Any ONE KNOW?

[Ole JIM]

I was helping a local Contractor yesterday--removing Fuel tanks at a de-funked service station--the Gas tanks were pretty well Empty--Fibreglass--but--the Diesel Tank--Steel--2.000 gal Capacity?--is over 1/2 Full--& the Stations been Closed been over 2 yrs--& w/ Fuel prices over 2.50 a Gallon--We pumped out a couple of Gallons--Looked Good--Smelled Good--but--We only got the sample from the very TOP!--the Contractor has All new Equipment--& lots of $$--& don*t dare use IT?--I called many Oil Cos--but received the Ole Run Around?--I carefully Dug it OUT!--& w/the Excavator Placed it on a Low Bed--& chained it Down good--& I figure? IF? it can*t be Used? in Diesels?--or Home Heating?--I see NO reason WHY? the Shop Waste Oil Furnace would LOVE this Fuel!-- is there an Additive?--that Will Assure the quality of such Fuel?--& if? All else Fails?--how about a 50 50 Mix w/ New Fuel? for Heating OIL!--as MY 275 Oil tank is Empty!--& the Price Situation is Forcing ME to Do some Thing??--I have all ready Cleaned & serviced my Furnace--new Nozzel--new Filter--ECT--& He says take It HOME!--& seeing its loaded under the Excavators Boom--al on the Same Low Bed--I Guess?--I*LL take It Home unload the Excavator & dig half a Hole?--& place the Tank in IT--& dig a Mouate around IT--so if any thing does Happen?-it Can*t really GO any-Where!--& try & use all I can of IT!--any Suggestions?--Ole JIM--

[digger242j]

We had a 500 gallon tank on the job that we knew had been contaminated with water and had algea growing in it. We put it off to the side, and let it sit empty. One day the oil dealer's driver (a new guy) showed up to fill the good tank, and despite the fact that the dirty tank was spray painted with "DO NOT USE", filled it with 500 gallons of fuel. I've never owned an oil furnace, but the one carpenter contractor on the job has one. He took the whole tank home with him to use in his furnace.

I imagine it doesn't pose quite the problem that burning it in an engine would. It's not like you have eight injectors to worry about, or a precision piece of machinery like the injector pump. It seems the worst that could happen is that the nozzle in the furnace would clog and your furnace would quit, but once you got it cleaned out, you'd be in business again. I think running it through a filter system with a sump to collect moisture would be a real good idea. But then again, I don't know for sure...

[PSDF350]

Jim i am not positive but i dont see why you couldn't use it for heating oil. I wouldn't use it in any vehicle but i would sure as heck try it in furnace. whats the worst that can happen need to replace filters.

[digger242j]

I missed the 10 minute editing time limit. I wanted to add:

Oh, you also might want to line your hole with plastic or something, because if the tank leaks, and contaminates the soil, and gets into the ground water and pollutes someone's well...Let's just say the EPA takes a dim view of that. Maybe transfering the fuel to a better tank would'nt be a bad idea.

[atgreene]

I wouldn't hesitate to use it if you do the following:

Treat it with algea treatment, I use Bio-Con from Napa.

Treat it with Power Service or likewise treatment

Filter it, filter it, filter it.

A series of water seperators and filters capable of filtering down to very small particulates. Worst case, after doing this, cut it with fresh fuel.

You're right, though, too bad to lose it, and Clean-Harbors would rape you for the cost to dipose of it.

Here's some filter ideas:
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/2,671.html

http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=G50005&UID=20050810160333906530295

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=910811&R=910811

If you decide not to use it, I'd be more than happy to "dispose" of it for you! :wink

[atgreene]

The key would be water seperators like this and a series of regular spin-on or cartridge filters.

Here's a couple pics.

[chipsearthworks]

hey Jim what it worth to you last January my parents 1000 gal inground oil tank crapped out on them one of the lines crimp and was sucking in to much air to run the burner, so you want to know what my parents did the hole month of January ran it of 5 gal gas cans filled with good old diesal fuel from the local citgo ran better then it did on regular heating oil, so You can use it but like a few others said you might want to run it through a filter of some sort, also it did seem to have a soote deposit around the chimany just for your info.