IBM Backup Generator Day Tank
CommTank has provided numerous services at IBM, from tank testing and third party inspection, to the pump out of flooded manways. The job that we did recently was to upgrade three older model single-wall day tanks. We replaced them with double-wall Pryco day tanks and upgraded all the connecting fuel lines, pumps and sensors. How do you replace the fuel source to an emergency backup generator without power interruption? You start by providing a temporary tank with enough fuel to meet emergency requirements.
Before we could disconnect the old day tank we provided two rental tanks to IBM for the duration of the project. The outside tank was temporarily taken off-line and a 275-gallon Granby with secondary containment was connected in its place. Inside a 130-gallon Roth rental tank was used to cover the day tanks while the new Pryco day tanks with duplex oil pumps were being piped into place. The aboveground storage tank that was the primary supply to the backup generator was sanded and painted and the fuel lines connecting it were upgraded from copper to steel double wall piping. A containment sump that had been taking on water was replaced with a new OPW FlexWorks sump and Veeder Root interstitial sensor. At the completion of the project IBM had double-wall containment on all tanks and supply lines, which brought them up to code.
Dan Hoag has worked in the environmental and tank storage industry for 16 years. Dan’s range of expertise includes designing systems for oil spill clean-ups, treating soil contamination through "in situ" oxidation and testing, and inspecting underground storage tank systems. As head of Marketing and Information Technologies at CommTank, Dan draws from field experience to write about fuel, water and chemical storage technologies, and the regulations that affect them. He has developed training courses in home inspection, underground storage tank operator, ultrasonic thickness and tank tightness testing. Over the past decade, Dan has published over 60 articles about industry trends and has documented commercial, residential, and environmental projects through illustration, videos, and photography. When Dan unplugs from technology, he spends his time backyard farming, hiking, and kayaking, while masquerading as a hockey player during the wee hours of the morning.