OT- Help cutting up a fuel oil tank

FlatBeltBob · Nov 26, 2012

I need to remove a fuel oil tank from the basement . Problem is that it is 1" wider then the only stairwell opening .
What is the safest way to cut it down to size ?
If I use a 4 1/2" grinder with cut off discs , will the sparks ignite the remaining oil ?
Someone suggested using a sawsall to split the tank down the center.
It has also been suggested to cut out the ends inboard of the end flanges , and just crush the tank a bit to make it narrower .
The generic Milwaukee blades from the farm store don't last very long as I recall .
Is there a premium brand metal blade for sawsalls ?
Thanks
Bob

Cole2534 · Nov 26, 2012

Fill it full of water, then cut into it.

Messy? Maybe.
Does it absolutely remove any chance of a fire or detonation? Yes.

Working in an around the oilfield- this is the only way we do it.

Ciszewski · Nov 26, 2012

Hello FlatBeltBob
I've cut some steel with these with good results.
Saw blades, hole saws, circular saw blades, and recip blades: The M. K. Morse Company provides professional quality metal cutting blades and power tool accessories.

sa100 · Nov 26, 2012

Several years ago I had to have an underground gasoline storage tank removed. The pro's that did it used something I can best describe as a giant, air powered nibbler or shear to cut the tank up before they even loaded it into their truck. I would NOT under any circumstances use an abrasive cutter of any sort to cut up the tank. Cole 2354's approach should work, but I wouldn't rely on the tank being completely full with NO pockets of fumes, though. I don't claim to be smarter than anyone else, I'm just really gunshy when it comes to things possibly blowing up. Filling the tank with CO2 won't work either, unless you leave the valve open on the CO2 tank (and in the process probably asphyxiate yourself, hardly a pleasing outcome).

I'm a giant cheapskate and hate relying on others, but this is a job I'd hire out.

Steve

Cole2534 · Nov 26, 2012

Own a bronze sledge? With a mere 1" clearance issue I'd be tempted to 'adjust' it to fit.

motion guru · Nov 26, 2012

Boil a couple gallons of water and pour inside. Let the vapors fill the tank and then put the cap on with a good seal and wait. The vapors will condense and collapse the tank a bit. Repeat as needed until it is small enough to remove through the stairwell.

You might need to preheat the tank a bit, but I remember doing this as a science project with a 55 gallon drum and we were able to collapse it to half it's size in about an hour of repeated heat/ cool cycles.

Garwood · Nov 26, 2012

collapse it with a vacuum pump maybe? A friend uses a 275 gallon heating oil tank to transport liquids. His vacuum pump used for sucking the fluid into the tank will easily collapse the tank.

autofrite · Nov 26, 2012

lenox blades are about the best,you need a fine tooth blade,probably 3 to go around it once.draining tank,and washing it inside would be the best bet,using something like simple green to break down the fuel oil.
messy,but a good degreaser may help with the mess.

how about a bottle jack or a telepost up against the floor beam to squish it flatter?
for that matter,pulling the door framing is simple,use the same sawzall to cut through the nails holding the frame in the wall.i pulled doors this way,work the trim off and saw off the nails.
almost perfect removal.

as above,vacum will collapse the tank as well.a good water pump will work too,fill with water,connect pump and evacuate.

there are companys that specialise in this type of thing,but expensive i would imagine.

S_W_Bausch · Nov 26, 2012

Some thoughts:

You didn't say anything about attempting to reclaim the last bit of fuel oil for use in a diesel engine, so why not put some detergent and water in the tank, to minimize flammable vapors?

Use a long reciprocating saw blade (6-8 inches) and insert in the cut, teeth up, and cut at a low angle, not 90 degrees as expected. This will put more teeth in the cut and minimize vibration/noise, and will allow you to watch the cut.

Have someone place a stream of water on the cut as you go. If you use a long blade as mentioned above, keeping the blade wet is easier, and keeping the blade wet allows for faster blade speeds and less chance of sparks.

I suggest a thicker "demolition" blade, but take your saws-all along and test for blade fit.

mjk · Nov 26, 2012

There are good sawsall blades out there, the Lenox Bimetals have proven a good choice for me.
Pulling a vacum may not shrink it at the end caps as they usually have a rolled flange to stiffen them. But its worth a shot.
From experiance, an ounce of spilled fuel oil will stink up a basement.

Jeff_M_PA · Nov 26, 2012

I used to take tanks out for a living many years ago. Gasoline and fuel oil are not really comparable, with gasoline being orders of magnitude more deadly. I'd be looking to use a non-cutting method discussed above like vacuum to crush (probably would work great) or just beat on it.

Empty it first, of course. You could get it pretty clean with soap & water and a little agitation, but now you have the oil-water mix to deal with. If you must cut, use the least sparking method -nibbler, sawzall better than abrasive. I've seen a fuel oil tank ignited (at our cut-up yard) with abrasive saw. If you must cut without cleaning, dry ice in the tank will displace vapors and is an easy way to inert it enough to cut it, but in the basement, make sure you're well ventilated, mostly because of the CO2.

Least risk is smash it enough to get it out, in my opinion. Doing any of this other stuff in the basement just isn't as good an idea.

