Best way to clean out a diesel storage tank

[Lineman North Florida]

Long story short one of my diesel tanks developed a slow leak, so I transferred all the fuel into some other tanks and I found a used 500 gallon tank that hasn't had diesel in it in about a year, I want to clean it out good and then dry it out before putting fuel in it. What is ya'll's opinions of the best way?

 

[sandman2234]

I came thru LaCrosse this week, dropped in Alachua and headed home to Jax.
I cleaned out one many years ago, a used aluminum tank that was built to fit in the bed of a truck. It had been sitting for many years, and I got it for scrap price. I used a pressure washer to get as much of the junk I could out of it, then filled it half full of water with a half bottle of Dawn Dishwashing liquid and left it in the truck for a week while I drove around. The sloshing soapy water finished cleaning it and then I turned it upside down, to get the biggest part of the water out. Still wouldn't "dry out" so I hooked a vacuum pump (think A/C, but mine was from Medical) up to it and let it run for a couple hours in the sun. It was dry as a bone.
David from jax

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Steam!

SR

 

[nyone]

Drain it, put a few gallons of new diesel along with a piece of chain if it has crud on the bottom then strap it on a trailer or truck bed and go for a ride.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I came thru LaCrosse this week, dropped in Alachua and headed home to Jax.
I cleaned out one many years ago, a used aluminum tank that was built to fit in the bed of a truck. It had been sitting for many years, and I got it for scrap price. I used a pressure washer to get as much of the junk I could out of it, then filled it half full of water with a half bottle of Dawn Dishwashing liquid and left it in the truck for a week while I drove around. The sloshing soapy water finished cleaning it and then I turned it upside down, to get the biggest part of the water out. Still wouldn't "dry out" so I hooked a vacuum pump (think A/C, but mine was from Medical) up to it and let it run for a couple hours in the sun. It was dry as a bone.
David from jax

Funny how things work, I was in Jacksonville the other day looking at a fuel tank, well I went in on Normandy and didn't have to cross the river or get on I-10 which is unusual when I have to go to Jacksonville.

 

[sandman2234]

I am a little south of Normandy, about 2 miles south of 103rd street, so you weren't that far from my home.
David from jax

 

[mikester]

Does your well water taste funny now?

 

[YanmarFever]

If you ever buy a used fuel tank, be sure to take a bright flashlight with you when you check it out.
The folks on the phone always said that it looked like a mirror inside or it was very clean. Well the flashlight never lies but people do!

I looked at 7 tanks before I bought one, all the other were almost rusted out.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I tried dawn dish soap and it cleaned it some but not to my satisfaction, so I got some 30% white vinegar and dilluted it some with water and over a 3 day period of rolling the tank into different positions it really cleaned it out, I would highiy recommend this method if you buy a storage tank that is nasty and needs cleaning out.