Temporary storage for heating oil (kerosene) ?

[Misterg]

One of our neighbours is getting a new oil boiler, etc. which means a new tank. The company doing the work have said that they won't transfer the oil from the existing tank to the new one because of the risk of "contamination", but they will take it away... There's about 700L in it!

The new tank is going in the same place as the old one, so it needs to be "empty" before the new one can be installed (I'd leave the watery mess in the bottom for them )

Any bright ideas for how to store the oil for a week or so, while the work takes place? There is a potential storage area adjacent, but the company sound like they're 'jobs-worths' regarding the regs, so I guess that any temporary storage will need to be kosher (we've already considered filling everyone's wheelie bins...).

I would expect that there are companies that do this sort of thing, but haven't been able to find one as yet.

North Wales coast area...

 

[sako243]

IBC container? 1000l capacity and usually about £40.

 

[Blobber]

or 200ltr oil drums, can usually get them for nothing if you trawl around garages and the like

 

[8ob]

Another vote for the ibc. The guys are right about contamination, there will be all sorts of crud pumped into the ibc but it will all settle out and as long as you are careful not to pump the dregs back into the new tank all will be ok. What you do with the dregs is another matter.

Bob

 

[Bullet2012]

Another vote for ibc, just check it’s clean and dry.
also make sure you leave enough room for the installers just in case they get funny about moving an inc that’s 70+% full

 

[Ruffian]

Go see a local farmer. Properly rinse it out.
Easy.

 

[JohnH]

Personally I would tell the "company" doing the work to sort them self out. They are a bunch of cowboys. This must happen to every person who needs work doing. They are taking the Pi**.

 

[gaz1]

IBC container? 1000l capacity and usually about £40.

25-30 pound up here

 

[Misterg]

They are taking the Pi**.

Totally agree! They’re doing these for some sort of grant funded scheme,

Wouldn’t an IBC need to be bunded if it’s holding oil? (ETA it would be outdoors.)

They sound like the sort of lot who’d report you to the EA if there was anything slightly iffy. (They’ve already said that if there are any signs of spillage on the ground that they won’t start the job!)

 

[Misterg]

What you do with the dregs is another matter.

I’d try and leave them in the old tank

 

[gaz1]

just buy a drill water pump and pump it over

Pardon our interruption...

Totally agree! They’re doing these for some sort of grant funded scheme,

Wouldn’t an IBC need to be bunded if it’s holding oil?

They sound like the sort of lot who’d report you to the EA if there was anything slightly iffy. (They’ve already said that if there are any signs of spillage on the ground that they won’t start the job!)

its temporary keep your mouth shut and cover over with something whilst the work is carried out

wash out and use for something else like a water collection system

 

[GRW]

Changes are there's sod-all wrong with the vast majority of the kero. Yup, it's a rip-off.
If you search online, you can find a product called "Water-Finding Paste. It comes in a tube like toothpaste. Put a line of it on a long stick, and insert into the tank to the bottom.
The paste will change colour if you have any water in the fuel.... and if you do, as water has a higher SG than Kero, it'll separate and sit at the bottom.
If you're careful, and only pump fuel from a couple of inches above any contaminated at the bottom... then what you draw out should be good fuel.

Container? +1 for an IBC or clean oil drums.

 

[knighty]

IBC

whatever you stant it on put something under the front to lift it up a good 6 inch... more is better

that way when the crap settles away from the valve (easiest way to pump it back out)

they're not all the same,... but vast majority of IBCs have the same valve on, the size/thread it is the same as the cap for 25litre drum (dump of oil, dump of weed killer, drum of antifreeze etc.)

so you can fit a pipe fitting to the lid from a 25litre drum, screw it onto the ibc and use that tp pump it out :-)


transparent IBC makes it easy to see what's going on


throw a tarp over it to hide it from the guys doing the work :-)

 

[julianf]

Get in FB market place... People frequently give away non bunded oil tanks. I mean not constantly but certainly frequently.

Or some plastic drums. Generally about a tenner each but considerably easier to move about than an ibc.

Make sure they're clean inside before handing over any cash for them though.

 

[sako243]

25-30 pound up here

Vary from free to £40 but for £40 you can guarantee you can get one.

 

[Misterg]

Ok, folks - Thanks very much. It’s none of my business really, but I don’t like to see people being ripped off. I’ll see what I can do.

 

[Melvyn Best]

I’d go for 205lt drums. at least they are relatively easy to move when full whereas an IBC you will need mechanical means to move it

 

[gordon stephenson]

Photo taken when my elder son emptied one of his big diesel tanks into IBC's. 12,000 Ltrs. ideal containers, He used to get the contains free from a cosmetics factory, only done one run and often still had a few inches of shampoo or face cream etc.

 

[Robotstar5]

I’d go for 205lt drums. at least they are relatively easy to move when full whereas an IBC you will need mechanical means to move it

When I was at Rover in the 80's there were a few dodgy characters, one guy would siphon petrol out of cars to save buying any, at one point he had half a dozen 45 gallon drums full of petrol in his garage

 

[DAPPH]

Another vote for the ibc. The guys are right about contamination, there will be all sorts of crud pumped into the ibc but it will all settle out and as long as you are careful not to pump the dregs back into the new tank all will be ok. What you do with the dregs is another matter.

Bob

Over a period til it's all used ,soak sticks / off cuts in it and use them for lighting the fire ?