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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

OT: sludge removal

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TimWafer

04-26-2006 12:24:03




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I guess I've started my own little sideline business here locally. Last year I somehow started removing fuel oil tanks from peoples houses who had switched over to some other type of heating. I removed 6 or 7 tanks last year and got 500 or 600 gallons of free fuel oil out of the deals along with getting paid for removing the tanks in most cases. So far this spring I removed 2 more and got about 350 additional gallons. I’m ending up with a lot of used tanks and have had some interest in the ones that are still in good shape but need to clean all the sludge out of them first. Some are really full of it. If I could clean them I might be able to sell a few of them. I tried hot pressure washing them but it was a really nasty job and created a terrible mess all over the ground, no matter how I tried to contain it. It might be fine for a final rinse but somehow Id like to get the majority of the sludge out first. I thought about warming them up with a salamander or something to get the crud to flow more easily. Any other bright ideas out there?
Thanks
Tim

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OldFarmTractor

04-27-2006 04:58:49




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 Re: OT: sludge removal in reply to TimWafer, 04-26-2006 12:24:03  
How about taking them to the local self-service car wash? Yuck!



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Danger

04-26-2006 14:31:12




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 Re: OT: sludge removal in reply to TimWafer, 04-26-2006 12:24:03  
It could ruin tank 1/2 gallon of gas and burn it.



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RustyFarmall

04-26-2006 13:24:34




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 Re: OT: sludge removal in reply to TimWafer, 04-26-2006 12:24:03  
Put some of the good clean fuel into the tanks that are sludgy and then agitate it, either with compressed air or by somehow rocking the tank back and forth. I've found that new, clean fuel will just about always dissolve old sludgy fuel.



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Paul in On

04-26-2006 13:08:11




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 Re: OT: sludge removal in reply to TimWafer, 04-26-2006 12:24:03  
So,

I see one other option. First, family owns the local groccery store in town and I get the wonderful job of cleaning out the grease traps. So, what we did, was bought a shop vac just for that purpose. Works just great. We take any of the real hard stuff off something, like a small container and put it into a bigger bucket. Paul



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Vern-MI

04-26-2006 13:06:28




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 Re: OT: sludge removal in reply to TimWafer, 04-26-2006 12:24:03  
Use a steam genny with a manifold pipe to distribute the steam evenly inside the tank. That would produce the smallest amount of offal in the cleaning process and limit the probability of fire. Position the tanks so that it drains out of a low spot into a containment area. Start it up and sit back while the crud heats up, loosens and falls out the bottom port. No exposed or open flame like that when using a salamander heater. That is the way professional 55 gallon drum cleaners do it.

I think your biggest problem will be getting rid of all the sludge after it is out of the tank.

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