How to retrieve oil from a basement tank

robs660 · Oct 12, 2011

I have an opportunity to drain an oil tank in a house that my brother is going to be knocking down. I heat with oil so I am looking at this as an opportunity to get 50 to 200 gallons for free. My question is what is the best way to:
1. Drain
2. Filter
3. Remove any water that may be in there.

Also, how can I tell the quality of the fuel in there?

Thanks

johnecash · Oct 12, 2011

Hi,

I'd have your brother pick the tank up and sit it on a trailer, strap it down, tote it home and deal with it.

The other way to handle it would be to make up a line with a inline 12volt pump,filter and lots of five gallon cans.

On the fuel condition ---- if you can look in the tank and see that it's clean, check the filter after you run the fuel through it and see how much water and trash it has trapped then make a call on trusting it.

I'd have to go with the first option.

-J.C.-

robs660 · Oct 13, 2011

Can't get whole tank out in one piece. I am going to have to drain it there. I have a few new 55 gallon barrels so I am not worried about offloading it. Really more concerned about the quality of the fuel. I really do not want to mess up my furnace for a few hundred dollars in fuel.

czechsonofagun · Oct 13, 2011

I would take a sample first, let it sit in glass bottle to see what separates. Better to know what you are dealing with before you start pumping.

rockinmywaypa · Oct 13, 2011

How long ago was anybody living in the house, I wouldn't worry if only a year or two. I would be a little more leary if is was ten to fifteen.

robs660 · Oct 13, 2011

It is less then 6 years old for sure. If there is no water in it what else is there to check?

DanD78 · Oct 13, 2011

I have done this twice. First time was a underground tank. Made a hard suction line out of copper tubing and used a rubber impeller pump from Grainger to suck the fuel out and pump in to drums. Pump had garden hose fittings on both ends. Second time the tank was in a basement. I drained the fuel in to a 5 gallon bucked under the outlet valve and used the same pump to pump out of the basement in to drums. The fuel in the underground tank was at least 10 years old and burnt fine. The basement tank fuel was only a couple of years old and burned with no issues. I have heard people talk about diesel fuel growing algie but have never seen it my self.

Dan