Posted: 2/8/2009 7:47:11 AM EDT
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Hi survival commandos! I'm just starting to spend more time in this forum. Have only had a casual glance around so forgive me if I missed a FAQ that covers this. What are some tips for safe, long-term fuel storage? Enough gasoline to power a 7000W generator for, say, a week or two (of non-continuous use). Thanks. |
| Gasoline will go bad after time, so if you are going to long term store it I would rotate it and use a stabilizer to slow down the decomposition. Stabil is a good product that works well. Another more expensive method but one that I prefer is to buy racing gasoline. It contains lead so you CANNOT use it in anything with a catalytic converter, but it is leaded and does not decompose over time. It is usually colored blue to so the cops gas bust you for using it on the road. Cheers. |
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Currently i have four 5 gallon surplus NATO cans that i use for gas storage for my small generator and lawn equipment. These things are over 50 years old and still seal very tightly.
I was looking to increase my total capcity and although the 5 gallon cans are handy i wanted a container that i did not have to constantly lift every time i needed fuel not to mention lugging these back and forth to the gas station. So i purchased the following 30 gallon steal drum. http://www.globalindustrial.com/images/large_wco/657109_dim.gif and the pump http://www.globalindustrial.com/images/large_wco/833100_3wco.gif total price was about $125 shipping included. I read on other sites about purchasing used barrels from oil suppliers and what not but didn't want to hassle searching around from shop to shop. The company has 55 gallon drums as well however the weight full of gasoline is tremendous and i think the 30 gallon will suit my needs just as well. I use a hand truck to move the barrel around and use a fuel hose i purchase from the local marine store to pump the gas out. I filled the barrel with roughly 26 gallons of gas to allow room for expansion and treated with an stabil The website is http://www.globalindustrial.com/ if anyone is interested.[/QUOTE] There are safety hazards and regulations against storing and transporting gasoline. I store my gas away from the house for this reason. transporting gasoline in a unapproved "DOT" container is illegal so be very careful. Although you could just take a bunch of trips with regular old gas cans to fill the barrel if you wanted to be safe. Every time i take my "DOT approved" 5 gallon NATO gas cans to the station the sheepel next to me always give me weird looks like i am crazy or something. To sum this up if you are to paranoid about storing gas then just don't do it, its not worth losing sleep thinking about how its going to catch on fire or the Fire Marshall will come banging on your door in the middle of the night searching for fire hazards. 
Personally i feel much more comfortable knowing that i have enough fuel to run my engines should the need arise and save a dime at the same time. |
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all this talk about bad gas and whatnot. i used to be a freak about storing gas and treating it and making sure it wasnt more than a 6-12 months old. well, nobody ever proved to me that using old gas was bad for an engine or burned any differently. i just believed the sta-bil commercials. now i have a jeep that i parked 5 years ago with 20 gallons of gas in it's plastic tank. this summer i used up that gas. i only used it for the small engines and it worked great, not one issue. lawnmower, snowblower, tiller, weed eater, chainsaw all worked fine, ran fine, no clogs or loss of power. i even started up the jeep every couple of months and its running great. now that i have my test complete, im gonna keep that tank full of gas and use it for my storage facility. |
| guys check your local racing sites alot of guys have a hard time getting rid of 55gal drums after they are empty because alot of the racing gas suppliers dont take a core charge on the drums anymore and they wont take the empties back...if you have no use for them they are kinda a pain in the ass to get rid of...my garbage man wont take them... |
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Just a little of my real world experience...
In late 1999 I filled a 55 gallon drum with 93 octane and used plenty of Stabil ( a little more than what the instructions say) Well I really forgot about it and it got buried in my shop... well I used it in my daily driver pick-up a few months ago. I was a little worried about using 100% of this in the fuel tank so I did mix it with fresh pump gas (20 gals fresh and 10 gals stored). It did ping a bit, but other than that it worked fine. Even I was surprised it worked as well as it did. I would not intentionally store gas for 10 years but I would not hesitate to do the same process for 5-7 years and not worry about having to mix it. ETA: I would also considering using the 30 gal drums as stated above. It takes a forklift to move a full 55 gal drum safely. Hope this helps 
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I finished a gasoline storage solution late last year, 110 gallon tank, hand pump, nozzle, flow meter, inline particulate and water filter, and offer the following obesrvations for those similarly inclined.
