ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Diesel Fuel

Would an area around a 100 Gallon diesel fuel tank be classified. If so, what area and where is it in the NEC?

This is one area where the NEC is confusing, to say the least. While they like to pass the buck to "engineering supervision" or the "AHJ," the code has at least three ways treat exactly the same fuel.

Call it 'heating oil' and theres absolutely no need for anything to be classified.

Call it a "motor fuel dispensing facility," and those rules apply.

Call it "jet fuel" and the rules get really tight.

Personally, if it were only a storage tank, without a containment berm, I'd not consider it a classified location at all. Even the pump I'd be satisfied with, if it was designed for diesel.

It does have a small pump for filling equipment/vehicles. It is cord and plug connected. The receptacle is about 3 feet from the tank. I don't feel it is a clasified location but I want to be sure.

Thanks for the reply.

Brian

John,

While Article 514 will apply, there will be no classified areas.

Diesel has a flash point above 38°C.
Don

Reno, I agree the fuel is similar but the way it is handled is different between a home heating oil tank and a service station, particularly anywhere except New Jersey.
Most homeowners never really see their heating oil. The tank truck driver fills the tank and the furnace burns it.
In a service station it gets pumped into unapproved containers and splashed around by untrained operators.

Jet-A is a different fuel, more like kerosene. Lower flash point and they use it 10,000 gallons at a time.

Military Multi-fuel vehicals, and generators will run deisel, kerosene, JP-5, JP-8 or Jet-A. In fact during operations only one fuel is shipped - JP-5 and they use it for everything including burning the crappers, and some gasoline for the very few things that take it... Anyway, it is from that thinking that I treat all fuels the same....