Question about OWB and #2 fuel oil

[abckidsdad]

I bought an OWB last year after having filled up my furnace take with #2 fuel oil (500 gal). Now of course I'm not using the oil to heat my house and was wondering if I needed to add a preservative to the oil like you do with gasoline, or if it can just sit in the tank. I don't want to sell or pump the oil out, it's a nice back up if we have to leave for a couple of day.

 

[ericjeeper]

I would put some sort of algicide

Diesel will grow an algae. Not sure about the shelf life though.

 

[Scootermsp]

Same here

I have 2 x 330 Gal tanks of #2 Fuel Oil and they are both full. I asked around and found that a 1 gallon jug of conditioner (sold at John Deere and elsewhere, about $29) will do BOTH tanks. The last post is right, however the issue is much more pressing if your tank is outside. I will be conditioning mine in a month or so.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Question; how do you circulate the conditioner thru the oil tank?...unless you add it before/during the fill?..that's what I do.

 

[Scootermsp]

won'thurt

Question; how do you circulate the conditioner thru the oil tank?...unless you add it before/during the fill?..that's what I do.

Ideally you would add it before the fill but I have been told by oil dealer that it's OK to just pour it into your fills and you should be all set. I had my tanks topped off on 12/31 when oil was $1.78 and did not think of it then. On a separate note.....It sure is nice to open the 5036 in the AM rake it and close the door w/o adding any wood!

 

[Scootermsp]

Small $$$

$29 might sound like a lot for a gallon of conditioner but I'd hate to waste 660 gallons of oil (660x$4=$2640, by the time I burn it, it will be $4/gal again). It's really nice to have this around as my burner will kick on automatically if the boiler temp gets to 140F and will keep the OWB from freezing as well. As we saw during our ice storm in December, the more options and back-ups you have the more likely you won't have to go to a hotel like some of my neighbors did.

 

[700renegade]

Look into a additive called PRI-D. It's supposed to be one of the best out there and reasonably priced. I have the exact same situation in my home. Unfortunately the full gallon jug of PRI-D is still sitting in the shed as I forgot to get some in the tank before they delivered in December. Arrrgh. I guess I'll have to dump it in and hope entropy does the rest of the mixing.

Apparently diesel fuel can store for up to 10 years or so if properly conditioned. I wouldn't worry so much about algae if the tank is in your basement like mine. Since the temp is very stable, it shouldn't 'breathe' much and draw condensation into the tank. A full tank helps to minimize interior condensation also. (condensation is the root cause of the algae problem if I understand right ).

 

[giXXer]

Look into a additive called PRI-D. It's supposed to be one of the best out there and reasonably priced. I have the exact same situation in my home. Unfortunately the full gallon jug of PRI-D is still sitting in the shed as I forgot to get some in the tank before they delivered in December. Arrrgh. I guess I'll have to dump it in and hope entropy does the rest of the mixing.

Apparently diesel fuel can store for up to 10 years or so if properly conditioned. I wouldn't worry so much about algae if the tank is in your basement like mine. Since the temp is very stable, it shouldn't 'breathe' much and draw condensation into the tank. A full tank helps to minimize interior condensation also. (condensation is the root cause of the algae problem if I understand right ).

I have been told as well that one of the most important things to do with fuels is to keep the tank full if it's to be stored. We have an old JD 544B that is only used in the winter, so it sits all summer long, outside. One year the tank was near empty and we tried to fire it, nothing but issues. For the last three years we add diesel fuel additive/conditioner and top off the tank and it fires very quickly and runs great. I now add it to every tank in the loader and also in my powerstroke during the winter months and have had much better luck.

 

[woodbooga]

A related but different question:

What's the shelf life of the preservative? I have an old jug of it left from previous homeowner, about 5-8 years ago - and a lot of unused fuel bought last fall. I'm planning to top off in the near future while #2 is still low.

 

[Scootermsp]

Me too

A related but different question:

What's the shelf life of the preservative? I have an old jug of it left from previous homeowner, about 5-8 years ago - and a lot of unused fuel bought last fall. I'm planning to top off in the near future while #2 is still low.

I have some powdered water but I don't know what to add:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Jkebxjunke]

2 things... a full tank of oil will not get water ( condensation) in it like a half full tank...
now on adding the additive and mixing it... I believe most burners have a supply and a return to the the tank... would not running the burner cause a little mixing in the tank? also you probably should run the burner occasionally to keep it running... I had a friend who didnt run theirs for almost 2 years... turned it on.. and it did not work. and it was serviced before the period of inactivity... they told him it was from lack of use...

 

[giXXer]

Yes, pouring in the additive to a OWB will mix because of the circulation pump. I believe the concern in previous posts was how to mix diesel fuel additive in a storage tank that is already full. I would think a hand crank and a few fuel cans or another storage tank would work. Pump a little out, pour in the additive and pump the fuel back in. I certainly wouldn't do half or even a quarter of a 300 or 400 gallon tank, but anything from 15 - 40 gallons I think would help it mix. I used to have a fuel oil storage tank and there was two access tubes on the top, one was a vent and the other had a spot for a hand or electric pump. If this is the situation, couldn't you put the pump in one side and the filler in the other hole and mix it that way? It might be worth a few minutes of time due to the value of that quantity of fuel IMO.

 

[redneckpete]

Diesel will grow an algae.

Pure nonsense. I pump out old furnace oil tanks all the time. In many cases the oil is 10 to 20 years old. I burn the fuel in my excavating equipment and have NEVER had a problem.

I wouldn't put a drop of additive in the oil tanks. Your fuel will be just fine. Even IF you got vast amounts of condensation in the tanks, there are few substances that are easier to separate then oil and water.

Pete