1. Fuck up and make a spark, while filling such a tank, and you're screwed. Ground the tank, use plastic intermediate containers, clear the area at least 100 feet in all directions, plan the filling so as to remove the metal cap from the metal tank ONE time, and replace it ONE time, and make sure the tank is at least 100 feet from anything you care about. 2. Use a pickup truck with an open bed to transport multiple containers full of gasoline, or buy a transport type tank and put it in an open pickup truck or on a farm type trailer. Use a closed vehicle to transport inflammable fuel long enough, and you WILL get bit. 3. Keep your smaller plastic or metal containers, they are still useful for moving gasoline around when you prefer not to move the tank to be filled adjacent to the full permanent tank. 4. Keep at least one 5 gallon portable can full or near full at all times, unlocking the handpump and hand pumping just enough gas to cut the grass is a major hassle. More so to fill the weed whacker. 5. Use Stabil or some other fuel preservative, at or greater than recommended ratios. 6. A plastic trash bag or heavier grill cover, between uses, especially over thw winter, will extend the life of your mechanical hand pump. 7. Keep a special lookout for carbeuration problems, needle valve problems, or any mechanical problems that seem to involve gas flow starvation in your IC machinery. You might dump old or unstalibized gas in your fine machine and have it run perfectly, for a while, carbeurators and injectors do not clog instantaneausly from thickened or jellied gasoline, they tend to first build up a thin film of gel, then a thicker one, and then they fail, "miraculously" several months later when the jellied gas gets thick enough to completely block the flow. 8. If the gas is old or untreated or if you have any questions about using it, a can of gas treatment or gumout is a LOT less expensive than a fuel system rebuild job. 9. A lot of farmers and heavy equipment operators invest in long term fuel storage solutions. Many of them still have those tanks, but have no fuel in those tanks. There's a whole bunch of reasons why they choose not to store fuel anymore, some of them alluded to above. Storing inflammable fuel in quantity represents an increased risk and there isn't any way to completely negate that increased risk. Either learn to minimize the risk, and sleep peacefully with the remaining risk, or just steer clear of the risk to begin with, those are your choices. |
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Quoted: Got Propane on site? If not several 100lb bottles would solve your storage problems, maybe a used larger tank. If you are where you buggin to propane is hard to beat for storage. Okay this has my curiosity piqued. Yes we use LP gas for our furnace and fireplace. You mean I could have got a genny that runs on this? Off to Google... |
| You can get LP conversion kits for a lot of small engines I converted my 10kw generator with a 20hp Honda to LP about 10 years ago. If you already have the LP on site you just need a line run with a shut off to where you want to run your generator, and of course the conversion kit. |
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Quoted: You can get LP conversion kits for a lot of small engines I converted my 10kw generator with a 20hp Honda to LP about 10 years ago. If you already have the LP on site you just need a line run with a shut off to where you want to run your generator, and of course the conversion kit. No long-term ill-effects of the conversion, I take it? Can you convert back and forth easily, or is it a one-way deal? I sure like the thought of 200 gallons of fuel sitting right there not going bad. |
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how about diesel? My wife , a major in the army says diesel does go bad and I say it don't as long as it doesen't start to grow bactria in it. who's right? diesel will grow stuff after a while. but, just think of all the backup generators that have full diesel tanks and have only been run a few minutes a month. basically they have the diesel tested periodically and if necessary it is treated. sometimes chemically, sometimes by filtration, rarely by replacement. |
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55 gallon drums are easily moved by hand with one man. You simply tip them and roll them. They are nearly as wide as they are tall. An old unmounted tire will cushion the fall. We moved drums of oil and antifreeze all the time in the oilfield. To get it out of the bed of a pickupwould either drop them on a tire cushion or use a pair 2x4's (Rough sawn oak usually, Pine I'd go with 2x6) as a ramp.
