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Water in diesel storage tank

J

John in MD

Member
Location
Md
With the cold temperatures we are all having does water and crud freeze in bottom of storage tanks? Would this be a good time to pump diesel out of old dirty tanks?
 
Yes, the water would freeze. Instead of having a layer of water in the bottom of a tank, that layer would become a layer of ice.

But, ... the better way to get water out of the diesel, is to drain it out of the drainage plug (if it has one) when it's not froze, and leave the diesel in the tank.

Water if any, goes to the bottom. Draining the tank at the drian plug until nothing but diesel comes out, will remove any water that is in there. If tank doesn't have a drain plug, you obviously aren't going to be able to remove the water this way. But, if your planning on re-using the tank, you aren't going to be able to remove the ice this way either.

So, ... I'm not seeing that there would be much benefited from messing around with it when the water is froze. Unless of course, you were just retrieving diesel from a tank that you wasn't planning on using the tank again, and you knew the tank has some water in it as well.
 
Yes and then heat up the tank or wait for the weather to get warmer and then drain water. I did that with a tractor worked great. reused all the fuel I took out with no issues.
 
you bet, just lift the pump suction up a bit also , and you will have clean diesel. leave that garbage on bottom for a warm day.
 
I figured once I pulled fuel off, I would let it thaw and then steam the tank and dump it then steam it again and let it dry before I had it filled.
 
I have my fuel tanks tilted wrong.... as they are tilted where the water runs to the spigot. That way all water runs out of the tank and into the filter.. Where I can see it and drain it off.

Much better to not have water staying in tank, and growing algie and all kinds of goo. Filters and the clear plastic filter covers are cheap insurance. I dont know why the books say to do it the opposite way and keep the water.... IN the tank, and growing crapola, and eventually putting a pin hole in the tank. And the water can never get out, till it builds up and then you have real problems of moss, algie, bacteria, black goo and water.
 
I heat with diesel. The tank is tilted to the outlet. I never have any problems. I feel the same that the water can get out that way. At the beginning of heating season I replace the filter but first let some diesel run out to make sure there is not a lot of water in the tank. I never see water come out. I also change the filter half way through the heating season.
 
While the tank is empty I would cut a hole in the bottom on the draw end then weld a fitting in so I could drain the water out next spring when it thawed out. By pumping now you would get the fuel out easy without getting a bunch of water. Then get the ice out by draining through the hole you cut in there and be done. Then set tank so it drains to the plug so it can be checked yearly. We have been doing this for the last 65-70 years with no crude in tanks or in equipment tanks.
 
(quoted from post at 15:48:52 12/25/22) I have my fuel tanks tilted wrong.... as they are tilted where the water runs to the spigot. That way all water runs out of the tank and into the filter.. Where I can see it and drain it off.

Much better to not have water staying in tank, and growing algie and all kinds of goo. Filters and the clear plastic filter covers are cheap insurance. I dont know why the books say to do it the opposite way and keep the water.... IN the tank, and growing crapola, and eventually putting a pin hole in the tank. And the water can never get out, till it builds up and then you have real problems of moss, algie, bacteria, black goo and water.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
Why don't you just put a water separating fuel filter on the tank? Keep an extra filter or 2 on hand. Its so much simpler than all this.
 
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