diesel storage

[sarti]

I know this has been gone over a bunch but I'm still not sure of the answer...
I was going to buy one of those 50 gal. plastic tanks from the farm supply store ( the white ones ) to store some diesel fuel in. Will the fuel eat the tank
or cause the plastic to swell? some say yes some no.Some say you can store bio but not reg diesel fuel in them..Thanks for any feed back

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have stored diesel in plastic tanks for 5 years with no problems.

Chris

 

[LBrown59]

I know this has been gone over a bunch but I'm still not sure of the answer...
I was going to buy one of those 50 gal. plastic tanks from the farm supply store ( the white ones ) to store some diesel fuel in. Will the fuel eat the tank
or cause the plastic to swell? some say yes some no.Some say you can store bio but not reg diesel fuel in them..Thanks for any feed back

I have been using a 30 gallon plastic drum since back in April or May.
Only paid $12 for it.
Works great.
I've heard the drums are made out of the same stuff the 2 and 5 gallon red and yellow gas and diesel cans are made out of.
I just bought a plastic 55 gallon drum a couple weeks or so ago for $17.
Plan to plump it in with the 30 gallon one on my set up system.
I think I would go with one of those drums over the TSC plastic tanks.
The farm supply store tanks may not even have the correct oppenings/fitting to allow them to be set up as a fuel storage system.
I just saw an add in my local paper where a guy has the 30 gallon drums for 3 bucks apiece.
I want to check them our cause 3 dollars is a steel.

Here are some pictures of my storage and pump set up system.
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http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1416095-post3.html

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2303.jpg
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http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/41519-poly-drum-legal-fuel-3.html

 

[3RRL]

I know this has been gone over a bunch but I'm still not sure of the answer...
I was going to buy one of those 50 gal. plastic tanks from the farm supply store ( the white ones ) to store some diesel fuel in. Will the fuel eat the tank
or cause the plastic to swell? some say yes some no.Some say you can store bio but not reg diesel fuel in them..Thanks for any feed back

You could also ask the farm store people.
As far as swelling, it could happen it you left it out in the blazing sun.
I have a 5 gallon plastic pail with a little hydraulic fluid in it and left it out in the sun. It gets pretty hot up here to over 110F and the pail swelled. So if you did that, it could swell or deform.
Just don't do what I did.

 

[AlanB]

I know this has been gone over a bunch but I'm still not sure of the answer...
I was going to buy one of those 50 gal. plastic tanks from the farm supply store ( the white ones ) to store some diesel fuel in. Will the fuel eat the tank
or cause the plastic to swell? some say yes some no.Some say you can store bio but not reg diesel fuel in them..Thanks for any feed back

The "answer" is that it is a risk, that you have to be willing to take on yourself.

Go look at the tanks in question, and the manufacturer will be stamped in it.

Call them and ask, and I will be amazed if you find one that say's yes, it is rated for fuel, or it would be fine to store fuel in it.

Will they work, thousands of people are storing fuel in thousands of unapproved, probably improper containers at this very moment. It is working for them.

In the FWIW, my fuel is stored in metal drums.

Also in the FWIW there are companies out there producing fuel compatible plastic containers specter come's to my mind first, if I wanted to store in a plastic drum, I would look at the proper name of the plastic their can was made from, and look for a drum / container with the same plastic.

Good luck

 

[LBrown59]

In the FWIW, my fuel is stored in metal drums.


Al

I don't like/use steel/metal drums because.
1* They rust out
2* Condensation
3* Can't see the fuel level through them <> >< <> That's why I would not take one of the Blue 55 gallon plastic drums for my pump/drum fuel storage set up.

I will say one thing the steel drums make better burning barrels than the plastic drums do.
Larry.

PS:
I just picked up 2 white plastic 30 gallon drums yesterday.
He has 10 more of them that i'm waiting on a phone call so I can make the arrangement to go pick them up also.

 

[LBrown59]

PS:
I just picked up 2 white plastic 30 gallon drums yesterday.
He has 10 more of them that i'm waiting on a* phone call so I can make the arrangement to go pick them up also.

Up date:
*Got the phone call this evening and went and got the ten 30 gallon drums.

 

[LBrown59]

I know this has been gone over a bunch but I'm still not sure of the answer...
1*I was going to buy one of those 50 gal. plastic tanks from the farm supply store ( the white ones ) to store some diesel fuel in.

I bought a white 15 gallon tank at Tractor Supply Co ; but took it back when i read the directions that said not for diesel.
What's the price on the 50 gllon tank at your farm supply store?

 

[sarti]

The 50 gal tanks are around $100 at Rural King but I still can't get anyone to commit if you can store diesel in them. The place where I buy my fuel doesn't care if you use plastic or not and says he doesn't THINK it would hurt it. I leaning toward haveing an alum. one fabbed up. the 5gal cans are made of polyethelene and so are the white tanks so I don't really know....Someone has to be able to tell me?????????

