Setting up gasoline storage tank(s)

[schmism]

Or can I park it right next to my barn like you would an oil tank?

Id say half the ones i see around hear (on farms) are next to the barn, the other half are in an open(ish) area to facilitate access.

If you use drums you need to store them on their side or they will collect water on the top and then when they heat and cool (expand/contract) they will suck water in.

1) they are usually stored inside
2) if they expand/contract it means they are air tight (as the air inside is expanding as it heats and contracting as it cools) which means if its air tight then its water tight so "sucking in water" cant physically happen.

 

[zmoz]

I really don't know much about this, but I am guessing there are regulations about having double wall tanks for gasoline and that the supplier won't pump into a non-certified tank. Just a guess.

Montyhp

Right...that's mostly what I'm asking about. The guy I was talking to on the phone didn't seem to know a whole lot about it, he just wanted to lease me a tank. I definately need to talk to somebody that knows more.

I lease an industrial building for my shop and in order to be allowed to store gas I need to make sure it's 100% in compliance with local regulations.

Basically here's what I want to know: If I go to the fire marshal and tell him I'm going to store four 55 gallon drums full of gas in my barn would he likely be ok with that or freak out? I know using 55 gallon drums sounds a little 'hillbilly', but then again, that's how you normally buy "race" gas, by the drum.

The more I think about it, the more I would like to store it inside completely. Lots of tweakers in the area if you know what I mean. Here's the way I see it - my old Chevy truck has 3 gas tanks totaling 65 gallons. Those old tanks aren't any stronger than an old drum. And I can park that in the barn full of gas without even thinking about it.

Maybe to work around some of the regulations I can put some extra transfer tanks on my old truck and just call it a "fuel truck".

 

[rswyan]

Basically here's what I want to know: If I go to the fire marshal and tell him I'm going to store four 55 gallon drums full of gas in my barn would he likely be ok with that or freak out?

Are you familiar with the phrase "blow a gasket" ?

The best contact, encounter, or interaction with any form of government, or governmental official, is ..... none ....

 

[zmoz]

Are you familiar with the phrase "blow a gasket" ?

The best contact, encounter, or interaction with any form of government, or governmental official, is ..... none ....

I couldn't agree more. But with commercial property I have to follow the rules or I'm totally screwed if it ever leaks or catches fire. Not that I wouldn't be anywhere else...

My shop used to be an auto body shop. They had 55 gallon drums of things like xylene, and other nasty/flammable solvents stored in my shop. As far as I know that was legal.

 

[LBrown59]

1*you aren't even allowed to pump your own gas!
So, in talking with a local fuel company
2*I think I can get them to deliver me fresh, real, 100% gasoline for offroad use.
3*They want a 100 gallon minimum delivery
The question is, what exactly do I want for a tank, and what specific safety steps do I need to take?
4*I was looking at the "fuel transfer" tanks at Northern Tool and most of them say "not for gasoline". Why?
5*I think I'd rather have multiple tanks, like four drums, instead of one big one...

1*When I was growing up nobody pumped ther own.
Looks like we've now came full circle.
2*Don't get caught using it on the road.
3*Does it have to be gas or can it be any combination of fuels adding up to 100 gallons ?
4*Because Gas is a lot more flamable and explosive .

5*Here is my multiple drum set up for diesel.

6*If I setup more than one tank I would plumb them so they can all be filled from one port.
7*I was thinking individual drums might be good because I could use them up one at a time, so the others remain full without much air space.

6* I just remove the vented CAPS on what ever DRUMs i want to fill.
7*Works for me.

8*schmism - that brings up another point, location. I don't have a lot of space for it.
9* Does it need to be out in the open like that for safety? 10*Or can I park it right next to my barn like you would an oil tank?

8* - 9*My set up is in this building by itself It is 37 feet to the nearest structure.
10* I would not want gasoline next to a barn or any other structure.