Alby Mangels showed them being dropped from boats offshore of islands in the Pacific full of fuel and the waves brought them ashore. They were beat to hell but held fuel. |
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how about diesel? My wife , a major in the army says diesel does go bad and I say it don't as long as it doesen't start to grow bactria in it. who's right? diesel will grow stuff after a while. but, just think of all the backup generators that have full diesel tanks and have only been run a few minutes a month. basically they have the diesel tested periodically and if necessary it is treated. sometimes chemically, sometimes by filtration, rarely by replacement. Storage tanks often have this setup. All the diesel generators at work have these. They are used only about 10 hours a year and the fuel can be very old. |
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Quoted: av-gas for non cadalic converter ops. It actually burns better in smaller engines. DO NOT USE IT IN A CAR. It stores forever and doesn't have all the crap in it reg gas does. I'm not familair with AVgas but wikipedia shows all these different grades. Which one(s) are usable for small engines? Grades [edit] 100LL100LL, spoken as "100 low lead", contains tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), a lead based anti-knock compound, but less than the "highly-leaded" 100/130 avgas it effectively replaced. Most piston aircraft engines require 100LL and a suitable replacement fuel has not yet been developed for these engines. While there are similar engines that burn non-leaded fuels, aircraft are often purchased with engines that use 100LL because many airports only have 100LL. 100LL contains a maximum of 2 grams of lead per US gallon, or maximum 0.56 grams/litre and is the most commonly available and used aviation gasoline. [edit] 82UL82UL is the specification for an unleaded fuel similar to automobile gasoline but without additives. It could potentially be used in aircraft that have a Supplemental Type Certificate for the use of automobile gasoline with an aviation lean octane rating (MON) of 82 or less or an antiknock index of 87 or less. It could not be used in engines that require 100LL. See Octane Rating. The FAA highly recommends installing placards stating the use of 82UL is or is not approved on those airplanes that specify unleaded autogas (mogas) as an approved fuel.[url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-FAA-0][1][/url] As of 2008, 82UL is not being produced and no refiner has announced plans to put it into production.[url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-AvWeb17Nov07-1][2][/url]. [edit] 80/87Prior to its phase out in the early 1990s, avgas 80/87 had the lowest lead content with a maximum of 0.5 grams lead per U.S. gallon, and was only used in low compression ratio engines. [edit] 100/130Avgas 100/130 had a higher octane grade aviation gasoline, containing a maximum of 4 grams of lead per US gallon, maximum 1.12 grams/litre. 100LL "low lead" has replaced avgas 100/130 in most places, but Avgas 100/130 is still sold in Australia and New Zealand as one of the two manufacturers in Australia is unable to make Avgas 100LL.[citation needed] [edit] 91/96 & 115/145In the past other grades were also available, particularly for military use, such as avgas 115/145 and 91/96. Note that the octanes of avgas cannot be directly compared to those of mogas, as a different test engine and method is used to determine the octane. The first (lower) number is the lean mixture rating, the second (higher) number is the rich mixture rating. For mogas, the octane rating is typically expressed in the U.S. as an anti-knock index (known as "pump rating"), which is the average of the octane rating based on the research and motor test method ((R+M)/2). |
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You can get LP conversion kits for a lot of small engines I converted my 10kw generator with a 20hp Honda to LP about 10 years ago. If you already have the LP on site you just need a line run with a shut off to where you want to run your generator, and of course the conversion kit. No long-term ill-effects of the conversion, I take it? Can you convert back and forth easily, or is it a one-way deal? I sure like the thought of 200 gallons of fuel sitting right there not going bad. http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ |
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I asked about the conversion kits. I already have a (gas) generator and I'm not about to buy another one. |
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I asked about the conversion kits. I already have a (gas) generator and I'm not about to buy another one. Ok. Well here toy go. 