 

[LBrown59]

1*The 50 gal tanks are around $100 at Rural King but I still can't get anyone to commit if you can store diesel in them.
2*The place where I buy my fuel doesn't care if you use plastic or not and says he doesn't THINK it would hurt it.
3* I'm leaning toward having an alum one fabbed up.
4* the 5 gal cans are made of polyethylene and so are the white tanks so I don't really know..
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1*That's dang high compared to a $17 55 gallon drum.
I have my doubts about the 100 buck tank being any better either.
You could buy about 20 gallon of diesel with the 83 dollar difference.
Hay one of the fuel distributors gave me a real good clean steel 55 gallon drum.
Check out the fuel distributors in your area you might luck out like I did.
2*If it won't hurt then I'd go with a 55 gallon plastic drum.
3*Three things I see wrong with a steel drum / tank.
One rust two condensation three can't see the fuel level in it.
Alum would eliminate one but still leave you with the other two.
So I would not go with this approach.
5*So I'd think either one should / would work.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here is a pic, sort of, of my fuel storage system. Its a pic of the play house I built my little girl a few years back but it shows the tank. It is now setup different but is the same tank. It is a 275 gallon food grade tank I got for $25, the necessary fittings, filter, and a hose with nozzle. No problems in 5 years of use and simple as spit. Just uses gravity.

I have since moved the tank on top of my shop that is built inside of my barn to free up some floor space.

Chris

 

[LBrown59]

Here is a pic, sort of, of my fuel storage system. Its a pic of the play house I built my little girl a few years back but it shows the tank. It is now setup different but is the same tank. It is a 275 gallon food grade tank I got for $25, the necessary fittings, filter, and a hose with nozzle. No problems in 5 years of use and simple as spit. Just uses gravity.

I have since moved the tank on top of my shop that is built inside of my barn to free up some floor space.

Chris

Sarti is I think being overly concerned or over cautious about the container be it the plastic tank or a plastic drum.
At this point he isn't sure about either one.
Not being sure either way I'd gamble $20 on a plastic drum before I'd risk $100 on the plastic tank.
I've read a lot of guys post who have successfully used the plastic drums for diesel storage but I hadn't seen one single post of anyone using one of the tanks Sarti is talking about.

 

[sarti]

I got some info on the tanks today..A tank distributer told me polyethelene
tanks are made with petro. by products so when adding fuels to them it attacks the petro in the plastic and makes it soft..They stated the need of cross link poly tanks for fuel storage.This may be an answer to cover their buts..The reason I was so concerned was something clogging my fuel system on my tractor. The convienance of the bulk tank would not be worth it

 

[Diamondpilot]

The reason I was so concerned was something clogging my fuel system on my tractor. The convienance of the bulk tank would not be worth it

Just get a good filter/water separator and do not worry about it. 99.9% of the time people have trouble with diesel it is algae and that is caused by water. I use Howse or Power Serve in my storage tank and have has 0 problems in 5 years. Sometimes the fuel sits for a year or so.

Chris

 

[LBrown59]

I got some info on the tanks today..A tank distributer told me polyethelene
tanks are made with petro. by products so when adding fuels to them it attacks the petro in the plastic and makes it soft..They stated the need of cross link poly tanks for fuel storage.This may be an answer to cover their buts..The reason I was so concerned was something clogging my fuel system on my tractor. The convienance of the bulk tank would not be worth it

Yesterday
I was looking at 50 gallon tanks like you were talking about at Tractor Supply Company.
The only opening they have in them is about an 8 or 10 inch hole on top with a screw in cap; which won't work for a diesel storage set up.
I'd say the tanks are meant for water hauling not diesel storage.
I would not waste a hyndred dollars on one of them when you can buy a plastic drum that will work for under 25 bucks.

 

[LBrown59]

I got some info on the tanks today..A tank distributer told me polyethelene
tanks are made with petro. by products so when adding fuels to them it attacks the petro in the plastic and makes it soft..They stated the need of cross link poly tanks for fuel storage.This may be an answer to cover their buts..The reason I was so concerned was something clogging my fuel system on my tractor. The convienance of the bulk tank would not be worth it

O K ;So now what's yer plan?

 

[LBrown59]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1264881-post4.html

The 50 gal tanks are around $100 at Rural King but I still can't get anyone to commit if you can store diesel in them. The place where I buy my fuel doesn't care if you use plastic or not and says he doesn't THINK it would hurt it. I leaning toward haveing an alum. one fabbed up. the 5gal cans are made of polyethelene and so are the white tanks so I don't really know....Someone has to be able to tell me?????????

 

[sarti]

I'm checking with one more company (Assmann) on the plastic tank, otherwise I'll probably have an aluminum one fabbed up by a friend of mine

 

[LBrown59]

I'm checking with one more company (Assmann) on the plastic tank, otherwise I'll probably have an aluminum one fabbed up by a friend of mine

How do you plan on getting the fuel into and out of the tank?

 

[LBrown59]

I'm checking with one more company (Assmann) on the plastic tank, otherwise I'll probably have an aluminum one fabbed up by a friend of mine

Click here: TractorByNet.com - View Single Post - Show us your fuel storage/filling rig
This drum is made out of the same stuff that the 5 gallon cans for Diesel and gasoline are made out of.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1229442-post34.html