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Waste oil storage/tank

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partsguy5768

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ATC said:
Right now, I'm keeping all my used oil in three 5-gallon buckets and one old 5-gallon gas can. They take up quite a bit of floor space, and I'm looking to simplify and consolidate it. What I want to do, is find an old air compressor tank in the 20-30 gallon range, stand it up vertically and build a stand for it just tall enough to stick a 5-gallon bucket under it. On the bottom will be a ball valve, and the top will be a threaded bung with a funnel screwed into it. I will be able to just pour all my used oil into the tank, and once it starts to get full, I can drain it into a 5-gallon bucket to take to a parts store to dump.
I could also easily fill a cup from the valve to use on brush fires or in the burn barrel....easier than lifting and pouring from a bucket like now.

Anyone have something similar, or another idea for a tank? I have a 25/30 gallon metal grease drum with a removable lid I thought about using. I could weld a bung towards the bottom and thread a ball valve in it.
The 20-gallon oil tanks used under 2-post lifts demand a premium price for what they are. Hoping an old, dead air compressor will show up on Marketplace for cheap. What *****, is that I threw away an old 20-gallon air compressor last year that was no good. I was tired of kicking it around the corner of the garage...:bitchslap
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This works awesome. No mess no drip. Screen to set oil filter to drain. Pump works very quickly. I keep all my old coffee/ soda cups etc and fill throw into the woodstove for fast start ( throw the whole cup in no drips) burn piles etc pump oil into can or whatever. Pu them up all day long at automotive swap meets for about 120.00 bucks..
 

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Beerhippie

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partsguy5768 said:
This works awesome. No mess no drip. Screen to set oil filter to drain. Pump works very quickly. I keep all my old coffee/ soda cups etc and fill throw into the woodstove for fast start ( throw the whole cup in no drips) burn piles etc pump oil into can or whatever. Pu them up all day long at automotive swap meets for about 120.00 bucks..
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What? Buy a used, purpose-made tool instead of spending hours making one myself?
 
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partsguy5768

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Beerhippie said:
What? Buy a used, purpose-made tool instead of spending hours making one myself?
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Lol true statement.... but building stuff like this vs a oil tank.... what was I thinking...
 

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no704

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When I had roommates it seemed like a great idea to use 30 gal poly cans we got for free from our brewery buddies. After I quit having roommates I was left with 90 gallons of drain oil. Never more than 5 gallons ever again!
 
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partsguy5768

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jblnut said:
Or overbuilt package drop off cages. Can’t see it real well behind that car though.
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Lol wrong.... that housed the coke machine.... that was until the office called with it spread out over the driveway with the door pried open.... meth heads my guess.. i would argue I underbuilt.. new use.. no pay in the cage you go.
 
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ATC

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VA
Firebrick43 said:
OK, find a tank and make your own? Use a 30 gallon up right compressor tank if you can find one
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Yes! That's the whole point of this thread! Thank you for your example. That's almost exactly what I am wanting to do, minus the air pressure. Mine will just be a gravity drain.
 
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DemoFly

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Port Orchard, WA
Storing used oil when you don't use it for heat or fuel is crazy in my opinion. Spending money to store it is even crazier.

We got cars, tractors and commercial trucks and a 58 quart drain pan/tote gets the job done...can be stored vertically...
 
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RTM

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PCustoms said:
How many gallons is a keg?
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Back in 1997, when I left the industry, 15.5g per half barrel keg, ,7-3/4 in a qtr barrel, so 31 in a brewers barrel.

Them new fancy tall skinny kegs they are using nowadays are way beyond my recollection or calculating ability.
 
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mike93lx

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Richmond, VA
RTM said:
Back in 1997, when I left the industry, 15.5g per half barrel keg, ,7-3/4 in a qtr barrel, so 31 in a brewers barrel.

Them new fancy tall skinny kegs they are using nowadays are way beyond my recollection or calculating ability.
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5g, often called corny kegs or soda kegs. very popular with home brewing
 
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Beerhippie

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RTM said:
Back in 1997, when I left the industry, 15.5g per half barrel keg, ,7-3/4 in a qtr barrel, so 31 in a brewers barrel.

Them new fancy tall skinny kegs they are using nowadays are way beyond my recollection or calculating ability.
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"Corny kegs" are old, obsolete soda kegs. They're 1/6 bbl volume. Now we have 1/6 bbl Sanke D valve kegs.

There are a ton of metrical size kegs, too, but few of those would be using Sanke D valves that most here in the States use.
 
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dscheidt

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RTM said:
Back in 1997, when I left the industry, 15.5g per half barrel keg, ,7-3/4 in a qtr barrel, so 31 in a brewers barrel.

Them new fancy tall skinny kegs they are using nowadays are way beyond my recollection or calculating ability.
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Most of the tall skinny kegs are 1/6 barrel, but there are also tall quarter barrel which are the same height, but larger diameter. all of those are just under 24" tall, same as a 1/2 barrel keg. a regular 1/4 barrel is the diameter of a 1/2 barrel, but about half the height. There are some european sizes, too, but I can't remember the dimensions of them.

Cornelius kegs are generally only used by home brewers, and have different fittings from commercial beer kegs. they're 5 gallons, slightly smaller than a sixth barrel.
 
