I have a 300 gal oil tank sitting idle and nominally empty and it occurs
to me it would be better employed as a water butt, looking ahead to
possible hosepipe bans etc. I can empty it completely but there would
still be some residue. How bad would it be for vegetable life if some
found its way onto their ground? I'm thinking that any oil residue would
float on the water till it evaporated, and the water would be drawn from
the bottom.

As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as paraffin?
Could I use it in a wick-burning paraffin heater? There seems to be
about 50 or so litres below the level of the outlet, difficult to
dispose of otherwise.

Brian Mitchell

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
I have a 300 gal oil tank sitting idle and nominally empty and it occurs
to me it would be better employed as a water butt, looking ahead to
possible hosepipe bans etc. I can empty it completely but there would
still be some residue. How bad would it be for vegetable life if some
found its way onto their ground? I'm thinking that any oil residue would
float on the water till it evaporated, and the water would be drawn from
the bottom.

Contamination is is a definate.
Taste it.
If you like the taste of it then imagine it in your food....If it ain't nice
then don't eat it ;-)


As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as paraffin?
Could I use it in a wick-burning paraffin heater? There seems to be
about 50 or so litres below the level of the outlet, difficult to
dispose of otherwise.

It's low octane/grade diesel.
The reason for that residue is to allow the crap in the tank and sedimentary
dirt to collect at the bottom without being drawn into the feed line.

Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made of
nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

On Thu, 3 May 2007 07:04:26 +0100, R wrote:

Contamination is is a definate.
Taste it.

He's going to water plants with it not drink it.

If you like the taste of it then imagine it in your food...

The normal soil bacteria will deal with traces of oil that get to the soil
without any trouble.

As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as
paraffin?

It's low octane/grade diesel.

That depends on the "heating oil". Modern pressure jet boilers use 28sec
oil which is parrafin, kerosene etc. Diesel, gas oil, etc is 35sec and
less volatile than 28sec.

28sec can be used in "parrafin" lamps/heaters but the smell might not be
as nice as refined lamp oil or oil made for heaters.

Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made of
nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

The OP doesn't state if this is an old steel tank or a more recent plastic
one. If plastic I'd drain as much oil out as possible and use drawing
water off from low down. There may be a problem with the oil on the
surface depending on how the filling arrangements are done. Where is the
overflow water going to go? Can the surface layer flow back to the normal
drain, as it can with a normal down spout butt filler?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Thu, 3 May 2007 07:04:26 +0100, R wrote:

Contamination is is a definate.
Taste it.

He's going to water plants with it not drink it.

If you like the taste of it then imagine it in your food...

The normal soil bacteria will deal with traces of oil that get to the soil
without any trouble.

As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as
paraffin?

It's low octane/grade diesel.

That depends on the "heating oil". Modern pressure jet boilers use 28sec
oil which is parrafin, kerosene etc. Diesel, gas oil, etc is 35sec and
less volatile than 28sec.

28sec can be used in "parrafin" lamps/heaters but the smell might not be
as nice as refined lamp oil or oil made for heaters.

Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made of
nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

The OP doesn't state if this is an old steel tank or a more recent plastic
one. If plastic I'd drain as much oil out as possible and use drawing
water off from low down. There may be a problem with the oil on the
surface depending on how the filling arrangements are done. Where is the
overflow water going to go? Can the surface layer flow back to the normal
drain, as it can with a normal down spout butt filler?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

I agree with Dave, I used to work on Oil tankers and spent a lot of my time
washing oil tanks and filling them with ballast (sea water) in which could
be seen allsorts of life, fish etc, when pumped out (often into pristine
coral seas) there would be no trace of oil film, provided we had done our
job properly with the washing (using nothing but water) and provided we
always remembered if there was any residual oil it would be on the surface.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

In article ,
brian mitchell wrote:

I have a 300 gal oil tank sitting idle and nominally empty and it occurs
to me it would be better employed as a water butt, looking ahead to
possible hosepipe bans etc. I can empty it completely but there would
still be some residue. How bad would it be for vegetable life if some
found its way onto their ground? I'm thinking that any oil residue would
float on the water till it evaporated, and the water would be drawn from
the bottom.


I'd be wary of letting oil residue onto land used for anything
I'd want to eat. I'd also be wary of letting fifty litres of
oil onto any land ever at all. Having said that, someone discharged
a can of old car engine oil onto land next door to me about five years
ago. To start with it killed everything within a half meter. Over
the next year or so I added a squirt or two of washing up liquid to
the soil at random intervals. Today, it would be hard to tell
where the oil was poured - maybe the soil is darker and less fertile
but I'm amazed how little damage it actually did.


