmers tanks aswell. (so the Hiace would be a favourite alright)

passive

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The most common vehicle used by those who swipe fuel would either be the low roof Ford Transit or Toyota Hiace.

Two guesses for the most common perpetrators...

Run_to_da_hills

deisedevil wrote: »

Lol. That's all abit drastic. Just get a lock,they couldn't be bothered with your tank then when they can go for another one without onewith less hassle. Travellers love robbing those tanks and out of town they go for the farmers tanks aswell. (so the Hiace would be a favourite alright)

I used to work on the light house service, several thousands gallons of diesel went AWOL from the tanks on the Skelligs rock, padlocks did little to stop these guys (I dont think the travellers were involved in this case)

seamus

Yeah, it happens. Scumbags also rob diesel out of trucks that are parked up too. A polish guy was murdered last year when he confronted some dirt trying to steal the diesel from his truck.

Physically damaging the tank (by drilling a hole in it) would be rare enough because the perps are usually local - they want to come back and do it again and again. A padlock should be sufficient or if it's a business with a large tank, building a small room around it may be a a more effective deterrant.

kaimera

Damn college students

Dragan

Have you ever heard of pikies?

Sherifu

It happens alright. Some people have locks on their tanks but if they're determined enough...

She Devil

This is very common this year for some reason. Apparently the aul non nationals amongst us are professionals at it, i worked for an oil for a few years what we would suggest is ... putting a light near your tank in your back yard a sensor light if you can!

Drift

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Alternately build a concrete strong room or shed with steel padlocked door and keep your fuel secure inside and a dummy tank outside.

Fill the outside dummy tank with a mixture of heating oil and sodium silicate or some form of grinding compound. It'll cost them a fortune in repairs!!

Run_to_da_hills

Drift wrote: »

Fill the outside dummy tank with a mixture of heating oil and sodium silicate or some form of grinding compound. It'll cost them a fortune in repairs!!

It won't be them that will suffer, it will be the idiot that buys the cheap diesel from them down the line.

Run_to_da_hills

Drift wrote: »

Fill the outside dummy tank with a mixture of heating oil and sodium silicate or some form of grinding compound. It'll cost them a fortune in repairs!!

It won't be them that will suffer, it will be the idiot that buys the cheap diesel from them down the line, and that could be your supplier :eek:

Drift

Won't be my supplier!!! And if they sell what they robbed off me they'll lose all their custom pretty fast

meathstevie

Heard a similar story around my neck of the woods here about stealing turf a good few years ago. It all of a sudden stopped when someone decided to boobytrap a couple of sods with a shotgun cartridge ( don't try this at home ). Can just about imagine that whoever burnt it must have had a clean chimney after ( wouldn't have been much worse than a big banger ) .

Riddle101

frobisher wrote: »

I've never had oil fired heating until my new place. I moved in last Sept and the oil didn't run out until the end of Jan. So I filled it up again but the heating stoped over the weekend. Had a look in the container and where there should be about €300 of oil there's nothing :eek:

WTF?! There's no leak, the heating has been used very little but it's all gone! Have you ever heard of oil being stolen from these things? That or the delivery person lying about what the delivered are the only things I can think of. Mystery!

Maybe George Bush snuck into your backyard(assuming thats where the tanks is) and stole your oil. Is possible, however i'd say it's possible someone did rob it, i'd call the people who supplied the oil and tell them about it

Fast_Mover

Ya, it happens. We'v have a lock on ours and we also have it concealed among our hedge of big trees. You wouldn't even know it's there.

CCCP^

Happened to some friends I knew out in Galway. Most likely culprit was the Pikey. He'll rob anything!!! ..... *There was a fifth exclamation mark, but that too, was robbed by Senor Pikey*

MOH

Fast_Mover wrote: »

Ya, it happens. We'v have a lock on ours and we also have it concealed among our hedge of big trees. You wouldn't even know it's there.

You would now

phantom_lord

lol, that's mad ted, i never heard of that happening before.

Red Alert

It's not road diesel although it would probably be ok powering some things like generators that can work with heating-grade diesel.

Wertz

Happened neighbours of mine a few times...apparently, according to the cops it was tinkers using the oil as fuel (heating oil will run a diesel engine).
Also worked in a house a good few years back where thieves had attempted to nick the tank contents....but they were disturbed during the process, leaving the pipe they had just sawn through to pour a few hundred litres of oil into the garden and ultimately into the foundations of the house where it then seeped into the walls. Cost them a few thousand to have sorted (insurance paid). Could still smell the fuel when I worked in it and this was 4 months later...
Those suggesting locks should know that a thief doesn't neccesarily need access through the refill cap/nozzle...in some cases like the one above it's a simple matter of cutting the pipe to the boiler (like above) or just punching the bottom of the tank. Also negates the need to siphon the oil...

CantGetNoSleep

How do you get the oil out through the top of the tank?

