A Tank Sweep May Be One of the Best Investments You Make During the Home Inspection

When most people think about a home inspection, they picture someone checking the roof, heating system, electrical panel, plumbing, windows, and appliances.

But there’s another inspection that’s easy to overlook—and in many parts of New Jersey, it’s well worth considering.

It’s called a tank sweep, sometimes referred to as an underground oil tank sweep.

A tank sweep is typically an optional inspection that can be added to your home inspection. The purpose is to look for buried metal objects beneath the property, most commonly abandoned underground oil tanks. In some cases, it can also help identify the location of old septic systems.

The inspection itself is surprisingly straightforward. The inspector walks the property using specialized equipment that detects metal underground. If the equipment signals that something metallic is below the surface, the inspector can often use a long probe to help determine the object’s approximate location and depth.

The good news is that the vast majority of tank sweeps don’t uncover any problems. Like many inspections, you’re hoping the report comes back completely uneventful. The value isn’t finding a problem. The value is knowing whether one exists.

About Mary Churchill