Gasoline Storage

[Alladin]

As I have mentioned in another thread, I have about 80 gallons of gasoline stored for use in my generator if we experience another big hurricane this year. The only affordable 5 gallon gas cans commonly available are the Blitz models. They're sold by most major retail outlets. While they're not my favorites, they work, as long as you use them properly. Unfortunately, I see a lot of people that don't know how these gas cans work.

When you buy the Blitz gas cans, the spout is stored upside down in the can. A lot of people seem to think that you can fill the can up with gas and then put the spout back inside the can for storage. This will not work because as the gas heats up in the can from summer temperatures, the spout will act as a conduit to allow liquid gas to escape (rather than just excess vapors).

In the old days, it was common for gas cans to have spouts that could be stored within the can. That was the normal storage method. Many "old timers" remember this and think that the new plastic Blitz cans work the same way. They don't. You must store the gas with the spout on the outside of the can with the dust cap in place.

It's also a good idea to vent the cans after you've put them into storage. When you pump gasoline at your local station, it's coming from an underground tank. The ambient temperature of the gas is going to be significantly cooler than the summer heat. When you store that gas can in your detached shed in the backyard, it may heat up to 90º F or more! The sides of those plastic gas cans will bulge.

Just take off the dust cap from the spout and let the pressure vent (preferably during the hottest portion of the day). Recap the spout and you're good to go!

Some people I know suggest leaving the dust caps slightly ajar to allow the plastic gas cans to continuously vent (and not bulge). I do not endorse this practice. First of all, you don't want gasoline fumes venting from your gasoline storage pile every day when it gets hot for obvious safety reasons. The second reason is that after the gas fumes vent out, as the gasoline cools down during the night, it will create a suction that will draw moist air into the tank. Some of that moist air will condense into water. Obviously, you don't want any water in your gasoline. So keep those tanks sealed tightly until you need them!

[StrongWind]

Instructions for both models of cans

What California thinks of them.

And an accessory for your can.

[Alladin]

I was making reference to the the standard Blitz plastic gas cans, not those with the "Sure-Pour" nozzle.

[HurriCat]

Another consideration for fuel storage is to stabilize it so that water doesn't form in it from condensation and temperature changes. Home building supply stores and some hardware stores carry products to use for fuel storage. Another idea is to rotate the supply. Add maybe 10 gallons to your car from the cans, then refill them with fresh fuel, rotating through all of the cans. There are steel cans which are safer for storing gasoline. Of course they cost more. I would avoid covering the row of cans with plastic sheeting or a tarp, as fumes can collect underneath, leading to breathing or combustion hazards. Finally, be sure that the generator itself is prepared for storage according to the manufacturers instructions. All that gas will be no good for a generator that will not crank. Don't forget a few spare parts for the generator, like spark plugs and maybe an extra air filter.

[Alladin]

That's good advice about rotating your gasoline stock and that's exactly what I do as well. I'm also glad you mentioned fuel stabilizer. I use Briggs & Stratton "Fresh Start" fuel stabilizer in all of my stored fuel. And you're on target again with spare parts for the generator.

My generator has a 10 HP Briggs & Stratton OHV engine. The engine manual states that the spark plug should be changed every 100 hours. Therefore, if I ran the generator continuously for 4 days, it would require a new spark plug. I have 6 spare spark plugs and 6 air filters. I also have a replacement pull rope in case the original one breaks.

Every 2 weeks, I roll the generator out of the garage to the driveway and crank it up. I have it equipped with an hour meter so I can keep track of the running time and maintenance needs. I let the generator reach normal operating temperature and then I put a moderate load on it (about 2.000 watts) for about an hour to make sure everything is ready to go if an when it's needed.

Also, at the end of hurricane season in November, I'll use up all of the stored fuel in my cars. The next May I'll store more fuel and repeat the process.