# How do I clean out a fuel oil drum?



## raymilosh (Jan 12, 2005)

We have several 300 gallon fuel oil drums on stands and want to use them to hold water for livestock/ garden watering. They have only small openings. I haven't tried anything yet, but have considered adding some kind of detergent and a length of chain and rolling them around. I'm hoping there is someone who has come up with an idea that is better than that, though.
Got any suggestions?


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I wouldn't use them for water unless I were to burn them out. That would be dangerous but it will get most of the fuel oil out of them. After the detergent and rolling them around with a chain inside them there will be some traces of fuel oil in them. Using it for guarding is not that demanding but water for livestock is.


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## raymilosh (Jan 12, 2005)

I hadn't thought of burning it out. That would definately work. Only steel and rust and ashes left. I could use detergent and a chain to get the remnants out, then set it in the fire pit and build a reasonable fire around it to get it heated through and through with all the caps open. I'm wondering if there is a danger of igniting vapors...do i just keep the vent pointed up and away from myself, then?
Or is there a safer way to do it?


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## Welshmom (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't know...everything I've ever read about this subject has said don't EVER use old fuel or chemical containers for drinking water or garden watering.


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## Wis Bang (Feb 20, 2009)

The steel drums could be cleaned by a drum re-conditioner. They would use detegent and steam to clean the interior. I'd suggest trading them in for re-conditioned drums -or-try to find some used plastic drums from a food or pharmacutical product.

Oils enter the pores of the metal unless the interior of the drum was lined w/ a coating or was chemically passivated and the steam cleaned, I wouldn't use it for storing water for animals.

I worked in the tank transport industry and even w/ high impact impingement cleaning machines spinning inside the tanker w/ caustic or detergent, rinsed and steamed and dried, we would not go from an oil to a 'water white' product 'cause just a microscopic amount of oil from the metal 'pores' would cause a noticeable discoloration, possibly hard to notice but the lab analysis always found it...

it's not worth the possibility of some contamination.


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## freeinalaska (Jan 21, 2005)

I agree that it may not be wise to use a fuel drum for animal water.

That said I have cleaned out a few pickel barrels to use for drinking water storage by adding water and detergent and strapping them in the back of my pickup for a week. Just driving around with them over the bumpy roads has cleaned them up pretty well.


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

In theory the small amount of oil left in the pores of the drum should not hurt anyone or any animal, you might try using a muriatic acid and water to clean it out even more, then use a food grade polymer to spray on the inside similar to what is used to seal fuel tanks against leakage and rust on old metal tanks, though that might be as spendy even in Alaska as having a new tank hauled in.

William
Idaho


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Just doesn't sound like a good idea - you never can get the fuel out, that's not going to be good drinking water.

--->Paul


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