55 Gallon barrel storage issue and more

[woodlandfarms]

So I decided to purchase a 55 gallon plastic food grade drum to hold my offroad diesel (beats going in to town every other day).

I made up a nice stand for it and went and purchased a Harbor Freight bi-directional pump for the bad boy.

Well, it ain't all roses. The pump head keeps popping out of the bung. I have tried it in both holes and it keeps popping free. Now this is my second one, my first was a cheaper plastic pump that was donated to me by work. is it my plastic barrels? Should I try to find metal ones or is this just how this works.

Also, the friggin HF pump the pipe that goes through the bung adapter is not water tight. Just found this out as I spent $100 on new filters and such for my tractor having pumped a bunch of water into this morning. I put RTV Black around the bung but it didn't hold.

Frustrated and looking for solutions.

Carl

 

[Diamondpilot]

So I decided to purchase a 55 gallon plastic food grade drum to hold my offroad diesel (beats going in to town every other day).

I made up a nice stand for it and went and purchased a Harbor Freight bi-directional pump for the bad boy.

Well, it ain't all roses. The pump head keeps popping out of the bung. I have tried it in both holes and it keeps popping free. Now this is my second one, my first was a cheaper plastic pump that was donated to me by work. is it my plastic barrels? Should I try to find metal ones or is this just how this works.

Also, the friggin HF pump the pipe that goes through the bung adapter is not water tight. Just found this out as I spent $100 on new filters and such for my tractor having pumped a bunch of water into this morning. I put RTV Black around the bung but it didn't hold.

Frustrated and looking for solutions.

Carl

First off the bungs on plastic barrels are a different thread then metal ones. The pump you bough is built for metal barrels. I ran into this same issue and what I did was make a adapter with parts from the plumbing section of the hardware store.

As for getting water in the fuel why in the world did you leave $400 of fuel sitting outside in the first place? I would keep it in the barn and out of the weather.

Chris

 

[hosspuller]

Your first mistake was buying a bi-direction pump. Even on a metal drum or tank, the constant back - forth motion will crack the metal around the bung. Get a hand crank rotary pump instead and you won't have as many issues.

 

[hosspuller]

Okay .. you asked for a solution. Get a heavy plate, weld a 2 inch coupling to it and a handle about the height of your pump handle. Install your pump into the 2 inch coupling. Then place the plate over the drum with the suction tube into the drum. When you stroke the pump, hold the handle on the plate to steady it. You will effectively isolate the bi-directional motion to the plate.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Want some $$$ solutions: buy a regular fuel storage tank new or use. Craigslist usually has one or two on at all time. I bought 2 of them-105 gallon both with 12 volt 15 gpm pumps for $300 and 350 respectively. One went to my BIL for his use which he keeps under one of his sheds and the other I put some steel wheels on the four corners so I can roll it in and out of my shop to fuel my tractors. We both use a portable jumpstart rechargeable batteries for power. Both have filters at the pump that trap trash and water. So far in 3 years we havent had any problems with trash or water in the fuel. I think they sweat much less when kept inside at a rather constant temperature rather than exposed to the night air and sunshine. The suction pipes dont go all the way to the bottom of either tank so if we have a little water, it doesnt suck it up. You can also put a slight tilt in your tank so any water settles on a low end away from your fill end and drain the low end occassionally if you have a port on that end.
If you stay with outside storage, I would get an upright horizontal tank and install it as above and use gravity to fill with. Theft is prevalent with those tanks though.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I do recall that my dad used 55 gal. steel barrels for outside fuel storage at one time when all he had was an 8N tractor and got 2 barrels at a time delivered. He always kept them tilted to where all water would drain off before it overflowed the raised section where the bungs screwed in. He kept the small bung on the low side and all bungs tight when not in use. He didnt leave the pump installed. I have never used plastic barrels. LBrown is the owner of plastic barrel storage and am surprised that he hasnt hit this yet. He has a rather complicated valving arrangement that does more than just dispense.

 

[mrutkaus]

When we used to use kerosene for heat we stored it outside in HORIZONTAL 55-gal drums on cinder blocks filled from the top bung and outlet a valve in the small hole. No water problems, no pump needed.

Mike

 

[woodlandfarms]

great stuff guys.

In no particular order....

Good to know that there is no pump for a plastic barrel. I could Kluge but I am going to rethink this. I am not sure how you found parts for this at a plumbing store but maybe that is me not spending enough time in a pipe aisle. Diamond, you have any pix of your solution?

I transport this 55 gallons in the back of the truck. I built a nice little holder with some 1" square metal railing and a plastic pallet (boy do I love those plastic pallets). I can easily get 55 gallons with my tractor in and out of the truck, but 110 is just on the edge of not liftable. So much for my fancy tractor.

I have assumed the fault lay with me in regards to the water, but I was just told by my neighbor that he has had issues with water at this station before. I still think I can do this better, just have to figure out how.

