fuel storage

[skip1996]

I have a question about fuel storage. We live in Florida and have to 55 gal tanks (drums) that we store diesel in during the hurrican season. I would like to store the tanks empty on a shelf during the off season. Is there a problem with this, will something grow in the tanks (the tanks will be empty at this point). Any coments? Thanks Skip

 

[mberry]

Should be no problem. Just get as much fuel out of them as you can before storing them and do what you can to keep them clean. There shouldn't be a growth problem.

 

[FloridaEd]

I have a 106-galloin transfer tank in the bed of my truck. My neighbor three doors down the road has the same. We fill our transfer tanks in June in case we have to evacuate (we both have 5th wheels) and diesel gets short. We both draw down the transfer tank diesel starting in October (Wilma scared us, so we re-filled them when Wilma threatened).



We've both been doing this for about 3 years and so far, no problems. We don't totally drain our tanks, either, just as much as we can pump out of them. I suspect there's several gallons of diesel that carries over from one year to the next.



I was camped in Marianna, FL, west of Tallahasse. My cousin, a farmer up there, told me he had diesel in 55-gallon tanks that had been stored for 5 years that he used last year and the tractors ran fine on it.



That's my experience.



Florida Ed

 

[The patriot]

As long as you keep water out of them, you should be fine for a few years.

Eric