Oil & Fuel What to do with 500 Gal of heating oil

[amirm]

What I'm still having trouble understanding is why was the 500 gallon tank acceptable for heating the house but now it's not good enough to supply fuel for the BX24? I'm just not grasping how what the fuel is used in affects the accep-tance /rejection of the tank
?

The difference is that for heating, it is all plumbed in to a basement furnace (i.e. gravity feed). To use it for the tractor, I would have to pump it out. So it was not like it was sitting there and I was just pretending not to use it .

Also, the whole purpose of this thread is that I *want to use the tank.* Otherwise, I would not post for best ideas on how to do that...

 

[JPinnell]

OK, the way I read this the tank is buried uphill from the house as why else would the contractor be recommending filling it with sand other than to keep the empty tank from collapsing. He doesn't want a bunch of unsightly pump gear sticking out in his front yard for filling the tractor. I'm guessing there is a spouse involved somewhere in that decision

If it was me I'd let gravity do the work and drain it using the existing furnace line. Depending on how high that line comes out of the basement wall it ought to be easy enough to get a can or drum to drain into underneath. If it's a walkout basement all the better as a 55gal drum will fit through a man door on a dolly.

Used metal drums around here run 10-15$. I'd fill about 3 to keep for myself with some algicide and advertise to sell the rest. Get a clean 1x2 and stick the tank. When you get down near the bottom quit draining it. Dig the thing out, then drain the dregs and use that for burning brush, treating posts, etc. and make yourself a nice big hog smoker with the tank shell.

 

[ChuckinNH]

How about contacting the folks that put it in there? It could be that they have provisions for draining tanks as well as for filling them, and perhaps they could give you a credit on a product that you do use, like diesel, or gas.

 

[LBrown59]

1* He doesn't want a bunch of unsightly pump gear sticking out in his front yard for filling the tractor.

He don't have to have that to pump out 2 or 3 drums.
If he makes it portable rather than permanent.

I would use a pump set up like this and simply fill the 2 or 3 drums with it.
No need to connect it to the tank .
He may as well get a pump because he's going to need a way to get fuel form the drums to the tractor anyway.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2303.jpg

 

[LBrown59]

perhaps they could give you a credit on a product that you do use, like diesel.

He already has fuel for his tractor in the tank.
To sell it for $2.40 per gallon and buy it back for $4.70 a gallon seems penny wise and pound foolish to me

 

[amirm]

OK, the way I read this the tank is buried uphill from the house as why else would the contractor be recommending filling it with sand other than to keep the empty tank from collapsing. He doesn't want a bunch of unsightly pump gear sticking out in his front yard for filling the tractor. I'm guessing there is a spouse involved somewhere in that decision

Good summary of the situation including WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor)!

If it was me I'd let gravity do the work and drain it using the existing furnace line. Depending on how high that line comes out of the basement wall it ought to be easy enough to get a can or drum to drain into underneath. If it's a walkout basement all the better as a 55gal drum will fit through a man door on a dolly.

I have thought about this. This is a "daylight basement" building meaing the basement is the lower floor. The furnace room is becoming a finished room when it is all said and done. So I could easily fill things down there. The issue then is how to drag the thing back up! 50 Gal tank with diesel weighs 400 pounds just for the liquid. I could roll it out the thing using a dolly but then have to push it uphill on a dirt road by the side of the house. And then another 200-300 yards up another hill to get it to where the tractor is. Still, you made me think more about this option .

 

[FullBucket]

You may want to checkout "Mr Funnel". It is supposed to remove water and other junk quite readilly. Might rescue the bottom dregs. Check website video. I haven't used it but got idea here in other posts. Good luck

 

[LBrown59]

1*The issue then is how to drag the thing back up! 50 Gal tank with diesel weighs 400 pounds just for the liquid.
2* I could roll it out the thing using a dolly but then have to push it uphill on a dirt road by the side of the house. And then another 200-300 yards up another hill to get it to where the tractor is.
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).

2* How do you plan to get it up the dirt road and 200-300 yards on up the other hill even if you got it out of the basement.???

Why not place the filled drums in and easier location to be able to get them into.?
You can always drive the tractor to the drums to get fuel for it no matter where you put the drums .
Might be better to look at taking the bx24 to the drums instead of focusing on taking the drums to the tractor.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1416095-post3.html
These pictures show you how to do exactly what you're trying to do with ease and a minimum of effort.

To bad I'm not there with my pump and pickup to help you
out.
We could have had this all taken care of by now!

 

[amirm]

Why not place the filled drums in and easier location to be able to get them into.?

It is very difficult. The path next to the house is narrow, steep and gravel. I can ge the BX down there but can't turn it around. And backing up would be pain in the neck. Yes, I plan to improve that road but still, with all the rain we get here, it would still be a worry. In addition, the wife would not let me put the drums anywhere close to the house.

To bad I'm not there with my pump and pickup to help you
out. We could have had this all taken care of by now!

That you would have! The pictures are small. Do you mind telling me what brand of pump you used? Seems like a 12 volt unit powered by the charger?

 

[California]

How about pumping fuel up to the front of the house and filling drums there? Then transport the drums with the tractor the rest of the way.

You might even drop the pump's intake hose down the fill pipe where the supplier's truck parks, so you don't make a mess in the basement.