Heating oil thieves

Outkast_IRE · 27-03-2011 11:09PM

Pwindedd wrote: »

Neither can we but it was damn cold at the time. I've lived in the UK since birth and all central heating systems there seem to come with the option for heat or hot water or both and also an internal themostat that turns the heat off when a desired room temperature is reached. None of my 3 irish homes have had these facilities. On or off are the only options. Why is this?

Building regs that lag years behind other countries in areas like this , and no real enforcement of building regs.

Daegerty · 27-03-2011 11:11PM

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Building regs that lag years behind other countries in areas like this , and no real enforcement of building regs.

Building regs are more of a hinderance than anything else. Its easy to make a heating system work that way, just requires a simple valve or two.

Dempsey · 27-03-2011 11:26PM

Overheal wrote: »

From what I've read on these boards the AGS seems indifferent to a lot of things. Especially things that require investigation on their part. If it doesn't involve something serious like a homicide or violence they seem to be very laissez faire about it. Dont get me wrong when they actually go to work investigating a homicide or something they appear quite professional.

I suggest a motion alarm. A camera can miss stuff, but an alarm that can wake you up: you can do the camera work yourself, maybe scare them off or snap photos of their plate.

I'd have a loaded shotgun within arms reach and not be afraid to use it if you try to get these people's plates or faces because things could turn nasty very quickly.

I actually heard a story, 2nd hand information now so it could be exaggerated, that a local business caught thieves on camera and their faces were identifiable. Gardai still havent made an arrest over the incident.

MidlandsM · 27-03-2011 11:38PM

I've one of these in the back yard........TOTAL PIECE OF MIND and worth considering if you are concerned about oil theft/getting robbed......

His name is Murph, and he loves the taste of tea leaves blood.

Stained Class · 27-03-2011 11:52PM

Had this prob myself.

Suspected the neighbours at one point.

Turned out that it was an intermittent fault with the timer switch.

We didn't detect it cos there was a lot of power cuts in our estate at the time.

This was going on 3 years & we lost a lot of cash over it.

DOH!:(

milehip1 · 27-03-2011 11:55PM

Rumple Fugly wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has had the misfortune to be targeted in this latest form of thievery?

My brothers uncle in-law had a story to tell about this. He had his heating oil stolen twice in the space of a few days from his house. After the second time he descretly filled his empty tank with water and got the oil tanker to come back around and hook up the hose and pretend to fill his tank again as a favour.

A couple of nights later his tank was emptied again...to his delight, until he got a threatening phone call from the water-thieves, telling him never to pull a stunt like that again! :eek:

I'm not sure of what happened after that but it just shows the cheek these sh*t heads have!

Anyone else have any similar tales?

he should have pulled a Padraig Nally on them (with buckshot of course)

yoshytoshy · 27-03-2011 11:56PM

Ha! ,thats Gas! ,NOT:pac:

listermint · 28-03-2011 12:01AM

Surely the best way to avoid this is a tank inside a brick shed enclosure (with roof) These guys go for easy targets, a small lock or a fence wont stop them. But enclosing the whole tank will make them move on to the easier targets.

mikemac · 28-03-2011 12:02AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

He should have used petrol. Would have been expensive but worth it for the satisfaction of seeing the fukers blown to kingdom come.

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

28-03-2011 12:15AM

Well seeing as he got a threatening phone call, it should be easy to report and get the number traced! Unless he already knows the caller....

Cantona's Collars · 28-03-2011 12:16AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

It's a lot easier to ignite petrol than kerosene-if the cnuts put petrol in their heating system and turn it on-BOOM!

A mate of mine had problems with oil theft-he had his suspicions it was someone living not too far from him so borrowed a staffordshire bull terrier and left it in the garden.Was woken a couple of nights later by screams-looked out and saw the dog dragging the oil thief down off the fence,he turned off the lights and went back to bed,no more oil stolen from that night on.

