You might have noticed that unfortunately, our summer is all but over. As we're now approaching the winter period, we wanted to share some guidance on how to store your barrels properly, to help keep your oil healthy and free from water contamination.
When it rains, water creates a small pool on top of the barrel and the bungs can become submerged in rain water. When the barrel heats and cools by varying temperatures through the day or night, it breathes which can result in water entering the barrel. This can happen to barrels that have not been opened yet too.
Once the water is in the oil it will begin to separate and sit at the bottom of the barrel, so when using a barrel pump which will pump directly from the bottom of the barrel, it will inevitably result in damaging the vehicle or machinery with water contaminated oil.
The best way to mitigate the risk of this happening is by storing barrels inside or undercover. However, when storing outside is unavoidable, another simple and inexpensive solution is to place a small block under one edge of the barrel (like a brick), so it leans slightly to the side and ensure the bungs are at 3 and 9 o’clock positions. This will allow the water to drain off the barrel and not be sucked in as the barrel breathes.