Propylene glycol barrel for water storage?

[HWDylan]

I have been using a 55 gallon barrel for my ATO reservoir for about a year now. It was formerly used to store car wash detergent. I cleaned it out very well but after a year of use and constant issues keeping corals alive I am starting to suspect this barrel. I'm just trying to eliminate variables that could be the problem.

So on to the question, local brew supply store gave me a 55 gallon barrel that was used to store propylene glycol. It's my understanding that this is a food grade chemical that should be safe even if a small amount leaches out of the plastic.

Would you trust this barrel? I'm trying to solve issues, not create them.

 

[W1ngz]

Propylene Glycol is an organic compound that is often used in cakes and candies, particularly icing to keep it really soft. It's extremely soluble in water. Whatever is left in that barrel should come out with a single rinse. If there were anything left, I'd expect it would be no different than a little carbon dosing.

I can't say for any certainty, since I've never added it to my tank, but that's my .02. I'd use it.

 

[HWDylan]

Propylene Glycol is an organic compound that is often used in cakes and candies, particularly icing to keep it really soft. It's extremely soluble in water. Whatever is left in that barrel should come out with a single rinse. If there were anything left, I'd expect it would be no different than a little carbon dosing.

I can't say for any certainty, since I've never added it to my tank, but that's my .02.

That was my hunch as well. I looked into it and how it's used typically and nothing jumped out at me as being harmful to a reef.

 

[acro-ed]

I work in the chemical manufacturing industry. We deal with surfactants (like the car wash detergent) quite a bit. I highly doubt that has any negative association after being rinsed out. I have used containers that previously contained surfactant myself without issue (rinsed well).

On a related note, Propylene glycol is completely water soluble, so it should rinse out totally. It is also food grade (in most instances as far as I am aware).

If it makes you feel better I have used plastic drums that had all sorts of fertilizer materials in them and use them regularly without issue (rinsed well of course!).

-Ed

 

[HWDylan]

I work in the chemical manufacturing industry. We deal with surfactants (like the car wash detergent) quite a bit. I highly doubt that has any negative association after being rinsed out. I have used containers that previously contained surfactant myself without issue (rinsed well).

On a related note, Propylene glycol is completely water soluble, so it should rinse out totally. It is also food grade (in most instances as far as I am aware).

If it makes you feel better I have used plastic drums that had all sorts of fertilizer materials in them and use them regularly without issue (rinsed well of course!).

-Ed

Awesome. Thank you for the info. The TDS of the water in that detergent barrel (after a year of use mind you) reads around 44tds. The water coming out of my water storage container is 2 at most and 0 coming out of the filter itself.

I figured the barrel was OK to use but that 44 tds and the fact that I can't keep corals alive just has me on edge and I want to narrow my search down.

My ICP tests all come back perfect so its really bugging me.

 

[acro-ed]

I think you may be dealing with an issue relating to the barrel itself and not necessarily what was in it. Some plastics degrade and that would show up in the water as it sits in the barrel. Food grade containers/barrels are supposed to help with this (the type of plastic resin they use limits this degradation). The ones I use are food grade rated, even if they didn't contain food "safe" ingredients. Might be worth looking into that as an issue.

 

[HWDylan]

I think you may be dealing with an issue relating to the barrel itself and not necessarily what was in it. Some plastics degrade and that would show up in the water as it sits in the barrel. Food grade containers/barrels are supposed to help with this (the type of plastic resin they use limits this degradation). The ones I use are food grade rated, even if they didn't contain food "safe" ingredients. Might be worth looking into that as an issue.

That's a good point. I didn't think of the actual plastic itself causing issues. It's an HDPE barrel but that doesn't completely rule it out. This new glycol barrel is much newer and only had food grade propylene glycol in it so I should have that ruled out.

 

[Jon Warner]

I have been using a 55 gallon barrel for my ATO reservoir for about a year now. It was formerly used to store car wash detergent. I cleaned it out very well but after a year of use and constant issues keeping corals alive I am starting to suspect this barrel. I'm just trying to eliminate variables that could be the problem.

So on to the question, local brew supply store gave me a 55 gallon barrel that was used to store propylene glycol. It's my understanding that this is a food grade chemical that should be safe even if a small amount leaches out of the plastic.

Would you trust this barrel? I'm trying to solve issues, not create them.

It's in vaping juice, too...

Yes, rinse the drum and you're good to go!

 

[willtheld]

Its also used in fog and haze juice at concerts. It's what gives the smoke its white color. I took a couple of 55-gallon drums from work a view years ago, a couple of good rinses and I used them for salt and rodi water no issues for years.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree with others that propylene glycol will rinse out well and is low toxicity to begin with. Just use water, no soap, for rinsing. The soap is likely more issue than the propylene glycol.

 

[X-37B]

We spend so many $'s on this hobby and then try to save a buck on water storage. A new food grade 55gal drum is $25 at a hydro store. Why risk it?

 

[Dkeller_nc]

That's a good point. I didn't think of the actual plastic itself causing issues. It's an HDPE barrel but that doesn't completely rule it out. This new glycol barrel is much newer and only had food grade propylene glycol in it so I should have that ruled out.

There's no issue with HDPE itself. However, many things can be added to HDPE during the molding process, and while I'm blanking on any sort of metallic additive in HDPE that would cause that much of a rise in TDS after a year of use, there's also tens of thousands of different LDPE/HDPE formulations.