Posted on 11/03/2012 9:08:05 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
What are the best long term gas storage options("long" being 2-3 years)
It will be in a non-climate controlled shed with summer temps up to 100 and winter down to -30.
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thanks in advance.
Storing gasoline in +110 degree weather? You are actually planning to burn down your shed, if not blowing it apart. I live in Phoenix. No one I know here would keep gasoline in a shed. A five-gallon can in an insulated garage—but your plan should include a shed that is not connected to an occupied building, or an area that is free of overgrowth or trees.
the shed is vented, not attached , and far from the main res.
I bought some gas, put it in a 30 gallon drum about 6 years ago and literally forgot about it. When I opened it, about a fourth had evaporated out the lose drum plugs. I put it in a 1959 2 cylinder John Deere that would run on anything, and it started hard, but ran fairly well, but used more fuel than usual. I added octane booster, and it started better and ran a little better.
I believe if you use a fuel stabilizer product, store the gas in a cool dry area, it would likely last 5 years or better.
A safer bet is two years, as I have left old farm trucks sit for two years and the crank right up.
6 months.
Winter blend vs Summer blend. Sealed container with over pressure vent.
Stabil
Anyone remember the hell I went though about my gas storage practices I don’t store it in glass sparklettes bottles
I had some gasoline stored for several years that I forgot about. When I opened it it was separated into water on the top and sludge on the bottom.
Using a fuel stabilizer, I think you can safely store it for about a year in good storage conditions. Without stabilizer it starts breaking down as soon as it’s stored & may bee good for several months.
I think propane can be stored almost indefinitely, but I’m not sure.
About a year at most with a storage additive is about all you can expect . If exposed to the high temps, the gas will lose too many of it’s lighter ends. 100 degrees for any extended time will significantly reduce storage time, probably in half. I have stored gas here in Alaska for up to 18 months without problems, but it doesn’t get any where near 100 degrees.
I’m in MN, 100 is rare, but not unheard of. I’m thinking more of what the temp gets to inside the shed.
Maybe I’d be better off just filling an extra, rarely used truck. Storage tank on wheels :)
LOL!
Gasoline won’t spontaneously explode in 100+ temps. If that were true, millions of cars would be exploding every summer.
I looked it up. The ignition temperature of liquid gasoline is 495 degrees.
Even in a hot desert, the temp stays cool and even 4-5 feet underground.
If you can dig a hole and keep it well covered, you can get better storage conditions and great safety. Just be sure to call it a shed, as underground fuel tanks have special restrictions.
Plain holes in the ground can also flood, so keep fuel watertight, and off the ground to avoid rust. DIg a little deeper sump on the side for water to drain into.
If you have anything larger than a five gallon can, like a 55 gal drum, you might also need a pump, as siphons won’t work if the source is lower.
Fuel stabilizer and rotation of the stock is necessary with gasoline. Diesel is a little better and propane is practically forever.
I routinely store non-ethanol gasoline for two years and then rotate through vehicles mixed at about 1:1 with new gas. If 100% stored gas is run then there will be pinging under load. So I don’t do that except in an emergency or I add octane enhancer (does seem to work).. Stabil is added at the beginning; some containers are plastic, some metal The plastic containers lose much more due to evaporation. Temperatures in the storage shed range from -20F to +110.
I have a motorcycle kept in a enclosed trailer. There is a generator in there also. Although I open a vent in the summer, it has to get to 135F or more at times. No explosions in 30 years now. (I rotate gas out every two years if the bike hasn’t been ridden).
100LL stores poorly.
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