As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as paraffin?
Could I use it in a wick-burning paraffin heater? There seems to be
about 50 or so litres below the level of the outlet, difficult to
dispose of otherwise.

I should think it would be fine. Run it through a tea strainer to get
the lumps out and make sure there isn't water in it. I'd be less
happy about using it in a pressure paraffin burner.
It might fume worse than normal paraffin so don't use it for heating the
kids bedroom. I assume you're using for a greenhouse.

On Thu, 03 May 2007 12:05:34 +0100, John McMillan wrote:

I'd also be wary of letting fifty litres of oil onto any land ever at
all.

I don't think the OP was suggesting that, just the residue from the sides
of the tank and possibly a small puddle in the bottom after draining the
majority of the 50l out.

Having said that, someone discharged a can of old car engine oil onto
land next door to me about five years ago. To start with it killed
everything within a half meter.

Bear in mind we are talking about a fairly light clean oil here, not used
engine oil which is full of all manner of toxins.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote:


The normal soil bacteria will deal with traces of oil that get to the soil
without any trouble.

As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as
paraffin?

It's low octane/grade diesel.

That depends on the "heating oil". Modern pressure jet boilers use 28sec
oil which is parrafin, kerosene etc. Diesel, gas oil, etc is 35sec and
less volatile than 28sec.

There is such a boiler that goes with the tank but the CH system is
completely dismantled and will be for a year or so yet.

The OP doesn't state if this is an old steel tank or a more recent plastic
one. If plastic I'd drain as much oil out as possible and use drawing
water off from low down...

A modern plastic one, therefore light enough to roll over and empty
through the filler cap, which should mean all but what adheres to the
inside surface.

There may be a problem with the oil on the
surface depending on how the filling arrangements are done. Where is the
overflow water going to go? Can the surface layer flow back to the normal
drain, as it can with a normal down spout butt filler?

I wasn't thinking of using it with a catchment system but as an
emergency supply in hand. Fill it with a hose while there is water
available and keep until needed, so there will be no overflow. Anyway,
there's nothing to catch! It is part of this year's work schedule (never
completed) to build some largeish concrete tanks to catch the winter
rain.

Thanks.

Brian Mitchell

John McMillan wrote:

In article ,
brian mitchell wrote:


As a secondary question, is this heating oil the same stuff as paraffin?
Could I use it in a wick-burning paraffin heater?

I should think it would be fine. Run it through a tea strainer to get
the lumps out and make sure there isn't water in it. I'd be less
happy about using it in a pressure paraffin burner.
It might fume worse than normal paraffin so don't use it for heating the
kids bedroom. I assume you're using for a greenhouse.

Actually, for spot heating in the house, mostly bathroom. But I'm a
child of the 50's, raised in crowded fuggy bedsits in Old London Town,
and paraffin fumes are like the breath of life to me!

Brian MItchell

"R" wrote:

Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made of
nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

What are these, and where might they be found?

Brian Mitchell

On Thu, 3 May 2007 22:49:00 +0100, brian mitchell wrote:

Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made
of nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

What are these, and where might they be found?

Normally a cube roughly 1m a side (odd that for 1000l...) made from
translucent poly-something. Fitted inside a galavanised metal frame to
protect them and allow stacking/fork lifting. For water storage the
translucence is a PITa as it allows light in and thus algae to grow...

They are often available second hand, in fact I think there are a few
companies that deal in them as their business. Previous contents can be,
erm, interesting anything from noxious chemicals to orange juice.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On 3 May, 23:55, "Dave Liquorice" wrote:
On Thu, 3 May 2007 22:49:00 +0100, brian mitchell wrote:
Personally, I'd get rid of it and look around for a 1000l carboy made
of nylon/plastic and se that in place of it

What are these, and where might they be found?

Normally a cube roughly 1m a side (odd that for 1000l...) made from
translucent poly-something. Fitted inside a galavanised metal frame to
protect them and allow stacking/fork lifting. For water storage the
translucence is a PITa as it allows light in and thus algae to grow...

They are often available second hand, in fact I think there are a few
companies that deal in them as their business. Previous contents can be,
erm, interesting anything from noxious chemicals to orange juice.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail


You could always take an angle grinder to the top and remove most of
it, then line the tank with heavy duty plastic.
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

"Dave Hill" wrote in message

.. Previous contents can be,
erm, interesting anything from noxious chemicals to orange juice.



We have 5 water butts linked across the back of the garage, they are old
fruit syrup butts :-)) Interesting smell when we first installed them :-)

Mike


--
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