Oil b/u: how much/long/to stabilize?

[jklingel]

A thought just occurred to me. If one uses oil for backup to a wood boiler, how long will it "keep"? I have read that gasoline should not be stored over 30 days (right. fat chance.) w/out using some kind of stabilizer. Do any of you use a stabilizer, (if so, what?) or do you just keep a hundred gallons on hand and burn it up in a year or two? thanks. j

 

[heaterman]

Provided your storage tank is in good shape, no moisture, no bacteria or algae, oil will kep a long time. It doesn't deteriorate like gas. The key is the moisture. There is actually a bacteria that thrives in the film layer formed between any water present in the tank and the oil. Proof once again that truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[Redox]

There are biocides you can add to your tank when you refill it to prevent the algae from growing. The same sort of stuff is available for diesel fuel. If you do let it go too long, it will plug up your filters and strainers.

 

[jklingel]

Roger that. Thanks. Yes, it is very odd that plants grow in these nasty fuels. I was quite surprised to learn that algae actually grows in diesel fuel, so you have to worry about water AND plants in it. Sheeez.

 

[drizler]

I happily let mine sit for at least 2 years outside in a drum with doing nothing to it. Never gave me any trouble yet. If you get nervous about it go to a store and get POWER SERVICE, thats what the truckers use. Same goes for gas. I stored some before Katrina in 55 gallon drums and burned the last of it off a year later with no problems. For that all I did was toss a very weak mix of STABIL into it. Now I wouldn't put that in a high performance application as it has to lose some of its punch but on the other hand it works just fine for genral use and you can always mix it with fresh stuff.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

I'm looking into a circulating system of some type...small gear-driven pump, run it once a week or so...keep the scum from forming.

 

[drizler]

You might try one of those tiny pumps they put in the chinese parts cleaners you get at the flea market. I have had one sitting in the nastiest scum of oil crud you can imagine for the last 10 or so years. It keeps on ticking nicely though used only occasionally. Whatever its made of must be decent. You could always just use air pressure to do whip it up every now and then. Run a piece of 3/8 copper tubing down through the top. They make the reducers as its a standard setup from years back with older systems. Replace the the top part with a male air chuck sticking up out of it. Then when you want to you want to you can just remove or loosen the filler cap. Dump 100 psi through there and it will roil it up plenty. Just make sure to put a plastic cap or golf T into the end of the air chuck when you are done so it can't get rained into. That would only take about 15 bucks if you have a long.air hose or portable tank. I wouldn't bother stirring it up very often though. I would think that most of your curd formation would have to do more with air and condensation than anything else. Keep the tank as full as possible and it should store fine at least a couple years. What I have in mine just sitting there is a mix of Summer 2005 and 2006 which wasn't treated at all
The only bad fuel I have seen was in the filter box of my ancient bull dozer. That looked a shiny olive green and was sort of slimy to touch. That must be what it looks like when it starts growing alge. Mine tank batch still looks clear and red as of a month ago.