http://www.propane-generators.com/portable-propane.htm |
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all this talk about bad gas and whatnot. i used to be a freak about storing gas and treating it and making sure it wasnt more than a 6-12 months old. well, nobody ever proved to me that using old gas was bad for an engine or burned any differently. i just believed the sta-bil commercials. now i have a jeep that i parked 5 years ago with 20 gallons of gas in it's plastic tank. this summer i used up that gas. i only used it for the small engines and it worked great, not one issue. lawnmower, snowblower, tiller, weed eater, chainsaw all worked fine, ran fine, no clogs or loss of power. i even started up the jeep every couple of months and its running great. now that i have my test complete, im gonna keep that tank full of gas and use it for my storage facility. I have seen more than my share of detonated engines from bad fuel. I work on boats, and the engines in boats work much harder than a car engine. Fuel (gasoline) loses it's octane value over time and does burn differently than fresh gas. The lower the octane number, the easier it will combust. Therefore, old/stale gas will spontaniously combust before the ignition system can fire the plug. When this happens, the already burning flame front in the combustion chamber meets the flame front started by the spark plug and collide producing very high spikes in cylinder pressure and temperature. We just sent 4 cylinder heads to the machine shop last week from an old Bayliner that hadn't been used in a while. The new owner had it shipped in from Washington and it's maiden voyage for the new owner was not a happy one. Burt and "tuliped" valves in all heads, I guess he's luckey the pistons are not burnt. Old/stale gas may be ok for an engine that doesn't have to work very hard but beware.. If you must store gas, rotate it every 2 months. |
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I ran nine Pre-Ban 5 gallon Scepter USGI 20L gas cans, that were stored for my Honda 2000 genny from 1-2007 & 3-2007 last year, into my Honda CRV in December 2008 and January 2009 with absolutely no problem at all. The gas was date labeled and PRI was added when the cans were filled up. Scepter and PRI combo is good sh$t! Too bad you can't get them anymore...
AC |
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I'm not familair with AVgas but wikipedia shows all these different grades. Which one(s) are usable for small engines? [/div] 100LL is the most common version and works. it doesn't have all the extra crap in it normal gas has because it will cause problems for aircraft at the higher altitudes. Its just pure gas. |
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A guy on craigslist around here advertises ~50 gallon food grade containers for $20. They are some sort of plastic, and I wonder if the fuel would eat through it? If it doesn't then they would solve the accidental spark problem. I had them in mind since I thought about burying them full of supplies if needed. They have a large opening in the top and seal air tight.
Just some thoughts, -Ben |
| I can get anyone who wants to pick them up from in stroudsburg, pa all the steel 16 gallon drums they want. I sell lacquer thinner to woodworkers and the guys just through them away when empty. They are not lined and will rust if any water gets in them. But free is good! |
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how about diesel? My wife , a major in the army says diesel does go bad and I say it don't as long as it doesen't start to grow bactria in it. who's right? there are additives to solve this problem a lot of the fishing boats here use and it is affective it prevents gelling and growth |
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Quoted: Quoted: I asked about the conversion kits. I already have a (gas) generator and I'm not about to buy another one. Ok. Well here toy go. http://www.propane-generators.com/portable-propane.htm Yeah, that's the one I've been looking at, too. Looks like the best solution. I could either get their Type 1 kit and buy a second carburetor so I can switch back and forth, or just get the Type 2 kit (but they say Type 2 might run rough on regular gas). I also need to get a contractor to come out to my house and hook up an additional line from the propane tank to feed the generator. I'll have to see what that might cost. But this seems like the way to go. Thanks, all! |
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On the diesel question, diesel stores longer and easier than gasoline but it can have issues. Basically I feel pretty comfortable just running diesel through one of those filters on a handpump that filters the fuel and removes water as well.
