Varsity Place at University of New Hampshire

A photo of the UNH Wildcat sign that greets you when you enter the campus.

CommTank crew work to expose the piping at the top of the tank.

A photo of the new oil supply and return piping that the CommTank crew replaced on the underground tank.

A picture of our crew setting up to test the tank at the second apartment building.

Before we could test the tank a firomatic (emergency shutoff) needed to be replaced.

Here we are applying a small vacuum to the tank and listening for leaks in the tank and piping using an acoustic sensor.

Previous



Next

The Virginia-based investment group, Varsity Capital Advisors, was in the process of selling three of the apartment buildings they owned in Durham, NH when they were asked to provide underground tank testing reports for each building. Most real estate transactions are stopped by this roadblock because the owners are not aware that underground oil tanks need to be tested before a bank will provide a loan.

Varsity Capital Advisors called CommTank to perform tightness tests on the underground tanks that were located at each of their properties on the UNH campus.  Because the closing was being held up, the underground tank test had to be done immediately. CommTank mobilized a crew and attempted to test the tanks but we found problems with two of the underground tanks. After evaluating the tanks we recommended replacing the supply and return lines on one tank and replacing shutoff valves at the furnace and hot water heater of the other.  Once the customer approved the repair changes, we were able to repair the lines and valves, and retest all three underground tanks. All the tanks passed and we provided a report that would satisfy the buyer’s bank.

About the Author: Dan Hoag

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.