Jeff

Perry Harrington · Nov 26, 2012

Fill it with water, cap it, then use a water pump to pump the water out of the closed tank. If you get the pump primed before you really suck on it, it will suck start a Harley!

Bill D · Nov 26, 2012

do it quietly so neighbor will not report it to the epa. probably a lot of legal stuff to do it properly. Just tell folks it was not there when you moved in. Previous owner must have removed it when house was converted to gas heat. Make sure to seal or remove the fill port outside so someone does not try to fill basement with oil.
Bill D.

robmc · Nov 26, 2012

I did that with a 275 gal. fuel oil tank. I had it in a big open garage, full of water and used one of those double counter- rotating blade mini saws. That was a mistake using that damn thing (hot metal chips flying around including down my shirt). The sawsall with a good blade is probably what I should have used. Those nibblers might be the best but I've never had any. Gasoline is a whole order of magnitude more dangerous but I've cut into car gas tanks after evacuating them and filling them completely with water. Bottom line is you can't afford to chance an explosion.

moonlight machine · Nov 27, 2012

Gasoline may be more dangerous, but the 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 40% of my cousins body will prove to anyone that the vapors of fuel oil are explosive and extremely flammable. He was a HVAC man, down in a basement checking out a fuel oil leak with his flashlight. The home owner yells down the stairway that the lights work and turns them on.....a spark lit off the fumes instantly, explosion and fire were the result. Fuel oil fumes are dangerous, not as bad as gasoline but worth thinking about. I would pull a vacuum on the old tank and crush it then remove it. Have some kitty litter handy to soak up any spills. Make sure you seal off the fuel oil fill outside. My friend converted to gas, he canceled his regular fuel delivery, but the delivery man did not notice that his house was not on the route anymore and pumped 250 gallons of fuel oil on the basement floor. They tore down the house and removed about 3 of 4 hundred tons of contaminated soil from under the basement floor. When the EPA gets involved things get crazy.

Trboatworks · Nov 27, 2012

I had to do the same a few years back- I just grabbed a Sawsall and chopped the damn thing up.
They are thin wall and cut will no problem. I just used what was in the saw box & knowing me was probably a 'nail filled wood' demo blade so it would cut fast.

Was a bit of a mess as I remember- oil sludge in tank etc. Ours is a rough basement so it didn't matter. If yours is anything like finished, put down some tarps to contain the mess.

Edit- isn't there a cute little emoticon for 'KIDS- DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME'? :nono:

Pulling up some Google expertise suggests that there is a real explosion risk:
Heating oil tank safety: Fuel Oil &Heating Oil Storage Tank Explosion & Other Hazards - Oil Storage Tank Safety, Leaks, Fumes, Vapors, Explosions, Cave-Ins, Deaths

If I had to do it again, I would probably just hack it up again as above..."fools go where..."

jCandlish · Nov 27, 2012

This tank came out with a nibbler.

I hired the work done. It was pumped out, removed and cleaned up withing a day. Because of the significant explosion risk it is mandated that the work be carried out by licensed specialists. The tank removal is strictly contolled via a work permit taxation+accounting system. You must have a permit to originally install the tank. Tanks are subject to regular inspection. You cannot have fuel delivered to an unregulated tank. Cityhall has a copy of all the tank permits. It would be funny if a tank were suddenly missing. It can be very hard to recycle the old tank without the correct permits. And so on.

Considering what I payed to have it professionally removed, I would hate to have to work for those guys wages.

paul39 · Nov 27, 2012

I need to remove a fuel oil tank from the basement . Problem is that it is 1" wider then the only stairwell opening .

If that 1 inch is at a door, take off door, gently remove trim from one side of door frame, cut nails holding frame to rough opening, remove frame. Remove tank, replace door frame.

Sometimes just taking off the door and the door stops will give you just enough room.

Usually an oil tank is installed after a house is built, so it was put in through some opening.

Paul

SteveF · Nov 27, 2012

Jeff_M_PA said:
I used to take tanks out for a living many years ago. ...........................

................ If you must cut without cleaning, dry ice in the tank will displace vapors and is an easy way to inert it enough to cut it, but in the basement, make sure you're well ventilated, mostly because of the CO2.

That's it. The minimum amount of dry ice is 1.5 lbs / hundred gallons of tank capacity.

Can't understand you guys who want to give him 275(?) gallons of contaminated water in his basement to clean up when 5 lbs of dry ice will solve the problem.

Steve

BobRenz · Nov 27, 2012

Paul has a good answer - take the door frame out of the opening. That should give you about another 2" total. You might even be able to make it by removing just the door stops from the frame.

I also like the idea of a vacuum pump. A refrigeration vacuum pump should turn the tank into a hockey puck fairly quickly, plus the oil vapors shouldn't affect the pump. I would be concerned about a shop vacuum though - their exhaust runs through the motor for cooling, and a spark could be intersting....

When you look at saving money on this kind of project, remember that Lennox saw blades are far from free. Why not get a price for a professional tank removal? When the books are balanced, the numbers might be closer than at first glance.

OT- Help cutting up a fuel oil tank

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