Gasoline storage

[dburkhead]

I'm wondering about the possibility of storing gasoline (say in a number of 5 gal. gas cans) for emergency use. Each such can would add about 100 miles (highway--less on bad roads) to my GTHOOD radius in my Explorer.

I would, of course, have to make sure I "rotate" the supply regularly.

However, the question of fire codes and safety arises when it comes to storing significant amounts of gasoline on my property.

So, what are the relevant codes and does anyone have any thoughts on such storage?

 

[mikea46996]

Don't get caught... Nobody should see your gas stores anyway...And don't burn your **** down.

 

[dburkhead]

Don't get caught... Nobody should see your gas stores anyway...And don't burn your **** down.

A wise man once said: know the law. You don't ever want to accidentally break the law.

 

[mikea46996]

I live out in the sticks and have a 200 gallon standup tank behind my garage. I don't know about you city folks. All I had to have was a concrete catch basin in case of leakage.

 

[agentl074]

I'm wondering about the possibility of storing gasoline (say in a number of 5 gal. gas cans) for emergency use. Each such can would add about 100 miles (highway--less on bad roads) to my GTHOOD radius in my Explorer.

I would, of course, have to make sure I "rotate" the supply regularly.

However, the question of fire codes and safety arises when it comes to storing significant amounts of gasoline on my property.

So, what are the relevant codes and does anyone have any thoughts on such storage?

Gasoline needs a preservative for long term storage - even then I don't know how long it will keep. I don't know about the fire codes though. Diesel/Kerosene are much better

 

[mikea46996]

Gasoline needs a preservative for long term storage - even then I don't know how long it will keep. I don't know about the fire codes though. Diesel/Kerosene are much better

Pri-D for diesel and Pri-G for gas.

I found those after reading one of Jerry D Young's PAW stories. It is the best long term fuel stabilizer I have every used. Also you want to keep fuels in a metal container it does not have the same issues as in a plastic container.

 

[agentl074]

Pri-D for diesel and Pri-G for gas.

I found those after reading one of Jerry D Young's PAW stories. It is the best long term fuel stabilizer I have every used. Also you want to keep fuels in a metal container it does not have the same issues as in a plastic container.

Really? Why is that? Something to do with the breakdown?

 

[mikea46996]

It is pretty detailed I had all the info at one point, something about the plastic allowing not only UV breakdown but it is also permeable and allows off gasing of the chemicals between the fuel and the plastic.

 

[agentl074]

It is pretty detailed I had all the info at one point, something about the plastic allowing not only UV breakdown but it is also permeable and allows off gassing of the chemicals between the fuel and the plastic.

Interesting - I guess that's why they store large amounts in big metal containers - not plastic

 

[CarmelHP]

Interesting - I guess that's why they store large amounts in big metal containers - not plastic

I think fiberglass is the current standard.

 

[mikea46996]

I think fiberglass is the current standard.

Yep I just watched a thing on Discovery on how they make them. That is alot of glass.

 

[fireball168]

A year ago February I stumbled across some fuel I'd put in storage, here was my report about it:

Over the holidays I stumbled upon 15 gallons of fuel I bought on 12/26/05(Sharpie marked on the plastic fuel jugs). They had been covered up in the barn with miscellaneous yard and garden gadgets, and we had forgotten about it.

The fuel has been stored in five gallon red plastic "Wal-Mart special" fuel containers. No additives of any type was added prior to storage. No noticeable change in odor was detected, smelled like gasoline - not varnish(ie) at all.

I started playing with the fuel two weeks ago, we got a bit of snow(nearly 12"), and I decided to see how it would act in the snowblower. 8HP, Tecumseh, circa 2007. Three pulls to start, a little bit of a rough idle both cold and hot, just a bit "odiferous" when running - doesn't really smell rich, just a little funny I guess.

After running three tank fulls through the snowblower over the past 10 days or so, I checked the oil level - and it is just the slightest bit high, maybe 1/16" on the dipstick. I've drained the oil, and can't really tell that it is thinned out any, and it won't light. Plug looks good, top of the piston looks just like it did prior to starting the test.

I give the fuel a pass for small engines.

The same day I dumped the first tank into the snowblower, I put 6 ounces of the fuel in a graduated container with the innards of a Ford 5.0l 19lb injector in it. I was looking to see if the fuel had become at all acidic, like the Clark fuel fiasco 13 years ago here in the midwest. Yesterday morning, I checked the resistance of the coil and the integrity of the insulation - no change.

