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Beautiful day so I decided to transfer 500 gal of diesel to the steel tank

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've got 500 gallons of diesel fuel sitting in POLY fuel tanks. 2 tanks, each 250 gallons. The tanks are sitting next to the overhead door of my workshop

One of the local farmers was getting rid of a steel diesel tank with 120 volt pump, meter, etc so I picked that up from him for $350. The pump alone, if purchased new, is worth more than I paid for the whole thing. Local electrician helped me out to wire it. So inside the workshop is a timer, to pump fuel you have to flip on the timer, then go over to the tank, fuel up, and you can the drive away without having to return to the garage to turn off the electricity to the pump. The time shuts off in 15 minutes, so while nothing is theft-proof, it certainly makes the job of stealing a bit harder. Two infra-red/color day/night 700 TVL security cameras watch over the area too. We don't really have many problems out here but its better to be safe than sorry.

I picked up an electric transfer pump from Harbor Freight for $79, it connects to a regular garden hose, so given the amount of fuel that I need to transfer my best guess is that I'll be watching over this project for several hours. A bigger hose and bigger pump would make it go much quicker, but I rarely use a pump and the only one I have is a gas operated pump and its not rated for pumping fuel.

Best part is that I got this fuel for $0.00 per gallon. Actually I didn't. I got it for whatever the 'income tax' portion of the fuel would cost, so figure I'm into this fuel for about a $1 a gallon. I had a consulting agreement with a company and part of the agreement was, in addition to my fee, they would allow me a reasonable amount of fuel each week. I banked my fuel, filled the tanks!
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
The only problem I'm having is the suction side of the pump is collapsing the hose, not totally cutting off the flow but certainly slowing it down. I didn't want to use one of my "good" hoses so I made up a pump hose out of some cheap hoses. I'd probably be done by now if I had used a higher quality suction hose.



So what did the farmer do for fuel storage?

Regards, Kirk
RETIRED :yum:
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
At least you beat the one year lawn ornament rating for the steel tank. :yum::yum:
 

tommu56

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
plumb it in pipe or use hose with spring inside it to keep it from collapsing.

Up size it 2 or 3 sizes so there isn't any restriction (read old pool hose).

Most time suction plumbing should be larger than presure side because it only has 14.7 psi to cover friction loss and lift head to get to pump even if the pump has the same size inlet and outlet fittings.


tom
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I finished filling the tank this afternoon.

The little $79 Harbor Freight pump did a great, albeit slow, job of pumping out the plastic storage tanks.

Seems like the cheap hose holds up pretty well while its cool from overnight, but the moment the sun hits it and warms it up it gets soft and collapses. Next time I do this I'll definitely use a real suction hose!!!

Not really sure why, but I'm really sore today. Woke up with a back ache that just won't quit. Did more work today than yesterday . . . just finished up and took a pain pill, plopped my butt on the couch, probably be asleep soon. Its hell to get old.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
No more pain pills for me. I just suck it up and sooner or later exhaustion overcomes the pain and insomnia. You should try using a digging fork for about 3 hours and then shoveling sand and manure. Glad I had the backhoe to dig the hole and pull the apple tree out. Spread 8 more bags of mulch and pruned some shrubs. Got a dead pine to pull out and replace with a holly that she wants moved. gave it up in time to catch the last 140 laps of the Bristol race.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well looking around I have a 20' oak tree that needs to be pulled out of the ground, also 3 or 4 Arborvitaes that died and need to be pulled. But that will be for another day. The tractor should make short work of those tasks.
 
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