I am planning to cover the drums with plywood and bury them. Is there a better method? Does anything else need to be done? Any tips/suggestions?

-- Bobo (blechhhh@aol.com), October 14, 1999

Answers

what do you do with the drums when they are empty. dig them out and refill them or do you have the home heating oil man come and fill them up again.

-- Guns, Grub & Gold (home@the city.com), October 14, 1999.

Start with a shovel?

-- sorry (too@silly.now), October 14, 1999.

Hi TooSilly.....actually, I've figured out the shovel part all by myself! I am wondering if the barrels need to be grounded, specially protected, covered with a special material, that sort of thing. I will be using a diesel fuel storage preservative but just want to make sure I bury the drums with optimal protection.

-- Bobo (blechhhh@aol.com), October 14, 1999.

Is your desire to bury them due to safety or security concerns (or both)? Certainly, from a safety standpoint, there should not be any problem, diesel fuel is not explosive nor flammable like gasoline. (Though I would not be too cavalier, you still want to treat it with respect.) Also, I would hate to bury a 55 gallon drum loaded with fuel and have it develop a leak.

For security purposes it might make sense if you don't have any other options. But I suspect accessibility could be a real toughie.

As far as your question, "Does anything else need to be done?", certainly you want to make sure that the containers are in good shape and are clean, and that you stablize the fuel for long term storage. I use the PRI-D product, one ounce per 16 gallons, to stabilize my diesel fuel; it can be ordered from SKYLAR GROUP / RJK POWER at 888-436-0172. (Runs $24.95 per quart plus UPS shipping & handling.) There is also a similar fuel treatment for gasoline, PRI-G.

78 days.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.~net), October 14, 1999.

Since they'll be full, they will also be too heavy to out of the ground. How do you plan on getting the diesel out of them. Siphone won't work. Also, if you use plywood, cut the sheet into sections....that way you won't have to unearth the whole sheet to get the a single barrel.

Do you live where the ground freezes? A soaking rain in December could turn that dirt cover into a locked door, unless you're prepared to pick it apart.

-- Ninh Hoa (tech@univ.now), October 14, 1999.

Well, first off, bury them empty. :) Next, get a long hose and a good pump. :) Other than that, it is pretty straightforward. You don't need to worry about grounding because it is going to be buried in the ground. Depending on if they are metal or not, you could have problems down the line, but for the immediate future, it should be ok. (You aren't in a freeze area are you?).

-- James Collins (jacollins@thegrid.net), October 14, 1999.

Just remember one thing, if you do this tell NO one. Don't let anyone see you do it. Because if your state DER or Fed EPA find out,... well you don't want to know what they will do to you. Be careful.

-- George in Ne. Pa. (grc0702@aol.com), October 14, 1999.

Bobo ... Sorry to chime in on the negitive side, BUT .. as you start to empty the barrel, and you get a soaking rain, you barrels will begin to pop out of the ground ( float ) unless cabled to cement blocks . Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@freewwweb.com), October 14, 1999.

Poeple need to get somethnig clear. If you think just because you are burrying you fuel, that "theives" wont ever find it you are crazy. OF course I think burrying it is a good idea (as long as you are SURE it wont leak), stil keep in mind that people who are looking for fuel desperately enough to come into you yard looking for it, are going to know that itmight be burried also.

Another thing...if you burry stuff in your yard...make sure your neighbors cant see you. Otherwise you are wasting your time.

-- Cory Hill (coryh@strategic-services.net), October 14, 1999.

Do yourself a huge favor and use plastic drums. I hauled k-1 by the truckload for years and have used blue plastic drums to store it for up to 5 years with no problems. Steel drums will rust from the moisture with or without protection. Steel drums will cave in if buried as the level in them gets lower. 1 cubic ft of dirt weighs approx. 80lbs. Think of the pressures you will be exerting on a thin steel tube. The plastic drum is stronger and will last a lot longer.....

-- Greg (skipy@erols.com), October 14, 1999.

I'm not planning on burying mine...not exactly anyway. I'm using steel drums which were used for ethyl alky at a pharmacutical company. They have a lining in them that looks like some form of plastic. They cost $6 per, Bateff Salvage Santa Rosa, CA. I'm storing gas (with Stabil) and a drum of diesel. I'm filling the gas drums by pumping gas from my front tank on my E250 Super Duty Ford van with dual tanks. I use a 97 gph 12 volt Holley "Red" electric fuel pump powered from the cig lighter socket (pump draws 2 amps) with a 10 foot 3/8" (I.D.) gas line on each side (input/output). Works slick.

After I fill the drums I'll be leaning plywood against the sides of them and will bank dirt up against them above grade and throw a tarp over it. Not bullet proof, not really hidden but should suffice. If anyone gets as far as the fuel drums they'll likely already be distracted by either a) lots more interesting stuff, or b) lead poisoning.

DCK

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), October 14, 1999.

If at all possible keep them above ground. The laws concerning above ground "temporary" storage are much easier to deal with. You bury them and the Feds find out you could face a $10,000 per day fine. Yes, per day. The laws are horrendous for underground storage. All it would take is one cold, envious neighbor. Y2K is not going to wipe the slate clean as far as laws are concerned. Be careful. If you must go that route, go plastic drums.

-- dozerdoc (dozerdoctor@yahoo.com), October 14, 1999.