Storage tank cost?

Armaton said:

Tank opinions,

My local scrap yard got a semi full of bulk air tanks in different sizes, all uprights! The one I'm looking at is 48" diameter and 112" tall, approx 850 galllons what with the beauty dents and all, has 1" bungs top and bottom as well as several at different levels. It also has what I assume is a removable inspection hatch. They have 2001 yr model on plate. What would be a fair price for it? Yard says it weighs 1500 lbs so it would cost $600 at 40 cents a pound. Worth it?

Thanks,
Armaton

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Sounds like a nice tank for $600 bucks. With the tag it will be ASME & that is worth something in most areas also. It is built for the east, Massachusets code(I believe) requires inspection ports. When you get what you want out of there consider letting others know as good air tanks are not easy to find, at least where I am. My 720 gallon tank that I had built cost $1700 with stainless domestic loop. It is not built to ASME specs, it is considerably lighter. It is built for 60 psi, I run it at 13.5 max. That tank is is a real find in my opinion, Randy

Armaton said:

Tank opinions,
Yard says it weighs 1500 lbs so it would cost $600 at 40 cents a pound. Worth it?

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I think that scrap steel is going for closer to 25 cents per pound right now, but if tanks are hard to come by in your area, $600 per tank sounds like a great deal. I thought I was very fortunate to find two 1000 gallon propane tanks several months ago for $600 apiece and scrap prices were a little lower then. You also won't have to weld truck rims onto them to place them vertically and you won't have to deal with cleaning propane/mercaptan out of them. I would get one or more of them if I were you.

You would have $400 in 1000 gallon propane tank without the tag and still have to clean modifey it, so yes that sounds like
a good deal. Might be able to slip a dhw coil in threw the inspection hole.

I had heard the "one dollar per gallon" rule quoted in regards to tank cost in the past.

I would say that price seems pretty good. Especially if you can just hook it up and go play.

Wish you weren't so far from me. Sounds ideal and if that's the first price he gave you consider that a starting point. But I'd love to buy 2 of those right now particuarly already setup for vertical. I'd make a drive if I was closer. yeah tank envy.

Armaton said:

Bought one! It is Sweet! Will try to get pics. Total of 6 1" bungs, one each at very top and bottom of domes, (nice for return to boiler and air evacuation) 2 at the very top seam 180 degrees from each other, perfect for charging tank, one at about 3' up from floor and 1 at 6' up, may use one of them for a separate line for my infloor. Anyone want info for the yard just pm me, will get back to ya as quick as I can.

Brandon

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Good deal, You might want to open up one of those top ports with a holesaw to 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" for charging. If you use a loading unit Laddomat or Termovar you will need that for gravity circulation on power failure etc. I'm not sure about the Termovar/ESBE mixer though. Thats no big deal to weld a steel half coupling in, Randy

Armaton said:

Hi guys,

Here are some pics of some of the tanks at our scrap yard. Talked to the manager and got the impression that he would email dimensions, cost, and better pics if needed. Yard is Padnos, in Hastings, MI. 269 945-3054. They are asking 40 cents a pound.

Cheers,
Brandon

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Very nice, you don't see those every day, Randy

Is it worth for me?

$600 for the tank.
750 miles one way at 15mpg equals 50 gallons at $4/gal diesel equals $200 times return trip

up to a $1000 plus tolls, food, maybe an overnight room (its at least a 24 hour round trip)

Could be up to $1,200 or more.

I haven't found anything any closer.

Should I start driving?

Have you asked around at scrap yards closer to you yet? If they don't have any they might be able to point you to some. I'd do a lot of asking around before I drove that far. Then again, I ended up driving to NJ once after I got carried away on Ebay that one time.

I was getting desperate in my tank looking until someone pointed me to a yard an hour away - there was a mountain of them there (propane tanks). Hope they're still there in the spring.

infinitymike said:

Is it worth for me?

$600 for the tank.
750 miles one way at 15mpg equals 50 gallons at $4/gal diesel equals $200 times return trip

up to a $1000 plus tolls, food, maybe an overnight room (its at least a 24 hour round trip)

Could be up to $1,200 or more.

I haven't found anything any closer.

Should I start driving?

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I'm in Milwaukee with many scrap yards & I couldn't find anything either. My tank that I had built was $1700 as I mentioned before. These are better tanks than the one I have, heavier,ASME etc. The big ones are probably $4000 tanks........ Randy

infinitymike said:

Is it worth for me?

$600 for the tank.
750 miles one way at 15mpg equals 50 gallons at $4/gal diesel equals $200 times return trip

up to a $1000 plus tolls, food, maybe an overnight room (its at least a 24 hour round trip)

Could be up to $1,200 or more.

I haven't found anything any closer.

Should I start driving?

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There is a gentleman I spoke with before Christmas. He is in the Lancaster PA area. He has Propane tanks. Different sizes. Reworks them for storage situations. Cleaned and ported. Can't remember how much he was charging, but less than that. Will PM you his number.

Ah geez. Really bad tank envy.

Industrial grade... I want one bad.

Btw I just paid 1100 for a new industrial 120 gal air tank at work! feel you pain mike. I'm about the same distance. Crap... Monday I may check into freight estimate. Pretty sure less than me spending diesel.

Armaton u done REAL good. Jealous, can ya tell?

Hey Tennman... there is a guy here in W. Kentucky, well he is actually in S. Ill but he is real close to me... He refurbs old Propane tanks, he has many sizes and says that he will put ports where ever I want them on the tank. He quoted me $600 for a 500 gal tank. That seemed like the best deal he had, but at that price I had to come and get it. PM me if you want his number.