11*It's more than likely due to the fact that they know if the tanks were listed as being suitable for gasoline, then someone would mount them in vehicles and use them as a fuel tank instead of a "transfer" tank.
~~~~~~~~~Since the early 70's, vehicle gas tanks have dealt with venting vapor via a line to a charcoal cannister. The newer the vehicles are, the more complex the venting process and components have become. If tanks like that were listed as being suitable for gasoline, people would be improperly teeing them into existing fuel systems.....
12 ******then expecting a "farm exemption" or something similar when they got caught.
*******

*******
11*No it's because it's very dangerous to store gas in unapproved containers due to flash fire and explosion hazzards.
12*What does this mean ?
:confused2:I don't understand what you're talking about ?

13*I lease an industrial building for my shop and in order to be allowed to store gas I need to make sure it's 100% in compliance with local regulations.
14*Basically here's what I want to know: If I go to the fire marshal and tell him I'm going to store four 55 gallon drums full of gas in my barn would he likely be ok with that or freak out?
15*The more I think about it, the more I would like to store it inside completely.
16*Lots of tweakers in the area if you know what I mean.

13*Have spoken with you local regulators?
14*Ask him and find out .
15*In a seperate building by it's self and away from other structures yes.
In basements garages barns and out buildings no.

 

[wedge40]

14. Not bad considering the OP was asking about GASOLINE not diesel.

I will be curious what you learn, and how you solve the issue at hand. I'm not trivializing the storage of gas, but over the years the safety factor of privately handling gas seems to have gotten out of hand. I'm with zmoz in that as long as certain safety aspects are followed you should be ok.
You could store it outside with a nice fence and barbwire surrounding it. Also that will be a difference between winter and summer storage safety concerns. When it's 90* and 95% humidity static electricity isn't much of problem, but at 10 below and 10% humidity that's another story.

My dream storage would be a block building, wood roof and trusses and a hole in the block to run the hose through. That way if something happened it would be contained.

Wedge

 

[brokenot]

11*No it's because it's very dangerous to store gas in unapproved containers due to flash fire and explosion hazzards.

So where do approved containers come from? And what makes them approved?

Flash fire and explosion hazards have little to do with the issue.

One company that sells approved-for-gasoline transfer tanks is TransferFlow. Their much higher pricing reflects their "system approach" to the issue. In other words, much of what you're paying for, isn't the tank itself. The way the system is designed allows it to meet DOT and C.A.R.B. regs.

A tank like TransferFlow sells that meets drop and pressure testing could be easily built and sold for a reasonable price.

The problem is that since the tank wasn't sold as part of a system, then all manner of haphazard and back-woods installations would be occurring....none of which met required regulations.

A few FAQS from their site:

1. TFI tanks are designed using, as a minimum, 14-gauge aluminized steel. Aluminum diamond plate in-bed tanks are made of 1/8 thick aluminum.

2. TFI tanks are fully baffled on all four sides.

3. TFI tanks are pressurized to 5 psi with air or helium while under water.

4. TFI systems meet CARB and EPA emissions regulations. We design our systems with the correct emission canister capacity necessary for gasoline applications. GM, Ford. Dodge, etc. all use different absorption characteristics in their emissions canisters. Each TFI fuel system is designed to be compatible with that vehicle痴 emissions system.

5. TFI fillneck designs meet CARB, EPA, and DOT regulations. We design our fillnecks with proper alpha and beta angles and correct inclination angles for gasoline and diesel applications.

6. TFI systems meet CARB and EPA requirements concerning fuel fill rates, which require a test that verifies our systems fill at a minimum of 10 gallons per minute for noncommercial applications.

 

[zmoz]

My dream storage would be a block building, wood roof and trusses and a hole in the block to run the hose through. That way if something happened it would be contained.

Funny you should say that. That's what my shop is, with a wood barn attached to the back. I was thinking last night maybe I could build a small concrete block containment area the size of four drums in the corner. That way it should be relatively fire resistant, leaks would be contained, and almost impossible to hit with a vehicle. Then again that's more trouble than I wanted to deal with...

We do have to remember I don't live in this building and it's in a heavy industrial area. I don't even own it so if it burns down, I don't really care as long as it wasn't directly my fault.

1*When I was growing up nobody pumped ther own.
Looks like we've now came full circle.
2*Don't get caught using it on the road.

Yeah, but those guys KNEW HOW to pump your gas...instead of the local crack head who pumps gas all day yet still can't figure out how to do it without making a mess. *sigh* Just try and bring in an old car with a gas cap under the liscense plate....

Fortunately they won't be putting red dye in my gas, as it is still taxed. I mean...what? I would never use that horrible stuff on the road.

Actually looking at your setup is one of the reasons I wanted to use drums...I wish gas was as easy to store as diesel.

 

[zmoz]

I think I'll just ask the fire marshal where I am supposed to store my drums of "race fuel"...which I know is perfectly legal.

That's what gets me about those "transfer tanks" not being approved for gasoline...when I can go down to the fuel distributor and buy 110 octane in a 55 gallon drum. Come on, that drum was never "approved" for fuel storage and is probably quite thin.

 

[mjncad]

...You cannot buy it at any gas pump - and for that matter, you aren't even allowed to pump your own gas!

Out of curiosity; why doesn't Oregon allow people to pump their own gas? Personally for what gas costs, bikini clad Hooter's girls should be filling up the tanks; but that's not going to happen.

schmism - that brings up another point, location. I don't have a lot of space for it. Does it need to be out in the open like that for safety? Or can I park it right next to my barn like you would an oil tank?

If you had the room, which you don't, storing it away from the building would be better. Can you store the gas on the cooler north side of the building away from direct sunlight?

Would an "oil" tank like this be suitable for gasoline?
250gal above ground oil tank

As long as its properly vented and grounded, and isn't rusted all to crap, I don't see why this wouldn't work. You'll just need to thoroughly clean the oil gunk out of it.

I lease an industrial building for my shop and in order to be allowed to store gas I need to make sure it's 100% in compliance with local regulations.

Basically here's what I want to know: If I go to the fire marshal and tell him I'm going to store four 55 gallon drums full of gas in my barn would he likely be ok with that or freak out? I know using 55 gallon drums sounds a little 'hillbilly', but then again, that's how you normally buy "race" gas, by the drum.

Besides the local regulations; I'd check your lease for clauses concerning flammable/hazardous materials storage, even if it was an auto body shop before you got it.

As for the fire marshal having a cow...if he's conscientious about his job, he will. I inquired with our local fire marshal about storing 55-gallons of diesel in a drum sitting inside a yellow plastic containment vessel inside fire marshal approved flammable liquid storage cabinet that would reside in my garage. I even emailed him pictures of what products I intended to use, and he still advised against it.

The best contact, encounter, or interaction with any form of government, or governmental official, is ..... none ....

Amen!