As far as gasoline goes, lots of good info in here to run some searches on. With the change in gas can laws/rules/stupidity I am keeping what gas cans I have but looking at bigger containers for further storage. There is a 15 gallon gas tank that home depot, northern tool, and others sell. It is a gravity feed design where a tube and a cheap gas pump handle are fixed to the bottom and it says it is dot approved. Home depot had a closeout on the last one they had because they lost the hose and gas pump handle so I have a 15 gallon tank for fuel storage, I plan to use it for kerosene most likely but need to buy a valve and hose for it. Northern tool and probably others sell some roll around setups rated for gasoline. Many are for draining gas tanks in vehicles while working on removing the fuel pump and what not but they can be used for fuel storage as well. Many are built like a hand truck with wheels so they are easy to move around and what not. There are some metal ones out there and I want to see one in person before I buy one but so far they look like what I plan to use to store some gasoline. For home use the propane conversion is something I would seriously consider but I would have to see how such a setup worked with 20lb to 100lb propane tanks to see if I felt like the whole system was easily portable or not. I consider gasoline generators to be easily portable since the gas is in cans and easy to move and the generator is what it is and not that hard to move. But when messing with propane tanks I get wishy washy a bit since I don't currently use my propane tanks for stuff other than home use. |
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Was playing in tractor supply a bit today, was already over near it so I wanted to check out the clearance stuff.
That 15 gallon dot approved gas tank thing is 109 plus tax and it is new with all the parts. I did not get one, I kind of like my half price version without the hose and what not. I looked over their diesel transfer tanks, I keep forgetting that a lot of stuff like that is not approved for gasoline. As far as drums go, I am trying to get some darn near new condition 15 gallon metal drums for a low price, right now everything has to be a low price to catch my interest. My jeep is diesel and I heat with kerosene so those are my 2 favorite fuels. I have a line on an older toyota pickup that is a gasser though so I am keeping my eyes out for gas stuff. Right now just the mowers, 2 cycle stuff, and generator are gas. Anyway, on plastic drums check the marks on the bottom and see if they will hanle chemicals or not. I have some open top 55gallon plastic drums that spaghetti sauce or something came in, but the sauce comes in bags so the drums just get a little bit on them and don't need much cleaning. But since the whole top comes off I don't want to use their for fuel, they are for storage of solid stuff. |
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The HDPE barrels should be fine. After getting a MSDS from scepter, the plastic in the MWC and MFC are the same. I have a MWC filled with gas to see what happens. It does need a viton o ring becaue it will leak if not.
I plan on posting my results next year if we are all still here 
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I've put together a sort of FAQ out of answers I've given on this
topic. It's not complete, but nothing is. (storing gas: winter or summer gasoline?) I store winter gas for a couple of reasons: First, it is usually cheaper as the summer driving demand slows and refineries buy more heavy crude (to make heating oil) which usually drops the price of light sweet crude. Second, northern states increase the percentage of lighter fractions (butane mostly) to allow for easier starting in the winter. In a sealed container (I store in sealed 55 gallon drums) this creates a positive pressure in the drum which keeps out oxygen and water. Don't seal them without a pressure relief valve if you can't keep them in a deeply shaded location, I've had drums look like carbonated soda when I open them for the first time in August, it's also a good test of the integrity of the drum, I tend to notice minute leaks when the pressure rises like that. The second reason there doesn't apply if you live in a state that doesn't regularly drop below freezing in the winter. (Storing gas. 55 gallon drums, plastic or steel?) First of all, there's no one "plastic". There are lots and lots of different types of plastics and some are resistant to almost all solvents and some will disintegrate if you look at them wrong. MOST 55 gallons plastic drums are made of