Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

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nicbordeaux
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Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by nicbordeaux »

Take one 2250 liter fuel-oil tank about dia 1m20, one outbuilding with a .80 m large door, seat tank in outbuilding and assume tank was installed bedore wall was built. Trigonometry shows that the tank can not be removed through the door. Furthemore the ceiling is 8 inch reinforced concrete.

The 600 liters of fuel in the tank can and will be pumped out to help a poorer even than oneself person (female of course) heat their house for a month or two. Obviously one hopes the poorer person will show suitable gratitude.

The obvious solution is to take a torch or disk cutter to the tank, but one has been advised that even if fuel-oil (domestic diesel) does not have a too low flash point, it might not be a good idea.

I don't want to leave the tank there, I don't want to bust the wall. Any ideas ? After all, you are a savvy bunch.
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murilo
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by murilo »

Nic,
you just get the cutting disc, BUT first of all you have to take ALL possible burning gas inside!
To do this you will full the tank completely with water and some detergent.
Take care!
M
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jim_mich
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Post by jim_mich »

We had the same problem with the house my wife inherited. Upon close inspection, it was obvious that the two halves of the tank had been welded together at some time, probably while in the basement. I had already tipped the tank to drain the last few cups of fuel oil. We then called a guy who cut the tank in half and hauled it away.

I would suggest dumping kitty litter into the tank to absorb the last of the fuel oil. Then you have the choice of torching it or cutting it with an abrasive wheel. Either way will cause the oil residue to smoke up the building.


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nicbordeaux
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Post by nicbordeaux »

Sounds ok, thx. murilo, I fill the tank with water and use an electric disk cutter on it ? It's better to be fried by electricity than petroleum ?
daanopperman
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by daanopperman »

Nic ,
If the wall thickness of the drum is small , fill with water , fit pump to tank , seal all pipes nicely , start pump , every now and then give the tank a nice blow with a piece of wood till the tank will fit out the door . This is not a joke .
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murilo
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by murilo »

Nic,
you are so clever that maybe you'll get both options! 8)
( I mean: bang... bzzzz... bang... bzzzzz... woosh... pooffff.... \;
PS edition: oh, yesss... this is a joke!
ovyyus
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by ovyyus »

Daanopperman has an excellent idea. Alternatively, you could try to dispense with the water and use a vacuum pump (maybe just a vacuum cleaner) and let the pressure of the atmosphere crush the tank.
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murilo
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Re: re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by murilo »

daanopperman wrote:Nic ,
If the wall thickness of the drum is small , fill with water , fit pump to tank , seal all pipes nicely , start pump , every now and then give the tank a nice blow with a piece of wood till the tank will fit out the door . This is not a joke .
Daan,
have you heard about something named as 'ideal mix combination' between air oxygen and a vaporized combustible?

Natural or spontaneous explosions?

This may happen inside the exhausted tank and/or inside your pump!

Better will be to be sure about the non existence of any residual gas inside that tank.

Better way will be water+detergent as first step, before ANY other try.

Best!
M
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jim_mich
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Post by jim_mich »

Do you know how long it takes to fill up a 600 gallon fuel oil tank using a garden hose ? Then drain it again ?

And crushing the tank ?? A full tank of oil weighs over two ton. Do you really think you could crush a tank designed to hold this much weight ??

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nicbordeaux
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Post by nicbordeaux »

Well, thx a lot everybody. Emptying the tank looks like being a problem if i can't use a submersible pump...

To determine whether the tank may be crushed, a first step will be to take a 4 kg sledge to it. See if the tank is impressed at all. Might end up crimping the darn thing betwenn two massive jacks.

Probably clean it via the now removed "manhole" with a high pressure washer on a washing up liquid mix at 130 bars.
ovyyus
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by ovyyus »

jim_mich wrote:Do you really think you could crush a tank designed to hold this much weight ??
That's almost the exact question my old physics teacher asked as he turned off the heat and screwed the lid down on a drum with a little boiling water in it :D

Having not seen Nick's tank I can only guess.
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by rlortie »

Nick,

I think a little more input is required to be helpful. Your tank holds a maximum of US 594.387 gallons, how much does it currently hold?