The barrel is under an overhang. I would like to move it in, but in really does not exist on my farm. We have a pole barn that is just a roof, no sides. Think of it as an oversized carport.

The barrel sat mostly empty since november, and the seal was never tight. I guess a good rain could get ater under the overhang and some could get in. But man, it was a LOT of water, like at least a quart if not more that came out of the tractor.

I will start looking for a steel barrel, I just like the ability to see my status with the white barrel I am using.

Thanks again guys for the ideas and such

 

[jonyyuma]

Buy a water seperator for the tractor and you can drain the water from the bowl on the bottom..Plus there are water proof funnels that have the filter built into the top..

 

[Diamondpilot]

great stuff guys.

In no particular order....

Good to know that there is no pump for a plastic barrel. I could Kluge but I am going to rethink this. I am not sure how you found parts for this at a plumbing store but maybe that is me not spending enough time in a pipe aisle. Diamond, you have any pix of your solution?

I transport this 55 gallons in the back of the truck. I built a nice little holder with some 1" square metal railing and a plastic pallet (boy do I love those plastic pallets). I can easily get 55 gallons with my tractor in and out of the truck, but 110 is just on the edge of not liftable. So much for my fancy tractor.

I have assumed the fault lay with me in regards to the water, but I was just told by my neighbor that he has had issues with water at this station before. I still think I can do this better, just have to figure out how.

The barrel is under an overhang. I would like to move it in, but in really does not exist on my farm. We have a pole barn that is just a roof, no sides. Think of it as an oversized carport.

The barrel sat mostly empty since november, and the seal was never tight. I guess a good rain could get ater under the overhang and some could get in. But man, it was a LOT of water, like at least a quart if not more that came out of the tractor.

I will start looking for a steel barrel, I just like the ability to see my status with the white barrel I am using.

Thanks again guys for the ideas and such

I do not have a pic, I gave it all to my uncle for his tractor. I think most of your water just came from good old condensation. I have take as much as 5 gallons out of a 75 gallon boat tank once for the same uncle. I have also gotten a full pint out of a 5 gallon can. Its amazing how it can happen.

Keep everything as full of fuel as possible will eliminate most of your issues.

Chris

 

[Canada_CT230]

I have a blue plastic 55 gal drum here for my diesel fuel. I have a cheap cast-iron rotary pump in it. It is located inside my shed under cover as I wouldn't trust the bungs and pump to be water tight. My pump has a threaded collar and it fits into my drum nicely. There are two different threads on my barrel (fine for a vent bung and a coarse for the pump fitting).

I have about 10 ft of hose to reach the tractor in the shed.

It is sure nice to go get a full drum twice a year and not have to man handle 5 gal cans. It takes about 20 cranks to fill my tank on my tractor.

 

[brin]

I have a 55 gallon plastic drum and when I bought it I also bought an HF hand pump...it fell apart before I could finish pumping the firs gallon of fuel...I took it back...It did not fit good either on the barrel..I went to Tractor Supply and bought a hand pump for about $60.00 and it works fine...no water in fuel and the pump is great.

 

[Redneck in training]

I also have plastic barrel for diesel fuel. It has two bungs. One has the same thread as the steel barrels. The other has very coarse thread. I bought 12V Northern Tools pump and filter that is permanently mounted on the barrel. The pump is powered from the tractor when refuelling. The barrel is on a dolly now so I can pull it to the tractor.

 

[creekbend]

I have enjoyed reading the posts in regards to fuel storage in plastic barrels. Another additional way that I use those barrels for is garden tool storage. I cut the top off, add a concrete block in the bottom for stability, and put all my garden tools in it such as Shovels, post hole diggers, hoes, racks, brooms, mattocks; etc. I have it in one of my sheds and these tools stay in one easy assessable place and they don't take up much storage space.

 

[LBrown59]

So I decided to purchase a 55 gallon plastic food grade drum to hold my offroad diesel (beats going in to town every other day).
Well, it ain't all roses. The pump head keeps popping out of the bung.
1* I have tried it in both holes and it keeps popping free. 2*Now this is my second one, my first was a cheaper plastic pump that was donated to me by work.
3* is it my plastic barrels?
4*Should I try to find metal ones or is this just how this works.
5*Also, the friggin HF pump the pipe that goes through the bung adapter is not water tight.
Carl

1*You need to use the fine thread.
The coarse is to thread a vent into the center of the cap.
2*Still should have worked with the proper fitting on the drum.
3*No
4*Stay with the plastic.
5*The problem is there is no pipe fitting to screw into the drum after removing the cap .
Worse yet nobody makes such a fitting .
I solved that problem by building my own.

Fitting

This end stays Outside of the drumb.

This end goes inside the drumb


This is a picture of the fitting installed on the drum

Without this fitting it's basically impossible to successfully get the suction tube through the top into the drum and acheve the desired results.