HDPE and will hold gasoline and diesel just fine. I don't speak from anecdotal experience, I've been storing gasoline in 55 gallon drums (600-800 gallons) in metal and plastic drums for 15 years now. Second, not all metal 55 gallon drums are created equal either. Some have heavier gauge steel than others and some are made of better quality steel. I got lucky ten years ago and a friend who worked for a chemical company got me heavy gauge steel drums that used to hold ethyl ether. These have been great, not one leak yet. I used to use drums that held hydraulic fluid and I would get 3-4 years before they tended to start developing pinhole leaks (though I have a couple that are ten years strong and still going). The weakest plastic drums I had I got about 3 years out of, these held carwash soap and they problem wasn't gasoline but UV. The sides that were exposed to daylight (I have open sided sheds) had significant deterioration and developed pinhole leaks. Note that this is not full sunlight, just ambient daylight as the sheds are in the shade. I've got some plastic drums that used to hold IPA (isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol) and they've held up for 5-6 years so far with no problem. My heavy gauge steel drums are stored sealed, and as such have kept gasoline good for as much as 2 years with no deterioration. My plastic drums are used for short term storage (6 months) and are vented since the plastic doesn't handle pressure as well. Rust is a minor problem with steel drums, not really so if you keep water out of them, and regardless, ALL storage can get dirt in them, so a filter inline with your pump is a very good idea. My drums are arrayed around 100 gallon truck mount type fuel tanks with electric pumps and auto shutoff handles (the setup is about $200 for the pump and handle and well worth it), so I siphon from the drum to the tank and can easily rotate my stock that way. (stabilizers) I don't use stabilizer. You can, it won't hurt, but if you keep the drums cool and sealed you won't see problems since most deterioration is caused by heat and oxygen. ALWAYS use stabilizer for small implement fuel if you aren't going to use the small engine every couple weeks or so. Gum and varnish formation is rapid in those small tanks. Also use stabilizer if you are going to store gas in 5 gallon containers for more than a few months (you can store longer in the winter than in the summer, heat and oxygen are the main enemies). (old oil drums) Get as much oil out as you can. Then take a half gallon of kero or diesel and rinse. You can then use that to start the brush pile or mix in with regular kero or diesel in small quantities. A little oil in the gas won't hurt small engines or older cars, but some newer cars can have the O2 sensor messed up. Then you're GTG. If you have to store the cans in the open without a roof on them tilt the cans a little to allow water to run off the top and not pond around the bungs (this is a good idea even if you do have a roof over them. Good luck! Rotate your fuel regularly and buy a little more when it is cheap and a little less when it goes way up. Make the suction tube on your pump a little short to leave the bottom quarter of the drum untouched and this will keep you from sucking up dirt and water and will give you an emergency reserve. Once a year or two completely empty the drums and flush out water and dirt. |
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I've put together a sort of FAQ out of answers I've given on this topic. It's not complete, but nothing is. (storing gas: winter or summer gasoline?) I store winter gas for a couple of reasons: First, it is usually cheaper as the summer driving demand slows and refineries buy more heavy crude (to make heating oil) which usually drops the price of light sweet crude. Second, northern states increase the percentage of lighter fractions (butane mostly) to allow for easier starting in the winter. In a sealed container (I store in sealed 55 gallon drums) this creates a positive pressure in the drum which keeps out oxygen and water. Don't seal them without a pressure relief valve if you can't keep them in a deeply shaded location, I've had drums look like carbonated soda when I open them for the first time in August, it's also a good test of the integrity of the drum, I tend to notice minute leaks when the pressure rises like that. The second reason there doesn't apply if you live in a state that doesn't regularly drop below freezing in the winter. (Storing gas. 55 gallon drums, plastic or steel?) First of all, there's no one "plastic". There are lots and lots of