The gas company finally ran a line down our road and we'll be converting our oil furnace to NG. We learned of this project last March just after the oil company filled the tank.

In our basement, we have a 275 gal oil tank which has 200 gal of oil in it. The oil must be pumped out before the furnace guys can cut it up with hydraulic shears and haul the pieces out.

Our former oil supplier doesn't pump out tanks. A local pump-out company will remove the oil, give me nothing for it, and charge me $500 for the favor. I let them know what I thought of their offer.

Another small oil company guy will pump it out for free and use it in his own home and shop. He’ll get about $500 worth of oil since the going price is around $2.50/gal.

. I thought about placing an ad in our local community paper offering the oil for $1.50 /gal.

I have already removed 15 gal. to give to my local car repair guy, at no charge, who has an oil furnace in his shop. I removed the supply line from the furnace and just let the oil run into some 5 qt car oil jugs. Takes five minutes to fill one jug and I wasted a lot of time just watching the oil slowly flow into the jugs.

There's not enough room over the tank to insert one of those 55 gal drum hand pumps (my neighbor has one). Maybe I could connect a hose to the hand pump's pipe and run it into the oil tank.Otherwise,the oil would have to be siphoned out or pumped out using some method. The free pump-out is starting to look like the best solution even though I'm kissing $500 good-bye.

Any ideas or comments?

I'd wait to make the final changeover until my oil ran out . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Your running the supply line to fill probably comes after the filter which will retard flow. See if there is another tap or a valve you can come off of after the tank. Make sure that the cap is off so the tank is getting air.
You could also get a hose type pump to bend and run it with a drill motor. You would want to junk the hoses after that. I would advertise in the nickle want ads something like "200 gallons heating oil free". You remove it all, though that leaves a real problem if someone screws up with clean up.
The risk with waiting until your oil is gone is a changeover in January and problems risking being with out heat for a couple of days.

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Front sight and squeeze

Many years ago I bought a new house that had fuel oil furnace because there wasn't NG on my street. Wouldn't you know it about a year later my street got NG.
I got the fuel supplier to pump out the tank. I don't remember if I was charged or paid for the oil. I got a furnace company to exchange the old furnace for the new NG furnace. He supposedly gave me some money for the old furnace and tank because it was only a year or so old. He removed the old furnace and installed the new one.

The thing I hated most about a fuel oil furnace is it usually runs out of fuel on the coldest night or on a weekend to boot. Besides it being so dang expensive now.

You might check into local farmers to see if they could use the oil in their tractors. I am not sure if heating oil is safe to use in diesel engines.

How about one of the pumps for changing oil
on four stroke outboard motors?

Heating oil is nothing but Diesel fuel. i pumped a heating oil tank and ran it in my diesel truck. Not kerosene now..although kerosene can be used in diesel engines also but mainly in very cold weather

I was in the same situation about 10 years ago but I had much better results. My fuel oil supplier was happy to pay me 1/2 retail and pump out my tank.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

I'd run the ad in the local paper for a while if I were you. If that doesn't work you could also check with some of the local charity organizations to see if they have any use for it. If so, you may be able to claim it as a charitable deduction.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

Yes, any Diesel truck can run on it, though it's only legal to run it off-road, since the taxes have not been paid on it, and the dye has not been added to prove it.

They make some fairly cheap oil transfer diaphram pumps that sit flat with a lever that pumps up and down.

There's one called a guzzler. I believe it is self priming so you could sit it on a floor or table and pump to your hearts delight.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Good Luck A.
Maybe folks here will catch to the fact your tank is in the BASEMENT!
Does the place have a ground level entrance or strictly stair access?

Not to scare anyone off from natural gas but sometimes bad things happen. Most folks probably saw this but just in case......
Pipe pressure before Massachusetts gas explosions was 12 times too high - Chicago Tribune

A37,
It's a good idea to completely remove the fill port from the outside of the house. I know of someone who converted to NG, had the tank removed but the contractor didn't plug or remove the fill port and an oil company delivered over 100 gals to her house by mistake. They had to live in a motel until the hazmat team cleaned up their house.

