How Much Does a 55-gallon Drum of Oil Weigh? (Answered!)

How Much Does An Empty 55 Gallon Drum Weigh?

A 55-gallon drum is a large container used for storing liquids such as oil, water, and chemicals. The weight of a 55-gallon drum depends on what it contains.

A full 55-gallon drum of oil weighs approximately 444 pounds.

How much does an empty 55-gallon drum of oil weigh? An empty 55-gallon drum of oil weighs at least 22 pounds. You can also find a list of 55-gallon drum dimensions and sizes below.

If you look at the scale above, you can see that this number is quite significant compared with other common objects you might find around the house. The weight of a 55-gallon drum will vary depending on its contents, but when it’s full, it can weigh as much as 500 pounds.


The empty steel, 55-gallon drum weighs approximately 48 pounds.

6 Examples 55-Gallon Drum Weight?

  • Red plastic drum: This type of drum can weigh anything from 22 pounds.
  • Fiber drum: The fiber is a drum model that is pretty lighter than the others. It weighs about 17 pounds only.
  • Nestable plastic drum: This drum weigh around 24 pounds, which is around 10.8kg
  • Plastic drum open top: An open-top plastic drum carries a decent weight of 25 pounds.
  • Line steel drum open top: Steels would most likely be heavier because of their material, and that is evident in this drum. It weighs about 45 pounds.
  • Stainless steel drum open top: This drum model is another steal material. And as you know, it is also quite heavy, weighing around 50 pounds.

How Much Does A 55-Gallon Drum of Water Weigh?

A 55-gallon drum of water weighs approximately 484 pounds. This is just a rough approximation, as the volume and weight of a 55-gallon drum of water depend on its temperature, but it’s not too far off from the actual figures.

In case you’re wondering, a 55-gallon drum is equal to about 20 liters or 5 gallons. A gallon itself weighs 8 pounds, so you get about 40 pounds per gallon—and nearly half a ton for one whole barrel.

How Much Does A 55-Gallon Drum of Fuel Weigh?

One 55-gallon drum of fuel weighs about 500 pounds. This is the weight of fuel itself, without the cylinder or packaging it comes in.

A 55-gallon drum of fuel weighs about 500 pounds. That’s because all fluid substances, including gasoline and diesel, share a density of around 0.8 g/cm3; dry materials like sandstone or gravel can have densities as high as 2 g/cm3


How Much Does A Filled 55-Gallon Drum Weigh?

A filled 55-gallon drum of gasoline weighs about 459 pounds. This is the weight including the fuel and the drum itself. It could weigh up to 500 pounds depending on the weight of the products in it.

The empty weight of a standard 55-gallon drum is 22 pounds. That’s how much the drum itself weighs without anything in it.

A 55-gallon drum filled with water weighs about 444pounds (201 kg). This weight includes the weight of the empty barrel, which would be at least 2 pounds (10 kg).

Since water has a density of 1 kilogram/liter, you can expect this same weight for any substance with an equal or lower density.

How Much Does A Blue 55-Gallon Drum Weigh?

You may be surprised to learn that a blue 55-gallon drum weighs only 22 pounds empty. This is because these drums are made of steel and have a somewhat thin wall thickness.

While you certainly can’t lift it by yourself, you could probably get help from a friend or two. If you wanted to move the entire drum out of its location and transport it somewhere else.

What Is The Heaviest Liquid Per Gallon?

What is the heaviest liquid per gallon? You may be surprised to learn that water, at 8.3 pounds per gallon, is the heaviest liquid in terms of weight.

In comparison, gasoline has a density of 6.14 pounds per gallon, and oil weighs in at 5.6 pounds per gallon (though this varies depending on the type of oil).

The weight of a 55-gallon drum of oil varies based on what you’re looking at.

When you’re looking at the weight of a 55-gallon drum of oil, there are several things to keep in mind.

The first is the density of that particular oil. As we mentioned earlier, not all oils are created equal. Some will be denser than others, and this will impact how much they weigh.

When you’re calculating how much your 55-gallon drum weighs, don’t forget about its volume as well as its mass. Oil can be less dense than water but still contain more mass than a gallon of water because it has such a high volume (the volume being measured in gallons).

Other things that can impact the weight of your 55-gallon drum of oil include:

  • The size or dimensions of the drum – a taller, thinner drum will weigh less than a shorter, wider one because it has less volume.
  • Whether or not the oil is light or heavy – refers to its API gravity. The higher the API gravity, the lighter the oil and vice versa.
  • The weight of the drum – plastic drums tend to be lighter than steel ones, so you could have more oil in a plastic 55-gallon drum.
  • The temperature of the oil – if it’s cold outside and your drum is filled with water, it will weigh less due to the water being colder.

So, a 55-gallon drum of oil with a high API gravity will weigh less than one with a low API gravity.

In conclusion, the weight of your 55-gallon drum of oil can vary depending on its volume, dimensions, and the type of oil itself. To get an accurate estimate of how much it weighs, you’ll need to take all these factors into account.

Conclusion

The weight of a 55-gallon drum of oil varies based on what you’re looking at. For example, a full drum weighs approximately 444 pounds while an empty one only weighs 48 pounds.

The weight can also vary depending on whether the drum is made from steel or plastic and where it’s located in relation to sea level because pressure affects density (the amount of matter per unit volume).

Oil weight is important to know because it helps determine how much oil is in a tank. The density of oil also affects transport costs – the heavier the oil, the more expensive it is to move around.

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