different types of plastics and some are resistant to almost all solvents and some will disintegrate if you look at them wrong. MOST 55 gallons plastic drums are made of HDPE and will hold gasoline and diesel just fine. I don't speak from anecdotal experience, I've been storing gasoline in 55 gallon drums (600-800 gallons) in metal and plastic drums for 15 years now. Second, not all metal 55 gallon drums are created equal either. Some have heavier gauge steel than others and some are made of better quality steel. I got lucky ten years ago and a friend who worked for a chemical company got me heavy gauge steel drums that used to hold ethyl ether. These have been great, not one leak yet. I used to use drums that held hydraulic fluid and I would get 3-4 years before they tended to start developing pinhole leaks (though I have a couple that are ten years strong and still going). The weakest plastic drums I had I got about 3 years out of, these held carwash soap and they problem wasn't gasoline but UV. The sides that were exposed to daylight (I have open sided sheds) had significant deterioration and developed pinhole leaks. Note that this is not full sunlight, just ambient daylight as the sheds are in the shade. I've got some plastic drums that used to hold IPA (isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol) and they've held up for 5-6 years so far with no problem. My heavy gauge steel drums are stored sealed, and as such have kept gasoline good for as much as 2 years with no deterioration. My plastic drums are used for short term storage (6 months) and are vented since the plastic doesn't handle pressure as well. Rust is a minor problem with steel drums, not really so if you keep water out of them, and regardless, ALL storage can get dirt in them, so a filter inline with your pump is a very good idea. My drums are arrayed around 100 gallon truck mount type fuel tanks with electric pumps and auto shutoff handles (the setup is about $200 for the pump and handle and well worth it), so I siphon from the drum to the tank and can easily rotate my stock that way. (stabilizers) I don't use stabilizer. You can, it won't hurt, but if you keep the drums cool and sealed you won't see problems since most deterioration is caused by heat and oxygen. ALWAYS use stabilizer for small implement fuel if you aren't going to use the small engine every couple weeks or so. Gum and varnish formation is rapid in those small tanks. Also use stabilizer if you are going to store gas in 5 gallon containers for more than a few months (you can store longer in the winter than in the summer, heat and oxygen are the main enemies). (old oil drums) Get as much oil out as you can. Then take a half gallon of kero or diesel and rinse. You can then use that to start the brush pile or mix in with regular kero or diesel in small quantities. A little oil in the gas won't hurt small engines or older cars, but some newer cars can have the O2 sensor messed up. Then you're GTG. If you have to store the cans in the open without a roof on them tilt the cans a little to allow water to run off the top and not pond around the bungs (this is a good idea even if you do have a roof over them. Good luck! Rotate your fuel regularly and buy a little more when it is cheap and a little less when it goes way up. Make the suction tube on your pump a little short to leave the bottom quarter of the drum untouched and this will keep you from sucking up dirt and water and will give you an emergency reserve. Once a year or two completely empty the drums and flush out water and dirt. Do you have a reason for storing so much fuel other than prepardness? |
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What do you mean by "so much"? That sounds a lot like "why do you need so many guns?"
I store 6 months to one year supply of almost every consumable I have. My place is off-grid so I not only run vehicles, but generators to supplement the solar. In a year I will burn 200-300 gallons of gas in the generator. 500-700 gallons of gas is about 15,000 miles of driving between my truck and more fuel efficient car. Last year when the price of gasoline spiked I just stopped buying it completely until the price dropped again in the fall. So 75% is preparedness, and 25% is being able to take advantage of price decreases and not being held as hostage to short term price increases. It's playing the futures market only with actually holding a tangible asset. |
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I asked about the conversion kits. I already have a (gas) generator and I'm not about to buy another one. Ok. Well here toy go.