A lot of good suggestions and info here. Thanks.

I've considered most aspects of the problem and will probably go with the free pump-out.

If I held off getting the new furnace and just burned my oil up, the tank would be empty about the end of November or early December. In NE OH, it's gets pretty cold. I'd be without heat for four or more days while the new furnace is installed and the plumber runs the necessary lines, shut-offs, etc. for the new NG furnace and appliances.

BTW, the gas guys are using the horizontal boring method to install the gas line along our 1-mile road. They plan to dig a trench in our yard to install th service line. It's 140' from the gas line to where the meter will be.

True...with the caveat that heating oil may be a high sulfur fuel that would harm the emissions system of a 2007 or later spec diesel engine. Also, heating oil does not have any lubricity additive (this shouldn't be an issue short-term---I wouldn't run a diesel engine on it on a permanent basis). Some cities have already banned high sulfur heating oil and require 15ppm or less sulfur content. Heating oil has red dye, the same as off-road diesel. If you put it in a pickup truck your chance of getting caught would be slight...any larger truck subject to D.O.T. checkpoints would put you at great risk...the fine (maximum) is 30-something thousand dollars PER DAY that can be proven that you ran the untaxed fuel.

It's probably different in your area but FYI, when we had our oil tank removed from our last home in NY, we needed to show the town proof that the company which disposed of the tank had properly disposed of the sludge in the bottom at an approved hazardous waste facility.


When I worked for the gas utility on Long Island, they would directional drill to bring service to homes across the road from the side the main was on. Very neat way of doing it.

I think the free pump out would be your best option being that the guy is in the oil business....he should know what he's doing and not make a mess for you. Yeah...you could probable get some money for the oil if you ran an ad on Craig's list or something similar...and then get some yahoo come in your house and make a mess and leave it for you to have to deal with. The smell of diesel/heating oil takes a long time to go away....I've been delivering it for 40 years and still hate it even if I get a few drops on my clothing!

Go with the free pump out by a company that is insured. If it spills , it is hazardous waste and will become your problem

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I would determine if everything but the actual new furnace install could be done in advance . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

...and keep buying oil in small quantities to get you through until spring. Then do the switchover with a nearly empty tank.

...and i liked it, but I think appliances that use it should be in an outside room and the heater in a unit outside. The less actually in the house the better.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I must be misunderstanding you. Are you saying that the furnace, hot water heater, and kitchen stove should be located somewhere OUTSIDE the house?

We have all 3 INSIDE our house and it doesn't worry me in the slightest.

Diesel Tractor owner might make a deal ...

If you are near a farming area you might find a farmer who would LIKE some BARGAIN fuel. A note at a farm supply store would be a good start at finding a user. Of call high schools and ask about FFA. Those kids are plenty sharp and know HOW to work.

If there are any qualms about furnace oil vs diesel fuel - they could be mixed.

Bekeart

I call that fuel.

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There may be a dozen areas still in large cities that have low pressure gas service in the US. Almost all now have there own regulator in front of the meter. There is too much liability with low pressure delivery, IMO.
The heat value of Natural gas is 100,000 btu per therm. Heat value of #2 fuel oil is 140,000 btu per gallon, gasoline is between 115,000 and 125,000. OP has 200 gallons of 140,000 btu fuel in his basement. 1 btu is equivalent to about 1 wooden stick match. Most of us would feel much safer having the fuel supplied rather than sitting in the house. Imagine a worst case fire in a garage with 11 vehicles with full tanks and you get the idea.
We take much for granted in our modern day lives.

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Front sight and squeeze

I'll be glad when that 45-year old 275 gal. fuel tank is gone from my basement.

My plan for a massive tank leak is to call 911 and get the HAZMAT team pronto.

The fuel would run into my basement sump and the pump would have to be unplugged immediately.

If the leak occurred when nobody was home, the sump pump would pump the fuel into my septic system and it would discharge into the the road drain system. A real environmental mess.