Stockpiling Fuel/ Alternative Fuels

[utimmer43]

I have been collecting (for free) deep fryer oil for about 4 years now from a restaurant I worked at during high school. I filter it and blend it with regular diesel for my diesel Suburban. (Not exactly the same as making bio-diesel, but the end result is that the engine will run on it.) Since I collect more than I use, over the course of these 4 years I have built a stockpile of about 500 gallons. If we were to have a fuel crisis, at my normal rate of use, this would last me about a year (or a 1-time "get the hell out of dodge" trip anywhere in the country, hauling it all with me on a trailer of course.)

Does anyone else stockpile fuel? Does anyone here make their own bio-diesel or use waste vegetable oil for heating oil?

Also, aside from wondering if anyone else here does anything like this, I am also wondering if anyone in the Reading PA would like to take over collecting oil from the aforementioned restaurant? While I would love to keep doing it, it takes up far too much of my time, (and even then I can't keep up with it.) I would still probably be interested in buying fuel from the person who would take over. If I can't find anyone, the owners would just hire a collection company again. I just figured I'd offer it up here first. PM me if you are interested.

 

[Jes]

Fuel

I keep 20gal of gas for a bug out emergency and rotate it through my lawnmower and cars to avoid having the fuel go bad. Doesn't the fryer grease start to decompose in storage?

 

[utimmer43]

Doesn't the fryer grease start to decompose in storage?

It takes quite a long time to break down to the point of uselessness. It will go rancid if it is left unmixed and eventually start to grow mold. I think one would have to just skim the mold off the top and then mix it. It might smell a little nasty coming out the tailpipe, but It'll burn ok. After letting it settle for a couple months, I mix it with diesel (which tends to act as a preservative) and then run it through filters. Plus I also rotate it out, so the oldest barrel is no more than about 1 year old. I store it in 55 gallon drums filled to the top, so there is very little air inside. I don't know if that helps keep it fresh or not, but so far I haven't had any that seemed to perform poorly.

 

[AR Hammer]

"Fuel" should be expanded to 'Energy'...

Solar with batteries will keep you going for years.
If you are needing short run capabilities, but over an extended period of time,
A golf cart with battery bank installed and solar charger will keep you running for YEARS with little or no maintinance,
And your batteries don't sit around going bad doing nothing while you are waiting for the 'Big One' to happen, they work for a living around the farm/homestead.

Mine run an inverter so I can power up my 110 volt tools at the job sites not having to rely on a dozen battery or gas powered engines like chain saws or drills,
Just plug into the inverter hooked to the golf cart batteries and I'm off and running at the job site!

The 'Roof' has been replaced with two solar cells which actually charge the vehicle when it's sitting doing work in the field, and will give a complete recharge in about 3 days which gives me about a 25 mile run out of a full charge.

Plugged into more panels back at the house it will recharge MUCH faster, in about 3 hours in full sunlight, so I have 25 miles I don't have to walk every day for free.

In daylight, the panels power everything in the house even when the batteries are out doing something in the field, so everything is 'Dual Use' and I get the maximum return for my investment.
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Personally, I have Propane.
Stores VERY well, makes good energy for weight, and can be run in about any type of engine currently in common use.
When the 'Grid' stays off long enough to deplete the batteries with no sun (like the big storm this winter),
I fire up the generator and charge the batteries, run the house and anything else I need to do in about 3 hours,
Then I can shut off and run off the charged batteries for about 3 days again before I have to run the generator...
We RARELY go 6 days without sun light, so this is a really rare thing to have to run the generator more than ONCE...

Since I off road, we have problems with Carbs on severe angles, so I run 'Dual Fuel', Gasoline for normal getting around, and Propane for severe off camber running, like rock crawling or hill climbing.
No issues with electronics or damage from things like EMP will stop a propane vehicle.

My emergency Generator is propane since I don't use it very often, the fuel is always 'Stale'.
I converted to propane, and no issues with 'Stale' fuel anymore.

Diesel engines will run on propane pretty easily, so that's not an issue with you oil burners.

Since I want Dual Capabilities out of everything,
The Propane will directly run the generator,
And it will also Directly heat the home, provide cooking and light if need be.

Propane is VERY EASY to load 1 pound bottles from the 20 or 30 pound tanks that store very well,
And you can SAFELY store a very large tank in the yard (you have all seen the large tanks in yards!).

CNG would work equally as well and isn't related to the production of petroleum so the prices aren't bound together directly.
CNG would go up if Oil prices rise simply because of demand, but since this country produces CNG in much greater quantities than oil, it would still be available at elevated price where Oil & oil products might not be available at all.
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I WOULD NOT attempt to heat my home with diesel or gasoline, they don't store well and they aren't really safe.

A wood back up heat stove would be much safer and easier to feed in the event of an emergency like the snow emergencies we had this winter.