http://www.propane-generators.com/portable-propane.htm Yeah, that's the one I've been looking at, too. Looks like the best solution. I could either get their Type 1 kit and buy a second carburetor so I can switch back and forth, or just get the Type 2 kit (but they say Type 2 might run rough on regular gas). I also need to get a contractor to come out to my house and hook up an additional line from the propane tank to feed the generator. I'll have to see what that might cost. But this seems like the way to go. Thanks, all! get the tri-fuel conversion that uses low pressure propane. I have this kit and it works great on my 3500 watt honda with all 3 fuels |
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Okay I have 55 gallon steel drums that were once used to hold some sort of motor oil. They are in great condition. They are the kind that you cant take the top off. How can I clean them on the inside to get the residual oil off so I can put fuel in them? Read my longer post 3-4 posts up, the last section "old oil drums." |
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I looked over their diesel transfer tanks, I keep forgetting that a lot of stuff like that is not approved for gasoline. The reason is that in general, diesel is not flammable at normal temperatures while gasoline is. So different precautions have to be taken. It is much, much safer to store diesel than it is gasoline. There are very good reasons why storage of significant quantities of gasoline is highly regulated by local authorities. My suggestion is not to take chances that will add to your risk rather than reduce it. If you have a place to store it well away from your house and garage, that is far better than putting it in your garage where you might hit it by accident with your vehicle or a tool, and cause yourself an enormous amount of grief. People that live in town probably do not have good options for storing any significant quantity of gasoline. My suggestion is if you want to power a generator for a few days, get a propane kit, or hook it to your natural gas line. I will also give you my standard warning about generators. Every few years, a utility company lineman is killed by a back fed generator. If you insist on having a generator, and there is no reason not to, make sure you use it safely. If you are going to hook it up to your breaker box, a transfer switch is in order. Otherwise, for short term use, run extension cords. |
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What do you mean by "so much"? That sounds a lot like "why do you need so many guns?" I store 6 months to one year supply of almost every consumable I have. My place is off-grid so I not only run vehicles, but generators to supplement the solar. In a year I will burn 200-300 gallons of gas in the generator. 500-700 gallons of gas is about 15,000 miles of driving between my truck and more fuel efficient car. Last year when the price of gasoline spiked I just stopped buying it completely until the price dropped again in the fall. So 75% is preparedness, and 25% is being able to take advantage of price decreases and not being held as hostage to short term price increases. It's playing the futures market only with actually holding a tangible asset. so you regularly use the blue plastic barrels to store gasoline??????????????????????????????????????? |
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so you regularly use the blue plastic barrels to store gasoline??????????????????????????????????????? I shall refer you to the long post I made above about how I store gasoline. I store in a combination of metal and plastic containers. Regarding plastic drums I use, this is a quote from that post: The weakest plastic drums I had I got about 3 years out of, these held carwash soap and they problem wasn't gasoline but UV. The sides that were exposed to daylight (I have open sided sheds) had significant deterioration and developed pinhole leaks. Note that this is not full sunlight, just ambient daylight as the sheds are in the shade. I've got some plastic drums that used to hold IPA (isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol) and they've held up for 5-6 years so far with no problem. |
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i called the manufacturer, and as soon as i said the work " gasoline", they instantly said no. gasoline is absorbed into the plastic, and will soften it over time. they also said not to store kerosene in them either. i guess im going to be storing water in them then. the guys who said the plastic will absorb gas and soften are right. thanks for the help.... im not saying they cannot be used, or cannot be used for short term storage. im just saying the people who made them said not to use them. |
| Question: Is it the storing that is bad for the gas or is it the storing without moving that is bad? In other words, could I link together say six drums and have a solar powered pump transfer fuel from drum 1 to drum 6, then drum 6's overflow goes to drum 5 and on and on? Would that make the fuel stay fresh longer? |
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Question: Is it the storing that is bad for the gas or is it the storing without moving that is bad? In other words, could I link together say six drums and have a solar powered pump transfer fuel from drum 1 to drum 6, then drum 6's overflow goes to drum 5 and on and on? Would that make the fuel stay fresh longer? why would this change anything? |
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Question: Is it the storing that is bad for the gas or is it the storing without moving that is bad? In other words, could I link together say six drums and have a solar powered pump transfer fuel from drum 1 to drum 6, then drum 6's overflow goes to drum 5 and on and on? Would that make the fuel stay fresh longer? It's heat and oxygen (and UV, but that's not as much a problem typically) that is bad. If you can exclude oxygen and keep it cool then gasoline would store almost indefinately. Unfortunately that's easier said than done. Plastic is generally gas-permeable, but only mildly so. Metal is much less so if unvented. There are additives to gasoline that will break down over time, but again, exclude heat and oxygen and this time is measured in years. Pumping your fuel around needlessly would only expose it to more oxygen. |