Oral Slang

frobisher wrote: »

I've never had oil fired heating until my new place. I moved in last Sept and the oil didn't run out until the end of Jan. So I filled it up again but the heating stoped over the weekend. Had a look in the container and where there should be about €300 of oil there's nothing :eek:

That happened to us this year too. We're in our house a year and a half and our oil usually would last for months but the last time I got oil delivered (double the quantity I'd normally order), it only lasted 2 months, whereas I thought it'd last us for around 7/8 months.. Can't imagine anyone robbing it from where I live though, hope not at least. Really using it sparingly this time, couldn't afford to keep filling it up!

buckfast4me

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

How do you get the oil out through the top of the tank?

someone wasn't paying attention in science class! you just suck it through a tube until its nearly out (i.e. not in your mouth yet, the stuff tastes horrible) then put the end of the tube into new container and like magic, it flows in.

eddie73

My tank got emptied last month. My strategy from now is to store my own oil after it is delivered in plastic containers or drums in the shed, adding a drum to the tank as it is needed. Wont get fleeced if they come round again, btw where can you get those plastic containers?

Sangre

I've heard advise not to actually lock the tank as they'll just drill it then causing more damage. Use other deterrants. This is only 2nd hand information though.

Rovi

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

How do you get the oil out through the top of the tank?

Siphon

entropi

Heard of it happening to some people from college, it's quite low to do it but wtf would they do with the oil they steal, sell it off or something?

Overheal

Death Sentence wrote: »

Heard of it happening to some people from college, it's quite low to do it but wtf would they do with the oil they steal, sell it off or something?

heat theyre own house duh.

i thought heating oil was kerosene anyway.

Sherifu

Death Sentence wrote: »

Heard of it happening to some people from college, it's quite low to do it but wtf would they do with the oil they steal, sell it off or something?

Use it to heat their place...

Todoquetengo

It's very common down the country - my cousin's tank was emptied twice, both times after it had just been filled so obviously whoever stole it waas keeping an eye on things!

galwayrush

Bastards can empty a full oil tank in less than 5 minutes, also, a Truck can be toally cleaned out in under 3 minutes, they use a high powered pump and concealed storage tank in a van.:mad:

Melion

Christ, im wary of getting our tank filled on Thursday after reading this

AckwelFoley

What do you think powers all those transit vans.


Pulling a caravan is hard on the aul fuel.

The Real B-man

Padlocks are useless tbh they can rob it threw the dip stick cap it just screws off the top recently got oil and your man put it in threw the dip stick hole i was like wtf

Sherifu

The Real B-man wrote: »

Padlocks are useless tbh they can rob it threw the dip stick cap it just screws off the top recently got oil and your man put it in threw the dip stick hole i was like wtf

Lol, not all tanks have that hole. Bit pointless locking those tanks :pac:

entropi

Overheal wrote: »

heat theyre own house duh.

What if they don't live in a house (maybe apartment/caravan etc) and they are just thieving bastards ?

the GALL

I dont lock mine ...Im of the thinking if its to be robbed it'll be robbed and id rather lose the oil than the oil and the tank but sure I live down the country in a small village and there's enough nosy basturds around here to keep an eye on the place:D

Overheal

Death Sentence wrote: »

What if they don't live in a house (maybe apartment/caravan etc) and they are just thieving bastards ?

In that case Id rip off a newsagent or something: its not like anyone knows where you live then is it?

rainbowtrout

ya, i know loads of people it's happened to around here (Roscommon) and the school i work in had the tank emptied a few weekends ago. Place was like an igloo for a few days. detached houses and houses with side entrances seem to get hit the most.

eddie73

It seems as an act of vandalism, they filled my tank with a few gallons of water after they emptied the tank. The cap was off only for a day and there was no rain, just fog. Water totally fcuks up the pump in the boiler. So id advise to lock the cap of the tank regardless. Get a sensor light and a camera. Get only the minimum delivery of oil so you wont get hit badly if they call round to rob you. Also consider draining the tank yourself of oil into plastic drums after delivery and storing them somewhere secure, adding to your tank as you use the oil. That way the tank will almost always be empty and therefore not targeted.

Joeface

Had Mine Robbed a few weeks back, Tis a right pisser . will happen more and more often as oil prices go up.

Sherifu

eddie73 wrote: »

It seems as an act of vandalism, they filled my tank with a few gallons of water after they emptied the tank. The cap was off only for a day and there was no rain, just fog. Water totally fcuks up the pump in the boiler. So id advise to lock the cap of the tank regardless.

Bastards.

eddie73 wrote: »

Get a sensor light and a camera. Get only the minimum delivery of oil so you wont get hit badly if they call round to rob you. Also consider draining the tank yourself of oil into plastic drums after delivery and storing them somewhere secure, adding to your tank as you use the oil. That way the tank will almost always be empty and therefore not targeted.

Good tactics.

kieranmcg1

It happens everywhere but heres one for ya oim from donegal beside my grannys place they were settin up a housin estate there were i think about 20 houses some stil vacant . Some crowd came in one night and stole the boiler's out of like 17 of them . the way they found out one of the guys who was livin in the place went to put oil into the tank and feed it on into the boiler as he was fillin the tank the oil came running out thed boiler door .

Cuddlesworth

kieranmcg1 wrote: »

It happens everywhere but heres one for ya oim from donegal beside my grannys place they were settin up a housin estate there were i think about 20 houses some stil vacant . Some crowd came in one night and stole the boiler's out of like 17 of them . the way they found out one of the guys who was livin in the place went to put oil into the tank and feed it on into the boiler as he was fillin the tank the oil came running out thed boiler door .

Thats copper theft, also on the rise thanks to the huge demand and the realization that supply can't keep up.

Beelzebub

Yes, I have heard of it. I didn't think it was so prevalent though.