Is the tank sitting on the ground, buried, or is it raised in traditional supported saddles allowing drainage?

What is its diameter and length?

What do you estimate the thickness or gauge of metal it is constructed from? Is it possible it has splash retardant baffles as found in a tank used for transport?

To evacuate it, atmospheric pressure at 14 PSi can be of great assistance in collapsing it. But if it is baffled I would suggest other means.

Another point to consider is that farm and heating fuel oil contains a higher grade of sulphide than fuel used for transportation.

In jest you need to think of a financial return and forget collapsing it, make disks out of it to sell to Besslerites for wheel rims!

If you have access big enough to place a pressure wand in it and hit all internal walls I would suggest a mixture of water and a product called 'Gunk' sold here in the US for external engine cleaning. I am sure you have access to something similar.

If you have two ports, after a wash out stick a couple of four inch bathroom fans to suck and blow exchanging the air and have at it with a grinder and/or torch. Skin thickness is pertinent to the most cost effective approach.
http://www.jlmercer.comshowproduct.aspx ... 0%20gallon

Although illegal here in the US, truckers often sneak a few gallons of heating full oil in their tanks. It produces more BTU and has a much higher flash point than UN-sulpherized road fuel. I am guilty of this during the late 1960's when material handling equipment was in demand during the Vietnam war.
That's almost the exact question my old physics teacher asked as he turned off the heat and screwed the lid down on a drum with a little boiling water in it :D

Having not seen Nick's tank I can only guess.
key question here is; does it have internal baffles?


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daxwc
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re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by daxwc »

Nic just fill it with good grade liquid condensate; when trying to determine if it is almost full, strike your Bic lighter and look down the fill hole. Problem solved.

Nice poll by the way.
What goes around, comes around.
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murilo
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Re: re: Wouldn't want this to be OU. Oil tank problem.

Post by murilo »

murilo wrote:
daanopperman wrote:Nic ,
If the wall thickness of the drum is small , fill with water , fit pump to tank , seal all pipes nicely , start pump , every now and then give the tank a nice blow with a piece of wood till the tank will fit out the door . This is not a joke .
Daan,
have you heard about something named as 'ideal mix combination' between air oxygen and a vaporized combustible?

Natural or spontaneous explosions?

This may happen inside the exhausted tank and/or inside your pump!

Better will be to be sure about the non existence of any residual gas inside that tank.

Better way will be water+detergent as first step, before ANY other try.

Best!
M
Nic,
I just voted at your poll!
My chosen 'don't do it' is going to win!

Above msg is not a joke! I'm talking of stuff better known as 'flash point'!
daanopperman
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Post by daanopperman »

jim_mich wrote:Do you know how long it takes to fill up a 600 gallon fuel oil tank using a garden hose ? Then drain it again ?

And crushing the tank ?? A full tank of oil weighs over two ton. Do you really think you could crush a tank designed to hold this much weight ??

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Jim ,

It might sound stupid but the bigger the tank is the easier it is to crush , the tank is designed to take a outward thrust . I have seen a +- 52000 gal tank reduced to almost flat in the same dia when some one started pumping out of the tank and forgot to open the vent valve . This tank was made from 5/16 steel .

murilo ,

I suggested he fill the tank with water , there will be no free oxigen in the tank , there will only be dissolved oxigen in the water , IMO not enough for any combustion , the fuel oil that is left will float out as the tank is filled , I did not suggest Tri Nitro Toalene . Was it not you who suggested to fill with water and detergent and use a Cutting disk , if the tank is that big with so much water how long do you think it will take to cut with a 1.5 mm x 115 mm disk ( it cuts twice as fast and last the same time as a 3mm x 225 disk) to the amount of water gushing out of the slot , by the time you have cut 500mm down the tank water will spew out half a meter from the tank wall . The only flash point I know is my own , and it is very low .

Ralph,

I agree with you 100 % on the baffles , and in what orientation have they been installed , if it is flat strips you definitely will crush them with the tank , but if it is folded strips there could be more home work to be done .
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