55 gallon barrel fuel station questions

[muckdp]

I need to up my fuel delivery game to a 55 gallon barrel, instead of carting 5 gallon race jugs back and forth. I'd like to go with a 55 gallon drum, with a 115v 15GPM fill rite transfer pump, water/particulate filter, and auto stop fill nozzle. Fuel delivery isn't an option for me, I'll be carting the barrel back and forth to buy off road diesel.

I have two questions about this setup:
1 - Most (all?) of the steel drums I can find have a 2" bung, and a 3/4" bung. My pump would need to go in the 2" bung, but I don't want to remove the pump and suction pipe to take it to the fuel station to fill up. Can I fill up with diesel through the 3/4" bung? Or is there a way to get my pump to use the 3/4" bung?

2 - I can find HDPE, blue, formerly filled with veggie oil drums with two 2" bungs easily, which would make for easy pump mounting, and fillup, but I'm concerned about hanging a Pump, filter, and nozzle all hanging off of the plastic barrel's 2" bung, especially in the heat. We can get over 100* here. Has anyone hung 15GPM pump, filter, nozzle, hose, etc off the 2" bung on a plastic barrel successfully?

Thanks folks. Been reading lots of threads here, and I think these are the only two things I haven't been able to figure out.

 

[TractorGuy]

I am using the metal oil drums but my pump is a cheap unit connected to a home made pvc pickup tube. I cleaned and painted the outside on top of the factory finish. They are only 3 years old and beginning to show some surface rust at the seams. I keep them under a metal carport on concrete pads. My fuel gets delivered. I am thinking about switching to plastic.

A 1 inch diesel nozzle will just fit in the 3/4 hole. The 3/4 npt refers to the inside diameter of the pipe.

The plastic drums I've seen have different threads so I would have to start over adapting my pu tube and vent. I just use air compressor filters screwed into the small holes to vent.
EDIT: Just had my fuel delivered and spoke with the driver about the plastic drums. He tells me one hole is the standard thread and the other is a coarse thread. Just make sure and get the bung for the coarse side that will adapt it to a 3/4" NPT and you should be good.

I would not be comfortable transporting fuel without the proper credentials and storage container. I think I'm okay as long as they deliver and pump into my drums.

 

[TnAndy]

Remember too you'll need a way to handle drums.....wrestling 400lbs when full isn't all that much fun. I store several for long term use, both gas and diesel, and came up with these homemade drum pallets as an easy way to move them. Adding the back keeps the pallet forks from damaging that side of the barrel, and sides versus a regular pallet keeps them from slipping off if you get on a little side slope.

You might also consider going to the next level. I found a used heating oil tank with a metal stand real cheap on Craig's List. It held 180 gallons, so I'd take 3 of these drums to town, fill with diesel and then come home and fill the tank. I use a 12v 13gpm pump simply clipped to the tractor battery terminals to fill the tank, then gravity feed fuel to the tractor anytime I need it.

 

[Diggin It]

I would not use a heavy pump setup on the blue barrels and I'm not sure I'd want to transport them due to potential breakage if you bump them, or some body bumps you. My handcrank barrel pump does not seat well in a blue barrel. It's good enough to use stationary, but I wouldn't try to move the barrel with it in place.

I switched to a white/milk colored barrel so I can see the red fluid level easier, no more dipsticking.

I can move the plastic barrels on and off my trailer to go down the rural road to a neighbor that gets it delivered, but I wouldn't even consider traveling the 20+ miles to town with it.

If you can justify the cost, they have square or rectangular transfer tanks made just for that purpose, but they're kind of pricey.

 

[RjCorazza]

I used 5 plastic drums to pick up 250g of diesel I got for free some years ago. I wouldn't trust hanging a heavy pump on one. I currently use a steel drum for my gasoline storage, but I do not transport it (fill every two years with Jerry cans).
Loading barrels can be dicey and are top heavy (I do like the carrier picture posted above), so I would also recommend considering a rectangular fuel tank if you could swing it. For diesel I use a truck mounted transfer tank and FillRite pump.

 

[Texasmark]

I have been using the same 3-55 gallon (old oil drums) in an old trailer made from a GMC p/u bed/rear end for at least 20 years. I park it under a metal cover (carport sort of thing) high enough to allow me to remove the pump assembly (12v cheapest dc pump TSC sold);not a problem as I collapse the bottom extension as I am pulling the pump assy out of the tank and get to the joint midway down the p/u tube.

I use the fuel out of 2 of the tanks and when I transfer the pump to the 3rd tank I hook the trailer to my truck, go to town and fill up. The farm diesel spiggot is too large for the 3/4" vent hole (really made for the 2" fill port) and even if you had a direct plug in pipe adapter, getting 50 gallons of fuel through that hole would take some time.

I started out making a steel-chain harness that fit around the mid section of the drums and lifted them onto and off my flat bed farm truck when it was time to go to town and refuel. Figured there has to be a better way. The old trailer wasn't being used and was the perfect ease of use solution.

Other thing about using the drums is that they remain totally sealed till used. No breathing, no moisture accumulation with the tank sucking and blowing at the whim of the weather, no water in the fuel, no algae, no this no that. Besides I had them sitting around the place so there was no charge.

 

[skipperbrown]

If you are going to transport your fuel from a fueling station to your home/farm, it needs to be DOT approved. You sure don't want to spill 50 gallons of diesel somewhere due to a ruptured plastic barrel. You can pick up a 55 gallon transfer tank from Tractor Supply for less than $300. I see them frequently on craigs list for much less.

 

[Teikas Dad]

This is what I built. I had an old gas grill frame that got repurposed and a set of wheels added. A free 50(?) gallon plastic drum from a car wash that was cleaned completely and a pump purchased from Tractor Supply. A couple added pipe fittings and it works fine. I added a metal nipple on one of the bungs that I open the top cap for venting while using the pump. The nipple was the same thread pitch as the inside of the bung knockout. I added some epoxy around the top of the bung cap and the bottom of the nipple to keep it all tight. The pump works on 12v so I just hang my battery jump box off the back handle when I need to fill the tractor and connect the power lead alligator clips from the pump to the alligator clips on the jump box. Turn the box on, turn the pump on and away I go. To fill the drum I unscrew the bung/vent nipple, put a funnel in the opening and pour the diesel in there. It's a lot easier lifting a 5 gallon container and pouring it into the drum than it is lifting it to the top of the tractor...and usually spilling diesel all over the place.

 

[TnAndy]

Other thing about using the drums is that they remain totally sealed till used. No breathing, no moisture accumulation with the tank sucking and blowing at the whim of the weather, no water in the fuel, no algae, no this no that.

Totally sealed works fine if the barrel is full, as even 55gal in a 55gal drum has an inch or so of head space. But be careful about sealing tight a partial filled drum....this is what happens when the weather turns cold ! (I'd imagine it's also quite possible to go the other way if sealed when cold and then the weather turns hot.)

 

[dieselcrawler]

TnAndy, very good point on the expansion/contraction issue due to tempiture change.

Dad and I have used 55 gallon drums for years, hand crank pump. Was my dad's, he got to the point he didnt use it and let me have it. Use two drums, one in use, the other empty waiting to get filled, or full waiting to be used. Couple nylon straps and lift into truck with the loader.