storing gasoline

[whiting-5]

after this weeks wild weather up above us in ky. got me thinking about gas problems we store enough for few days maybe a week.

i put fuel stabilizer in my cans for emergency use but thinking i would like to get a` couple fifty five gallon plastic drums might be overkill but you never know where were at there have been some big storms in the past. and i know our county would be last to get repairs.

the only thing that concerns me is how to relive pressure on these drums or if you even need to?

how would you safley store them.
i was thinking dedicated small building away from house garage etc. where they could be in the shade during day.

any suggestions would be great.



after reading some stories of how unprpared most of these people were amazes me. that you could live in rural area and be so unaware of the dangers. or worst yet waiting for local,state,fedral goverment to come save you.

even my son was watching the news so into what was going on up in ky. knew rite were they were talking about because weve been in that area.

brought a tear to my eye when he said (dad we would be okay we know what were doing) i try so hard to instill in my kids the only one you can truly count on for help is you and GOD!!!

NOW LETS GO CUT SOME WOOD

 

[Patrick62]

Maybe...

Metal drums might be safer. There won't be any pressure to bleed off. Stabil is probably the thing to use...

I have a few 5 gallon cans that I keep on hand (off the grid) for the generators, etc. I rotate them so I don't end up with older gas.

If you wanted to go nuts ($$$) get a 55 gallon drum with avgas, that stuff will keep for years!

 

[zr900]

Now I don't recommend this, but my parents neighbor stores about 500 gallons in his garage, in used oil drums, 5 gallon cans, old gallon jugs, milk jugs, pop bottles, and anything else it will fit in. He buys gas one to two times a year when it is cheep. It is funny that the last bulk gas purchase was when gas was $2.50 and now it is $1.75.

You could always buy a fuel tank but I don't know how small of size tank you could get.

 

[DanManofStihl]

Call your local fuel supplier and they will set you a tank out there if you buy your fuel from them. You can get a 250 Gallon tank and just fill everything up out of the tank. You can lock in fuel prices for a year so right now you here I could lock in $1.60 a gallon for gas and diesel is $2.05 lock in. Depending on how much you use they have differnet size tanks they will deliver to you. Its alot safer then storing it in milk jugs and you don't have to go the gas stations and deal with that just pull up and fill your truck, car lawn mower, mix can with out leaving your house. Just google it and make a few calls and they will do the rest.

 

[Zodiac45]

Avgas, while expensive has a much greater shelf life than pump gas. I fill about 10 gallons at a time for my 2 stroke equiptment. No need for stabil either.

 

[Mr. Obvious]

50 gallon barrels are good. Metal is best but plastic that can handle petrol products are OK to. I store mine in an outdoor shed and a leanto off the shed.
1 gas for the mowers and OPE and 1 diesel for my tractor

Just leave the bung screw slightly loose and the pressure will be OK.

I picked up some metal barrels from valvoline instant oil change which is what their oil is shipped in and one from the local dump. Snoop around and U can get some nice ones for free. I also got 2 30 gallon plastic barrels from valvoline that their engine oil cleaning solvent was shipped in so they hold gas no problem.

If you have a trailer you can just haul them to the station and fill em up. I use a moving dolley and a strap to unload them with ramps.

 

[November Wolf]

I would store the drums in a metal cabinet that is vented to the outside. This is what we use at work for flamable materials.

 

[Philbert]

Check with your state's EPA (or whatever they call it). There might be special requirements over a certain amount. They might also have some ideas on tanks, etc. Check out tanks sold for contractors / construction sites before you make your own.

Worked at a place where we had a 200 gallon above ground gas tank. Developed a leak and we lost it all. Well water tasted funny for a few weeks.

Remember that gas goes bad. Diesel has a longer storage life if treated.

Philbert

 

[John D]

Just get a 275gallon tank,and a manual pump.Do not gravity feed it in case the valve leaks.Legally here,I think you can have up to 1000 gallons of fuel per site without a DEC site plan/permit.Say if you have a 550 fuel oil tank on site,you could store as much as 450 gallons of gas(of course in legal approved tanks),legally with no special permits or paperwork.Storing gas in multiple small containers is risky,fuel also evaporates,if your tanks are outside,a tarp to keep direct sun off them will really reduce the loss in the summer.

 

[DanManofStihl]

In our locatity when they send out your fuel tank they put it in a metal tub if it leaks it is contained. After a month it fills up with rain water any way but it is a good indicator when you are about out of fuel because your tank starts floating.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

Not all plastic 55 gallons drums fuel friendy. I got some for storing diesel fuel and the o-rings on the caps swelled and disintegrated. The o-rings have a square cross section and are not easily replaced.

Avgas does store a long time - but it is leaded and your carbs have to be adjusted leaner to run on it. If you are planning on using this emergency fuel in you car/truck - Avgas will not work if you have a catalytic converter.

If you use 55 gallon drums use steel ones, put Stabil in the fuel, and rotate the stock to keep the gasoline fresh. You need to figure out if it is best for you to use drums or get a fuel tank. It really depends on where you live and how hard it is to get fuel delivered. The fuel will keep longer in sealed metal drums than it will in a vented fuel tank. Remember to use the fuel supply up regularly to keep it fresh. I would certainly not plan on keeping the fuel in a sealed metal drum for more than 4-6 months before using it up and replacing it with a new batch.

 

[KD57]

I keep it in 55 gallon steel drums that our race gas come in. I don't trust plastic. I fill it to 53 gallons, put StaBil in it, screw the bungs in tight and be done. The longest I have stored it is 10 months, and it was perfectly fine, but normal storage for me is 6 months. I have been doing this for many years, it started w/ the "even / odd" days back in the fuel shortage of the '70's.

 

[Rob G.]

If you decide to use drums (plastic or metal), look for the UN markings. These are on drums that are designed to transport hazardous materials like gasoline. The UN symbol is a "u" over an "n" inside a circle followed by a series of numbers and letters. An explanation of each set would take too long but a couple might be helpful. The second set is a letter followed by a number. The letter will be an X, Y, or Z. If the drum is made for liquid, the number will most likely be a two digit with a decimal point in the middle (1.4, 1.8, etc). For gasoline the letter should be X or Y. The number is the max. density so it is not important because gasoline is less dense than water. If the third set is the letter "S" then the drum is intended for solids or requires an inner container.
These requirements are for transportation and are most likely more stringent than storage, but still a good guideline.