Stock piling fuel.........
 

.....Is anyone doing it? I have been giving this an occasional thought. Although I would love to have a huge supply of gas, due to flashpoint is not a consideration. My truck is actually a diesel, but at 12 mpg, my 38 gal tank empties fast, and a large hoard would not last too long. I have a heat pump that uses alot of electricity. Have been reading that electricity will be increasing alot in the future. While firewood is great, it takes alot to heat my house. I bought a kerosene heater this winter, and was amazed at the amount of heat it put out after it had been running a couple hours.

So I have decided to hoard kerosene, if desperate enough, my truck will actually run off it( just a bit hotter) I have a friend who will give me a 210 gal tank from a house they took down. Planning on putting in my garage, and installing a gravity feed on the bottom for filling. This same friend also has a 55 gal and 82 gal tank, off a semi. Also contemplating setting those up. I figure this will give me( combined with a little firewood and minimual use of electricity, ) 2 seasons of heat.

Question is, is it worth it? In my area, Kerosene is $3.99 a gal.(K-1) Will have truck come out and fill up large tank, if is cheaper, other words, plan on just stopping by with 4 5 gal containers, on my way home, will not take long to fill all up.:confused_m:

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

If you are just getting started I would consider propane for home heat.

It keeps forever and you can cook and heat with it.

Storing any large amounts of fuel or gas in or near your house will put you in violation of fire codes and probably invalidate your homeowners fire insurance.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

If things get really rough where your hoard is actually needed, you won't be wasting kerosene on heating your house (at least if you have any sense), you'll be wearing extra layers and adapting to the cold in other ways as well. Using it for your truck may make sense in certain circumstances but having a more efficient vehicle will likely be better in most of them (and if diesel is scarce, there should be plenty around for cheap) but in either case stockpiling diesel would seem to make a lot more sense (check out TnAndy's threads for his gasoline stockpile). I wouldn't store it within 30 ft of the house however.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

I sure as hell wouldn't put a storage tank in my garage and as previously said, would invalidate your homeowners insurance in case of fire. Could you locate the tank in the backyard ~30' from the house and build a lean-to, or shed around it?

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Most houses in New England have 250+ gallons of heating oil (diesel fuel) in tanks in the basements. Diesel is a very stabil fuel. There should be no problem storing it in sealed drums in or around the house/garage. Now gasoline, I wouldn't do that.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

That was my original thinking, it came from a house about a mile away, that used oil for heat. I figured could use to store kerosene, being that had such a very low flashpoint. Although the garage idea was just a matter of convenance, it was an outside unit, so would not hurt its feelings staying outside.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

I am planning to do the same thing with #2 heating fuel. They deliver it to the house for $1.89 a gallon. I plan to fill up 55 gallon drums and keep them sealed in the basement or in the barn. I think it will be fine for the boiler, tractor, and generator. And I am planning to get a diesel truck. Although it is illegal to use red-dyed fuel in a street vehicle, in an emergency situation, I think the authorities will have bigger fish to fry. Kerosene for $3.99 a gallon seems pricey to me, but if that will be your only source of heat in an emergency, then it is well worth it.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Nor propane. It's heavier than air and you won't smell it at your feet. It packs a wallop and will blow the roof off your house straightaway!

Just Google propane explosions....

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Actually is the very reason not even considering it. Though is a new trend in VA. See lots of new houses and older ones getting upgraded to propane. My brother inlaw has 4 very LARGE tanks side by side about 20 feet from his house. While at grandparents about 38 years ago, in Texas, their neighbors house blew up. Still remember looking at it from the street in the middle of the night. Also remember the loud sound it made. Kind of made a lasting impresion on me.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

We store diesel in 55 gal drums for the tractor/generators

Very stable, very long lasting. Add PRI-D to keep it fresh.

Stay away from STABIL.. It is close to useless. For gasoline use PRI-G.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

I keep 100 gallons of gasoline out back (about 100ft) plus 100 of diesel.

If it goes so be it. The gas tank is full to the top and buried about 7/8 of the way to the top and shaded. Gas stays good with Pir-G, so does the diesel w/D.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Exactly what he said.

Stabil not bad for a lawnmower stored in fall, and gotten out in spring. But avoid it for long term fuel storage.....useless after 6months or so.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

I have been storing gasoline, kerosene, propane, firewood, charcoal, and about to start storing diesel. The point I am trying to make is to store every type of fuel you can.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

The waste oil heater for my garage is a U.S. Army model M-1941 stove with a multi-fuel burner. It will burn anything; gasoline, kerosene, diesel, fuel oils, motor oil, veggie oil, lard too if you can preheat it enough.

I use a 55 gal drum for the waste oil tank and just dump whatever I have at the time to feed the stove.

Only a true blend of fine waste oil crap and gasoline heats my shop.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

I store about 500 Gallons of gas in a ex military tank.

And have about 300 Gallons of diesel in 55 gallon drums.

I bought the gas when it was down to 1.55 a gallon.

The diesel was about 1.70 when I topped off my 6 steel 55 gallon drums.

BTW the larger propane tank you get the cheaper per gallon it is to fill.

We have a 1000 gallon propane tank now and are looking into getting a 2000 gallon tank.

The tank is below grade in a block wall box with a vent made of PVC pipe that runs down into a canyon in the case of any leaks.

Re: Stock piling fuel.........
 

Last fall I went out and bought about 50 gallons of gasoline to store then a couple week later the price dropped precipitously.
I've also been thinking about using the old heating oil tank in the basement to stockpile heating oil or kerosine. It was last used just two winters ago, I installed a heatpump but the tank is still down there. I wouldn't think kerosine is much different than heating oil.
What would you do?

I'll tell you when I'm going to buy so you can wait two weeks to buy yours at the new prices which will no doubt be lower than when I buy.