 

[LBrown59]

1*The bungs on plastic barrels are a different thread then metal ones.
2*The pump you bough is built for metal barrels.
3*I ran into this same issue and what I did was make an adapter with parts from the plumbing section of the hardware store.
4*As for getting water in the fuel why in the world did you leave $400 of fuel sitting outside in the first place?
5*I would keep it in the barn and out of the weather.
6* L Brown is the owner of a plastic barrel storage system and I am surprised that he hasn't hit this yet.
7*He has a rather complicated valving arrangement that does more than just dispense.
8*Good to know that there is no pump for a plastic barrel.
9* I am not sure how you found parts for this at a plumbing store .
10*Diamond, you have any pix of your solution?
11*I can easily get 55 gallons with my tractor in and out of the truck, but 110 is just on the edge of not lift able.
12*So much for my fancy tractor.
13*I still think I can do this better, just have to figure out how.
14* We have a pole barn that is just a roof, no sides.
15*The barrel pump seal was never tight.
16*I will start looking for a steel barrel,
17*I just like the ability to see my status with the white barrel I am using.
18*Thanks again guys for the ideas and such
My blue plastic 55 gal drum is located inside my shed under cover .
19*I wouldn't trust the bungs and pump to be water tight.
20*There are two different threads on my barrel
21*(fine for a vent bung and a coarse for the pump fitting).
22*I have about 10 ft of hose to reach the tractor in the shed.
I also have a plastic barrel for diesel fuel. It has two bungs.
23*One has the same thread as the steel barrels.
24*The other has very coarse thread.
25*I bought a 12 V Northern Tools pump and filter that is permanently mounted on the barrel.
26*The pump is powered from the tractor when refueling.
27*The barrel is on a dolly now so I can pull it to the tractor.

1*They are the same on my plastic and steel drums.
2*The pump should work on plastic and steel drums.
3*There is no plumbing fitting that will allow you to go through the top of a drum so you can get a tight leak proof connection .

I had this one special made and it is the only way I know of to successfully get through the top of a drum
and achieve a leak proof connection .

4*I put mine in this little 8 x 10 building .
5*A barn would work too.
6*I never ran into it.
7*It's not really all that much more complicated but it greatly expands the functionality of it. .
8*No it's not good to hear .
What's good to know is the pumps will work on both Steel and plastic drums.

9*I searched high and low for a fitting like this and it turns out no plumbing manufacturer makes such a fitting.

10*You solution is to make a fitting like his one as you can't buy one any where.last picture shows the fitting installed in the drum.
11*You don't need to do any lifting with my set up so I just leave my tractor parked .
12*Plumb your barrel like mine and you won't need your tractor because there is no lifting or moving heave drums.
13*I'm trying to show you how.
14*Put in there as far as you can get it = better than outside.

15*They never are so that's why you need this.
16*No need to do that just use the plastic one that you already have.

17*You mean so you can see how much fuel is in the drum like I can with this one.?
18*You are welcome .
19*Main problem on that is the sloppy way the pumps are plumbed through the top of the drums.
20*Actually there are 2 caps but 3 different threads on all of the plastic drums I have seen .
A-One hole is a 2 inch regular pipe thread .
B-The other hole is a 2 inch with a real course thread.
C-The cap with the real course thread. has a 3/4'' standard pipe thread in the center of it for a vent pipe.
21*You have it backwards it should be *(The fine is for the pump fitting & a course bung is to put a vent in)
22*My hose is 12 feet.
23*That's why any pump can be plumbed to it .
24*That's so you can add a vent pipe.

25* I mounded the red pump to a shelf when I realized it was better to drive the tractor rather than get involved in all the hassles of transporting the drum to the tractor.
26*Mine's powered by this and it keeps the charger stored handy yet out of the way ,
27* Much easier and simpler to take the tractor to the drum. Simplifies things greatly..




_________________

 

[RFB]

Have you thought of gravity flow from an IBC?

On and offloaded with forks, the valves are robust, easy to fab a platform, and it would be easy to plumb a Goldenrod water separator filter between the valve and the fill hose.

 

[LBrown59]

Also, the friggin HF pump the pipe that goes through the bung adapter is not water tight.
Just found this out as I spent $100 on new filters and such for my tractor after
1* having pumped a bunch of water into it this morning.

1*You must not have had a water seperating filter on
The pump like this or you would not have pumped water into your tractor.
It's the round white screw on filter connected to the red pump.

2*As for getting water in the fuel

He would not have goten water in his tractor if he had a water seperating filter on his pump.

3*Buy a water seperator for the tractor and you can drain the water from the bowl on the bottom....

3*Better yet he needs to install a water seperating filter on his pump.

 

[LBrown59]

Have you thought of gravity flow from an IBC?

It's my understanding these are not suitable for dieseal do to the plastic not being compatable with the fuel.

 

[RFB]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...8-diesel-fuel-storage-tank-5.html#post2721595