At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i

On Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:52:52 -0500, Ignoramus24757
wrote:

At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i
Have fun getting the tank clean enough to put un-died fuel into.

Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i


I would bet it's summer blend. Most places started selling winter blend
at the pumps in mid October. Depends on how the auction was set up.

BUT this isn't a big deal. Just add some kerosene to it and blend it to
the common winter blend. 15 - 20% kero will drop the cloud point. Then
add some Power Service and you should be fine.

If you plan on re purposing the tank to road diesel get it empty, then
steam clean the interior VERY well. If it has a pump clean that VERY
well also.

--
Steve W.

On 2012-11-04, wrote:
On Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:52:52 -0500, Ignoramus24757
wrote:

At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i
Have fun getting the tank clean enough to put un-died fuel into.

I will sell the tank also, after selling the fuel. I do not need it,
too big and too much hassle.

i

On 2012-11-04, Steve W. wrote:
Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i


I would bet it's summer blend. Most places started selling winter blend
at the pumps in mid October. Depends on how the auction was set up.

BUT this isn't a big deal. Just add some kerosene to it and blend it to
the common winter blend. 15 - 20% kero will drop the cloud point. Then
add some Power Service and you should be fine.

If you plan on re purposing the tank to road diesel get it empty, then
steam clean the interior VERY well. If it has a pump clean that VERY
well also.


I agree about the timing and that it is likely summer fuel.

As for the tank, I will most likely sell it, it is a liability to have
it on my property. I want to sell the fuel separately and then the tank.

i

On Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:52:52 -0500, Ignoramus24757
wrote:

At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

Pour a little into a test tube and swirl it around a bit, then look.

Does it have on a Parka and a Scarf? If it does, it's Winter Blend
Diesel. If it has a Speedo and a Hawaiian Shirt on... ;-P

Seriously, you could probably put a sample in the freezer and see
where it hits the Pour Point - turns to jelly and won't flow anymore
when you tilt the test tube back and forth.

Then take the sample down to well below 0-F and see if any wax
separates and crystallizes - it should be a visible layer(especially
with the dye) if you give it some time to stratify, but you might need
to stick it into a centrifuge to make it separate out within a few
hours.

If all else fails, you blend it 50/50 or 60/40 with known Winter Blend
Diesel to thin it out, and use it up before it gets really nasty cold
outside. If it does give you trouble, you simply warm the fuel tank a
bit (to melt the wax crystals) till it's all used up.

-- Bruce --

On 2012-11-04, Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:
On Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:52:52 -0500, Ignoramus24757
wrote:

At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

Pour a little into a test tube and swirl it around a bit, then look.

Does it have on a Parka and a Scarf? If it does, it's Winter Blend
Diesel. If it has a Speedo and a Hawaiian Shirt on... ;-P

Seriously, you could probably put a sample in the freezer and see
where it hits the Pour Point - turns to jelly and won't flow anymore
when you tilt the test tube back and forth.

Then take the sample down to well below 0-F and see if any wax
separates and crystallizes - it should be a visible layer(especially
with the dye) if you give it some time to stratify, but you might need
to stick it into a centrifuge to make it separate out within a few
hours.

If all else fails, you blend it 50/50 or 60/40 with known Winter Blend
Diesel to thin it out, and use it up before it gets really nasty cold
outside. If it does give you trouble, you simply warm the fuel tank a
bit (to melt the wax crystals) till it's all used up.

-- Bruce --

Good points, thanks

On 11/3/2012 9:52 PM, Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

Unless it's very old fuel, it's undoubtedly summer--but it really won't
matter unless/until it gets bitter cold. If you're not going to use it
up in a relatively short time you need to add stabilizer and
conditioner, anyway, and if you're removing it from the large tank to
sell the tank, just set the small storage tank in the corner of the shop
where it's stays warmer and you'll never know the difference, probably,
anyway...

May want to project how long it will take to use X gal of this fuel just
on the longevity scale...

--

On 11/3/2012 7:52 PM, Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

i
Can you drain any of the fuel from the bottom of the tank? This should
show any water in the tank. Be sure and add a filter to any place you
drain the fuel.

This must have been used for heating fuel or farm fuel. If it looks ok
when you drain a little, put an ad in Craig's List. I see lots of adds
here in Central Oregon for similar tanks, some still have diesel in them.

Paul

On 2012-11-04, Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

Well ... the way I would try to tell the difference is to get a
steel ball bearing and a glass tube just a little bigger. Fill it with
known samples of winter and summer fuel and time how long the ball takes
to reach the bottom -- then compare with the unknown fuel. (I would
expect the ball to drop measurably more quickly in the winter fuel.)
You can also try it refrigerated if you can't tell much difference at
room temperature. But at least all samples should be at the same
temperature for the test.

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

I hope that this helps -- it is based on suppositions, not
knowledge -- and is at least an easy enough test.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 4 Nov 2012 21:44:56 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2012-11-04, Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

Well ... the way I would try to tell the difference is to get a
steel ball bearing and a glass tube just a little bigger. Fill it with
known samples of winter and summer fuel and time how long the ball takes
to reach the bottom -- then compare with the unknown fuel. (I would
expect the ball to drop measurably more quickly in the winter fuel.)
You can also try it refrigerated if you can't tell much difference at
room temperature. But at least all samples should be at the same
temperature for the test.

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

I hope that this helps -- it is based on suppositions, not
knowledge -- and is at least an easy enough test.

Good Luck,
DoN.
easier to just put a bit in the deep freeze. See if you have jello or
liquid

karl

"Ignoramus24757" wrote in message
...
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.


It has different specific gravity, so you'd need to get hold of the MSDS
for the fuels and see what the SGs are. Likely a blend anyway as most
people just pump whatever the fuel tanker has into their storage tank
mixing it.

On 2012-11-04, Karl Townsend wrote:
On 4 Nov 2012 21:44:56 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2012-11-04, Ignoramus24757 wrote:
At an auction, I purchased a 400 gallon diesel fuel tank for $150. I
thought that it was empty, but turns out that it was not, it is
approximately 1/2 full, so maybe 200 gallons.

It contains dyed fuel, so we cannot use it in our semi truck legally.

I do not need as much off-road diesel fuel, and I need to know if it
is winter fuel or summer fuel. I could use some winter fuel, but not
summer fuel, this is why I am asking.

So, how can I tell them apart? Maybe put some in a bottle and in a
freezer? Any signs to watch out for?

Well ... the way I would try to tell the difference is to get a
steel ball bearing and a glass tube just a little bigger. Fill it with
known samples of winter and summer fuel and time how long the ball takes
to reach the bottom -- then compare with the unknown fuel. (I would
expect the ball to drop measurably more quickly in the winter fuel.)
You can also try it refrigerated if you can't tell much difference at
room temperature. But at least all samples should be at the same
temperature for the test.

I will sell most of it, the question is now much.

I hope that this helps -- it is based on suppositions, not
knowledge -- and is at least an easy enough test.

Good Luck,
DoN.
easier to just put a bit in the deep freeze. See if you have jello or
liquid

karl


This is my plan for tomorrow