Looks like it might be ok for a modern engine.

Next test, 08 Tundra, 5.7l.

Drove all day yesterday with the low fuel light on, as the reserve is considerable on this thing. Fuel trims on the scan tool were running +2-5% across pretty much all driving conditions at or near 32F.

Added 10 gallons of the aforementioned fuel. Fuel trims slightly lower and broader, running -5% to +2% across all driving conditions at about 34F today. No issues noted with cold start, driveability seems to be fine.

Tomorrow the high is supposed to be 9F, we'll see how it starts in the AM.

Overall, I quite surprised and frankly almost delighted, especially as often as you read that gasoline is only good for X months.

Edited 6:17PM, three different trips today in the truck, 7F was the highest temp I saw all day. No issues noted.

A subsequent test of the fuel using my handy dandy Briggs & Stratton Gasohol (that's how they spell it) test tube (part #100023 $5) showed less than 3% alcohol/water.

I suspect the outcome would have been considerably different if this was a blended fuel.

 

[agentl074]

So fiberglass is the new containment? Cool, fiber doesn't share the same long term chemical problems as plastic?

 

[CarmelHP]

So fiberglass is the new containment? Cool, fiber doesn't share the same long term chemical problems as plastic?

Don't know, it won't corrode like steel, but fiberglass resistance to solvents is highly dependent upon it's formulation. I don't know the formulation for this application.

 

[CarmelHP]

Overall, I quite surprised and frankly almost delighted, especially as often as you read that gasoline is only good for X months.

Edited 6:17PM, three different trips today in the truck, 7F was the highest temp I saw all day. No issues noted.

A subsequent test of the fuel using my handy dandy Briggs & Stratton Gasohol (that's how they spell it) test tube (part #100023 $5) showed less than 3% alcohol/water.

I suspect the outcome would have been considerably different if this was a blended fuel.

Fuel being only good for x months is a statement of it's optimum quality. That doesn't mean that old gasoline won't burn. The problem as it ages is that you lose octane and build varnishes in the fuel that could be harmful. I wouldn't feel bad about mixing it with newer fuel to bring down the concentrations. Also, you won't necessarily see problems, if any, immediately. You just don't want a steady diet of past it's prime gasoline.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I've been trying to talk dad into buying a bit tank to put out back for gasoline storage for when SHTF. We've already got 2 tanks for diesel storage but don't have any diesel vehicles anymore other than the farm equip. Hopefully i can get him to buy one before too long.

 

[CarmelHP]

I've been trying to talk dad into buying a bit tank to put out back for gasoline storage for when SHTF. We've already got 2 tanks for diesel storage but don't have any diesel vehicles anymore other than the farm equip. Hopefully i can get him to buy one before too long.

Get a diesel generator.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Get a diesel generator.

true, good idea. I could try to talk dad into that (I def dont have the money). But he found out that between fed and state he has to pay around $20,000 in taxes this year cause he made more on the farm than normal just cause he went with some cheaper routes on some supplies than normal. It just sucks the IRS sticks it to the farmers so much.

 

[agentl074]

true, good idea. I could try to talk dad into that (I def dont have the money). But he found out that between fed and state he has to pay around $20,000 in taxes this year cause he made more on the farm than normal just cause he went with some cheaper routes on some supplies than normal. It just sucks the IRS sticks it to the farmers so much.

Yup, its not right.

 

[dburkhead]

Well my current plan is to have a number of 5 gal cans. It's got to be gasoline because all of my vehicles are gas and I can't really see buying a diesel at this point (can't see myself buying a new to me vehicle of any type at this point) and the fuel is mainly for GTHOOD purposes rather than running a generator or the like.

To avoid "old gas" what I plan to do is every time I go to fill my car tank, I'll just dump the one or two oldest cans into the tank then go and refill the cans. My wife's commute is close to 100 miles a day and mine's close to 50 (in opposite directions, unfortunately, so we can't even relocate to make things better) so we could have something like 100 gallons stored and never have anything in storage more than a month old. I don't plan to store that much (at this time anyway) so we should be good. For one thing, 100 gallons is more than we could reasonably carry in either car and more than we can carry in a GTHOOD situation is just wasted.