Old oil tank

[JIMCT]

We have an old above ground oil tank in an shed that still has some oil in it. It has a hand crank pump and a hose and was used to fuel tractors maybe 8 years ago. Can I put this old oil in my house furnace tank? Would moisture or water in it harm the burner?

 

[TerryinMD]

Jim,

Throw it away.

I don't know if you've been reading any of the posts under Oil, Fuel, and Lubricants. But simply put, that oil is probably fouled with moisture and bacteria. I would dump it out into a container and take to a waste oil processing facility. Or use it to coat your shovels and other hand tools.

Terry

 

[bher]

I agree with Terry. Get rid of the oil. I did some environmental consulting work for a church that tried to use fuel oil that had sat in a tank for about 5 years. It clogged up their filter and burner. Expensive cleaning job. We pumped out the oil and recycled it. Expensive for them. All oil contains some water. The water forms a layer at the tank bottom. Microbes live in the water and begin to break down (eat) the oil.