55 Gal drum gravity fed system

[Brahmus]

Can anyone running a similar system post pictures and pointers? I've got a brand new metal 55 gallon drum and would like to perch it about 5' or so, on it's side with a hose and valve.

Something low budget but something that will let me go a while longer before running back to the station and will not have me toting fuel cans around.

 

[LBrown59]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/122497-heres-mine-wheres-yours.html

Can anyone running a similar system post pictures and pointers? I've got a brand new metal 55 gallon drum and would like to perch it about 5' or so, on it's side with a hose and valve.
Something low budget but something that will let me go a while longer before running back to the station and will not have me toting fuel cans around.

How do you plan on getting it up there and how do you intend on getting it refilled?
Do your self a favor and put and elect 12 volt pump on it.
I did last summer but was dumb enough to do with out one for 3 years first.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2303.jpg

 

[Brahmus]

Local marine station passes by the house twice a week. No issues on getting it filled. Living in my small town helps, my wife and his daughter are very good friends. I plan to lift it with two straps and the FEL. I plan to keep it outside the shop and I don't really wanna route a pump.

Why would gravity fed not work?

 

[LBrown59]

Local marine station passes by the house twice a week. No issues on getting it filled. Living in my small town helps, my wife and his daughter are very good friends. I plan to lift it with two straps and the FEL. I plan to keep it outside the shop and I don't really wanna route a pump.

*Why would gravity fed not work?

*It will but a pump is SOooooooooo much nicer !

 

[LBrown59]

Local marine station passes by the house twice a week. No issues on getting it filled. Living in my small town helps, my wife and his daughter are very good friends. I plan to lift it with two straps and the FEL. I plan to keep it outside the shop and I don't really wanna route a pump.

Why would gravity fed not work?

Thanks to my Pump There is no lifting so The tractor and FEL isn't needed.
With the pump i can empty and fill the drum both.

 

[ultrarunner]

We had a well built steel rack to hold 4 55 gallon drums... 3 grades of lube oil and one for diesel. It was a great gravity system and all the drums had quality bronze valves with spring safeties.

All was well until we got a call from the new Fire Marshall. He wrote us up and gave us 10 days to get rid of the gravity system. Pumps were ok... just not gravity. Something about gravity feeding a fire.

 

[LBrown59]

Pumps were ok... just not gravity. Something about gravity feeding a fire.

Another good reason for pump over
gravity.

 

[Brahmus]

I'm not sure I understand how gravity fed would make a fire situation worst...

 

[LBrown59]

I'm not sure I understand how gravity fed would make a fire situation worst...

because the drain ie fill hose is at the lowest point it will empty the whole drum of fuel into a fire.
Also since the drum is elivated that puts it above the fire so it can feed the fuel into the fire real easy .

 

[Dargo]

I had a 550 gallon gravity fed system for years before I had any issue. I'd seen many other farmers with similar setups and they didn't have a containment system for a spill either. Mine worked so well that I quit running up the steps to turn the valve on and off each time I used it. The valve in the filler handle worked fine and never leaked. This was fine until the hose rotted through and failed right after the valve and filter outside the tank. What a mess! I don't have a clue how much money and how many hours that mistake cost me.

I now have that same tank sitting inside a containment tank on the ground with a regular 120v electric pump. Although the gravity fed unit worked fine, I have to admit that I like the 120v electric transfer pump with the auto-shutoff nozzle and all. I don't have to worry about remembering to turn the valve on and off and it's inside a containment tank anyway should a leak occur.

Other than the real possibility for a spill and having no containment system (at least I don't think you mentioned one), a gravity feed system will work fine for low volume. Many suppliers will not fill your tank, even a really small 55 gallon tank) if you don't have the basic EPA requirements covered. I think they can be nailed by the EPA should you have a leak and not have a proper containment system. At least that is what my suppliers have told me. Being legal with a containment tank pretty well eliminates a gravity fed system anyway unless you dig a pit around your tank and line it with plastic. My 550 gallon tank is still considered relatively small by most comparisons and the containment tank it sits in cost me around a hundred bucks or so. At least I'm legal now. Besides, the spill I had a few years ago was not only costly, but it took a ton of my time to fix. Good luck!

 

[LBrown59]

I now have that same tank sitting inside a containment tank on the ground with a regular 120v
electric pump

Only way to go

 

[Brahmus]

Makes sense. I'll look into the pumps...

 

[ultrarunner]

At work, I was required to have double containment with leak alarm for the Fire Marshall to sign off. It is a tank inside a tank.

Actual tank size is 360 gallons...

Actual inside tank size is 180 gallons...

The Diesel Company has a 100 gallon minimum for easy deliveries. Anything that requires additional time is billed so much a minute.

 

[LBrown59]

Makes sense. I'll look into the pumps...

A little 12 Vold pump like mine is only 99 bucks at Northern tool .
See my pictures.
I got lucky and got mine on sale for 69 dollars.
If you decide to get one and need info on setting up your drum let me know.

 

[LBrown59]

1*At work, I was required to have double containment with leak alarm for the Fire Marshall to sign off. It is a tank inside a tank.
2*The Diesel Company has a 100 gallon minimum for easy deliveries. Anything that requires additional time is billed so much a minute.

1*Since This was comercial I take it that such rules don't apply to private parties.
I can set up what ever I want to here since it's private property.
2*The supplier I buy from also has a min. delivery rule.
Theirs is 150 gallon.
I get around that by having them drop of 55 gallons when they are already in my area or driving by.

 

[ultrarunner]

1*Since This was comercial I take it that such rules don't apply to private parties.
I can set up what ever I want to here since it's private property.
2*The supplier I buy from also has a min. delivery rule.
Theirs is 150 gallon.
I get around that by having them drop of 55 gallons when they are already in my area or driving by.

I'm sure the extent of enforcement varies greatly... if there is enforcement at all.

The Fire Marshall said it makes no difference between home farm or business and his signature is required to close out the permit.

No permit = very little chance of a random Fire Marshall visit.

The Tank fuels the 125 kw Onan Genset that I've written about before. Each year the Bay Area Air Quality Management District comes to verify the number of hours the unit has run to calculate particulate emission. The rules apply to all "Stationary" sources and tanks above a minimum threshold.

I know people that get around it by having their generator and/or tank trailer mounted... so it's not Stationary.

I'm allowed to run, test or exercise the unit 20 hours per year under the license to operate it. Any bonafide documented Emergency run time in excess of 20 hours is permitted. I go to my utility's website and print the power outage info and keep it in the log book as independent proof of emergency.

We even have to pay the city a fee based on the number of Oxygen and Nitrogen and Air cylinders stored on site.

 

[Dargo]

I can set up what ever I want to here since it's private property.

Um, yeah, sure. You have a spill and the EPA catches wind of it and you don't have a proper containment setup you may as well kiss your house goodbye unless you have a nice nest egg you are willing to give to them for federal violations against the environment. You go get 'em though. I'm sure you can take on the EPA and come out ahead.