Fuel oil

[mwagoner]

I have approx 50 gal of fuel oil that was used for heating a home. It has been sitting outside for approx 3 years in a plastic 55 gal drum. It was at the home when I bought it, supposedly from when the previous owners switched from fuel oil to electric heat. I would really like to get rid of it, so I once again turn to TBN for help. I am not sure if it contains any water or not. What are my options, I am tired of moving it around?
Thanks in advance,

Matt

 

[heehaw]

if your in an area that uses fuel oil to heat with, an ad in the paper, or if your local radio station has a "trading post" show, maybe an ad in a free advertiser???? as high as the stuff is, you should have folks waiting in line to haul it off. OR check with some of the quick lube places, they tend to use waste oil heaters to heat their buildings, and might take it to use ..
heehaw

 

[ERNIEB]

<font color=blue>they tend to use waste oil heaters </font color=blue>
Interesting, awhile back someone on ebay was selling plans for such a heater. The claim is they work great, and don't smoke. I had never heard of such a thing. With the current prices of propane, it's a good idea to leave no stone unturned. Are they any good?

Ernie
"You can plainly see that the Alamo was never built by a military people for a fortress."
Green Jameson, Jan 1836 (in a letter to Sam Houston)

 

[heehaw]

i don't have one, yet, because of the cost; but i have examined 2 pretty close; its a lot cheaper to have one in your house, just like a central system, thats what the local quick lube uses here; the outside unit, made by hardy is very expensive [7k], must have compressed air available, but work great; both require a little more preventative maintenance than your normal gas or electric furnaces; nothern hydraulics sells a small unit for a shop or garage, i think it was around $4000 when i looked. to high for me. there are several units that burn diesel, or fuel oil i guess, but the burner want handle the thicker oil/used or new, or so i was told by the hardy dealer..right now off road diesel is $1 a gallon, plus sales tax; thats a lot cheaper than kerosene.
heehaw

 

[TomG]

We pumped 150 gal out of a furnace oil tank when we demolished a building this summer. The oil hadn't been used in about 5-years. I bought an inline fuel filter from Northern and borrowed an electric transfer pump and drums from our oil dealer. I just pumped it into the drums and transferred it to our other tank, but it could go into anybody else's tank as easily. I held the inlet hose a bit off the bottom of the old tank so it would pick up very little water or sediment, and I just didn't worry about it. Some people use ordinary furnace oil interchangeably with #2 diesel fuel, but that's a judgement call. I'd want to at least run old furnace oil through a filter first.

 

[mwagoner]

Thanks for the info! I have a friend that uses fuel oil for heat but I didn't want to give it to him if it had water in it. I never thought about using a filter. I am just worried about messing up his furnace, and convincing him that it won't. Was the filter a screen type, I think I have a funnel with a screen filter in it I could pump it through that. Thanks for all the help.

Matt

 

[TomG]

The filter is the type you see on the end of some gas station pump hoses. There are various types of filter cartridges available, including a 'water absorbing' one. It came standard with a 10-micron cartridge, which is what I used. I was more worried about sediment than water. My oil dealer thought the filter was an over-kill (but I'm like that I guess). He thought that just keeping the inlet off the bottom of the tank would be OK, and it probably would have been since there was quite a bit of water in the four gallons that I didn't pump out.

The filters aren't exactly cheap, but I figure that if I ever get stuck for diesel fuel, I can take some from the oil tank. However, I'd want to run it through a filter before using it in a diesel, so maybe having the filter around is a good thing.

 

[gordon]

If your worried about water in the fuel, look down the bung hole of the barrell it will be at the bottom of the tank. Also another option is a water sensing paste. You put a dab of paste up the side of a stick about two inches and dip it into the tank. Depending on the brand of the paste if red when you put it in and the tank does have water in it it will turn yellow up to that portion of the stick.
Gordon

 

[Rowski]

You couls also leave the barrel out side, let the water freeze (provided it gets that cold) and then pump it out. I do this a lot with my waste oil before putting it into my main tank. Forgot to mention to leave it sitting for a while before it gets cold to let the oil and water seperate before freezing.

Derek

 

[mwagoner]

The barrel has been outside for a long time, hopefully it will be cold enough this weekend to freeze the water and then I can pump/filter the fuel out. Thanks to all who posted a response.

Matt