Storing and pumping biodiesel?

[Vulch]

My local biodiesel bloke does bio for £1 a litre, but down to 90p if I buy 500litres! I have found a 1000 litre IBC on fleabay but was wondering how I should get the bio out of the IBC and into the tank!

I'm wanting to do this on the cheap, in order to make it pay for itself, so I was thinking a manual hand pump with a 'tube' of some description.

Has anyone done this already? Any advice? What does and doesn't work?

Cheers,

Vulch

BTW, I did some sums yesterday - my 200Tdi does 28mpg on bio at £1. If I was running it on Derv it would be costing £1.35 a litre - this means that I'm getting an equivalent of £37 mpg!

 

[Hamsterberg]

I brought a diesel transfer pump on fleabay for £50 its the nuts

 

[Andy200TDi]

Why don't you make it yourself? much cheaper... and legal.

 

[Vulch]

Why don't you make it yourself? much cheaper... and legal.

I have thought of that. I am quite scientifically minded too, so it is a possibility. The main problem I have is getting hold of used oil! All potential sources so far investigated already give/sell theirs to someone already.

If I did, wouldn't the same problem still arise? I still need to pump the stuff from storage into my landy! It is a good point though - and I would hope to use the pumping kit in any future venture into making my own.

 

[Station House]

Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, and all for saving pennies, understand that current health and safety rules permit householders to store a maximum of 20 litres of fuel, but only if it is kept in metal containers.

Only 10 litres can be kept if it is stored in plastic containers of five litres each.

In the workplace, up to 50 litres can be stored after a special risk assessment has been carried out by safety officials.

There must be a way around this (other than doing it anyway and relying on no-one noticing/grassing), but not sure what it is - unless perhaps your living on a farm.

Reason for mentioning is I got challenged at a fuel station for filling 2 x 20 litre containers and started to look into it

 

[Andy Land]

Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, and all for saving pennies, understand that current health and safety rules permit householders to store a maximum of 20 litres of fuel, but only if it is kept in metal containers.

Only 10 litres can be kept if it is stored in plastic containers of five litres each.

In the workplace, up to 50 litres can be stored after a special risk assessment has been carried out by safety officials.

There must be a way around this (other than doing it anyway and relying on no-one noticing/grassing), but not sure what it is - unless perhaps your living on a farm.

Reason for mentioning is I got challenged at a fuel station for filling 2 x 20 litre containers and started to look into it

That's something I was unaware of SH. Do you know what the law is regarding carrying fuel inside the vehicle as I carry 2 x 20l Jerry cans in mine. Usually empty but just on the off chance I could afford to fill them up one day

Regarding using bio diesel in the first place I thought it cost about £200 for engine filters and other bits so that you didn't damage the engine?

 

[Station House]

This is another one of those laws that just makes not a lot of sense IMO.

As far as I'm aware no restricitons on how much fuel you carry in your car, or indeed what you carry it in.

For storage you need a licence for more than 20 litres - but it has to be in metal cans of less than 10 litres each . Officially you can use a 20 litre metal jerry can to transport from the petrol station to your home, but once at home it has to be decanted - bizarre or what?

If your using plastic containers, the limit is two 5 litre ones.

There are also regs around how the containers are marked etc.

 

[Karlos28]

what ****s they are.. who gives a crap what its stored in and how much!! they are just out to make our lives harder and make more money for themselves!

rant over.. ;-)

 

[jak1471]

Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, and all for saving pennies, understand that current health and safety rules permit householders to store a maximum of 20 litres of fuel, but only if it is kept in metal containers.

Only 10 litres can be kept if it is stored in plastic containers of five litres each.

In the workplace, up to 50 litres can be stored after a special risk assessment has been carried out by safety officials.

There must be a way around this (other than doing it anyway and relying on no-one noticing/grassing), but not sure what it is - unless perhaps your living on a farm.

Reason for mentioning is I got challenged at a fuel station for filling 2 x 20 litre containers and started to look into it

What about heating fuel? We have a 1000 litre bowser in the back...

 

[Station House]

Great question!

Heating oil must be classed differently - anyone fancy a 'spot the difference' competition?

 

[Shifty1962]

What about the plastic tank in my TD5 that holds 60 litres? I think the regulations you mention apply to petrol not diesel. My local fuel station limits customers to four separate containers of 20 litres max (80 in total) for petrol only. No limit on diesel other than the pump limit of £100 per transaction. I can get a 200 litre drum of diesel delivered to my house with no questions from any major supplier.

 

[Station House]

Must confess Shifty I just took the regs to mean fuel - you made me search some more and I'm wrong - sorry all


The Health and Executive Website Chemicals: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

goes into loads of detail.

As for diesel - it says:

There are no specific legal requirements on how to store diesel or the quantity allowed either in workplaces or domestic premises. It is not, from a health and safety point of view, a particularly hazardous substance within the meaning of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 - its vapour flash point is too high. This means that its vapour will not ignite at normal room temperatures.


Apologies for taking you all down a blind alley - store away boys!

 

[Shifty1962]

No worries mate. Not trying to be smart arse or make anyone look silly. I just remember reading about some idiot minicab driver who was storing a normal plastic wheelie bin full of stolen petrol in his front room during the last tanker drivers strike and something rang a bell.

 

[Station House]

No problem at all Shifty - happy to hold my hand up.

Now where's that sack cloth

 

[Andy Land]

No limit on diesel other than the pump limit of £100 per transaction.

Soon won't fill a Landy up then if they don't change the pump settings!