BadDog

I am setting up a 275 gallon fuel storage tank and need a down pipe from the pump head to the bottom of the tank. Black iron pipe would be easy to work with but may be a source of rust. What about the common CPVC pipe from the hardware? Will gasoline rust black iron or attack CPVC over time?

My tank has a bit of bare metal inside but I will use a good 5 micron filter. Does a small amount of rust in storage tank change the composition of gasoline?

Chris Sunkin

ABSOLUTELY not on PVC or anything like that. You can use HDPE (polyethylene) but it's probably the most expensive. Galvanized is OK, black iron is not.

Remember, you are responsible for that gasoline no matter where it goes. If it ends up in the neighbor's well or on the surface of a local lake, you can be assured you'll get visited by at least several state agencies who will fix the problem and send you the bill. If you aren't properly permitted and don't have specific insurance riders for the fuel, the bill is yours. It can be REALLY big, too.

ASME B31 addresses all the requirements of fuel piping.

Rust in the tank? If you can see it, you can hit it with a pressure washer and remove all of it that will come off. Being full of a petroleum product will prevent it from growing. What's in the bottom will come out as you flush it.

BadDog

I have pressure washed the tank and will be coating with a light oil. The tank will be on a concrete pad with a concrete retaining wall to hold 1.2x the contents. At 3.89 a gallon I will not spill any! My county has no codes for above ground fuel tanks. In the future they will require the retaining wall so I am pouring it today.

Chris Sunkin

The state definitely does have statutes as do the feds- your tank size may exempt you. Make sure you're in compliance- even if you're insured, failure to comply can give your insurer a loophole to deny coverage.

FYI- one of my customers just "lost" 140 gallons of diesel. It ended up in a neighbor's retention pond. Cost them close to $100K to fix it- fortunately they were insured. Most commercial insurance and virtually all individual/homeowner insurance requies separate riders to cover these things.

I should have elaborated why PVC isn't suitable. One, fuels will dissolve it. Two, it's fragile and easily broken. Three, it's cold-intolerant- below 40 degrees it becomes veru fragile. I have customers who use it (improperly) for airline plumbing. Explosions are common.