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ATC

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DemoFly said:
Storing used oil when you don't use it for heat or fuel is crazy in my opinion. Spending money to store it is even crazier.

We got cars, tractors and commercial trucks and a 58 quart drain pan/tote gets the job done...can be stored vertically...
Click to expand...

So you admit you have a 15 gallon setup that I am trying to create, but you're calling me crazy for wanting one also? You'd be OK with me spending $120+ to buy the same storage/pan you have, but yet spending $40 and a few hours tinkering in the shop to make one isn't?

Am I at the right website? A place where we do things in our garage, right?
 
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Steve_P

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I'll interrupt all of the beer keg capacity talk and join in with the "this doesn't make sense" crowd - unless you're doing 20+ gallons worth of oil changes a week. I do an oil change or two and take the 2-4 jugs within a week of changing the oil and that's it. No storage issues. Quick and easy and it's gone. I have a ***** neighbor that must have 25 used jugs of oil lined up in his driveway waiting for them to fail in the sun and create a superfund site in his yard. It only takes a few minutes to dispose of 2-4 gallons of used oil and it's easy to handle a 4-5 quart jug. I know, I know, it's more efficient to save it all up and do 30 gallons at a time like my neighbor is working towards. "I only made one trip in ten years to dispose of oil. It took 30 minutes to pour it all in, and my arms are exhausted, but....." :ROFLMAO:
 
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ATC

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Cool story bro.


I guess I'll update this thread when I find something. There is nothing cheap or close to me on FB or CL right now...
 
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DemoFly

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Port Orchard, WA
ATC said:
So you admit you have a 15 gallon setup that I am trying to create, but you're calling me crazy for wanting one also? You'd be OK with me spending $120+ to buy the same storage/pan you have, but yet spending $40 and a few hours tinkering in the shop to make one isn't?

Am I at the right website? A place where we do things in our garage, right?
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Huh? No. I don't store it or take multiple trips to recycle it. It's a tote with wheels. When the work is done it goes into my truck bed and recycled at the transfer station.
 
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Shadowdog500

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I know it’s not what you are asking for, but I use these three poly tanks that I got for free. I’ve been using these three tanks for years. They pour beautifully at the dump without spilling a drop. If you know a shop that uses ozzyjuice smart parts washer you could probably score a couple of theses for free. They are stackable, but I keep them side by side on a shelf in my shed. I also included an image of a webpage where you can buy these tanks for $14 each.

IMG-9680.jpg

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That being said, if you have a lift you defiantly want the HF 20 gallon oil drain even if it’s more than you plan to spend. I transfer the oil from it to the three poly jugs to take to the dump.

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Crazyjake8493

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Seems like extra work than just dropping off a couple 5-gallon containers. I get empty 5-gallon cooking oil containers from work. I fill a couple of those doing all our oil changes in the fall, and take them all to disposal at the same time.

If I needed to go bigger for some reason, I'd get some 55-gallon drums and fill those I guess.
 
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finn

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Preferred containers are, in no particular order, gallon oil jugs , five quart oil jugs, gallon laundry soap jugs, gallon antifreeze jugs, 2.5 gallon DEF jugs, and five gallon cooking oil jugs. Don’t use milk jugs unless you like to live on the edge and think power washing your pickup bed is a fun and adventurous way to spend your time.

Try to get rid of it within a couple of weeks, lest the sun destroy the plastic.

My go to repositories are the local truck repair shop that burns it in their waste oil heater, or the county transfer station. The truck shop lets you leave the containers. Just drop them off by the back door and let them know they’re there. They take care of dumping them into their holding tank. The county receptacle is a drive up, but want you to get rid of the dirty containers. I think you can walk them over to the compactor though. Neither requires you to schlep containers into the store like some parts stores do.
 
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Stick-man

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Mid-South Tennessee
PCustoms said:
:headscrat

Why not just fill the 5 gallon bucket, and when that's full take it in

Seems overly complicated to fill a bigger container and then pour it off 5 gallons at a time.

Have you considered a 15 gallon barrel?
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I kinda agree with this. I have a 20 gallon, under hoist oil drain that you pressurize to empty. I currently have to empty it into four containers to take it to the disposal station. It really is a PITA. I am trying to find someone with a used oil furnace that will give me a drum or IBC tote, and they can have the oil.
IMO, if you are already having to dump it into a container, I would go directly into the buckets and take them when they are filled. Or, when you fill a 20 gallon tank, you will have to make multiple trips to empty that. It's kinda 6 of one. 1/2 dozen of the other.
 
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ATC

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Well, I found out that these small drums are not watertight…


IMG_2868.jpeg
 
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ATC

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11-12 gallons depending on how I hold the tape measure. Will update when I decide where to put it. Either between the studs on the wall, or I have an old welding cart I can repurpose to make it mobile (can also store my drain pans and funnels on it too)


IMG_2883.jpeg
 
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PCustoms

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mike93lx said:
Possibly. I am guessing the tube and cap are aluminum. Not sure how much steel there will be, and if the drum is steel, it's probably going to be frustrating
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Assuming it is a micro with a clip, the clip should be magnetic.

I truthfully have no clue where mine is (again) or I'd try.
 
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