28-03-2011 12:16AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

In an oil burner! different ignition process, real risk of explosion in the burner.

mikemac · 28-03-2011 12:18AM

Not realy a shock to have your heating oil stolen

But the fact that they watch the house and know the phone number clearly shows they have local knowledge.
Is this in an estate, someone who can see the house?

If not, you'd reckon it might be the delivery driver. They knew they returned and also have the phone number

mikemac · 28-03-2011 12:19AM

Deleted User wrote: »

In an oil burner! different ignition process, real risk of explosion in the burner.

Thanks, I genuinely didn't know the technical reason

squod · 28-03-2011 12:26AM

Look on ebay for a CCTV system. Infa red IR cameras at close range, or if there's and engineering fabricator nearby they could do you up a lockable cover.

Dempsey · 28-03-2011 12:43AM

squod wrote: »

Look on ebay for a CCTV system. Infa red IR cameras at close range, or if there's and engineering fabricator nearby they could do you up a lockable cover.

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

seaniefr · 28-03-2011 12:52AM

Dempsey wrote: »

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

we got hit last year
i now have a cctv system installed, oil tank is behind garage & fenced off got timbers laid around tank with nails upturned by the time they get close to the tank i will have the scum-or at least a blood sample:D

mgmt · 28-03-2011 12:55AM

seaniefr wrote: »

we got hit last year
i now have a cctv system installed, oil tank is behind garage & fenced off got timbers laid around tank with nails upturned by the time they get close to the tank i will have the scum-or at least a blood sample:D

Home Alone style...nice

squod · 28-03-2011 12:57AM

Dempsey wrote: »

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

Maybe, most thieves are opportunists. No system is 100% like.

argosy2006 · 28-03-2011 01:00AM

All i can say is those theives are really COLD!

JustAddWater · 28-03-2011 01:05AM

argosy2006 wrote: »

All i can say is those theives are really COLD!

You're a gas man...

Dempsey · 28-03-2011 01:10AM

squod wrote: »

Maybe, most thieves are opportunists. No system is 100% like.

North Tipperary has a more sophisticated type of crook though, e.g. Michael Lowry :pac:

sh1tstirrer · 28-03-2011 01:15AM

zerks wrote: »

It's a lot easier to ignite petrol than kerosene-if the cnuts put petrol in their heating system and turn it on-BOOM!

Ok two big problems here. Petrol is considerably dearer than kerosene and they wouldn't be stupid enough to put it in their heating oil tank, they would have free fuel for their cars instead.

28-03-2011 01:47AM

If you're handy with a welder, just buy some old heras type barriers and make a cage for the tank.
Don't forget to make a door for the tanker (delivery) driver to gain access.
http://www.topfencehire.com/wp-content/uploads/Hire-heras-fencing-from-TopFenceHire.jpg

Else, grow your own firewood!

http://www.thewillowbank.com/willow.firewood.facts.htm

artanevilla · 28-03-2011 01:52AM

You'd have to get up very oily in the morning to catch them.

28-03-2011 02:01AM

artanevilla wrote: »

You'd have to get up very oily in the morning to catch them.

That's slick! :pac:

curry-muff · 28-03-2011 02:20AM

Deleted User wrote: »

That's slick! :pac:

Oil have to agree with you there.

TeddyTedson · 28-03-2011 02:30AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

This was his mistake.

He should have used petrol. Would have been expensive but worth it for the satisfaction of seeing the fukers blown to kingdom come.

That's pure genius right there.
The sad thing is if they were caught and brought to court I doubt they'd get much time. I'd like to see people locked up for about 8 years for such a crime.
Breaking in to someones house should give someone at least 8 years served inside.
It's the only way to stop crime. Worked in New York when they took a zero tolerance approach.

congo_90 · 28-03-2011 02:41AM

put tank underground perhaps surrounded in precast concrete? all you need is a filling pipe. petrol stations have been at it for years.

28-03-2011 02:51AM

Putting a bunded tank inside a concrete walled courtyard would provide a high level of security. Most importantly the fuel line also needs to be protected as well, the thieves could drain it in a day via the fuel line, this assumes an unoccupied property.

Heating oil thieves

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