# Suggestions for gas storage?



## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

I have a few 5 gallon gas cans. I know to use stabilizer. I'd like to store a little more but can't get a big "farm" tank where I am. 30 gallon storage runs almost 200 for just the tank, not including the gas. Is there a cheaper way to go?


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Gasoline storage can be cost effective, but it can also be dangerous. I recommend not cutting costs in this area. You might consider watching auctions or ads for a used farm or construction bulk tank, might afford you more storage at a reduced cost. Buy sometimes having gas delivered to a fixed tank can be spendy. Also the lifespan of gasoline, even stabilized gasoline, is not very long in the grand scheme of things. I am not sure if LincTex is still around, but he is/was very knowledgeable about this subject.


----------



## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

I'm not looking for a lifetime supply or anything. But we get ice storms down here and everything shuts down because they don't have the ability to handle it. I just want enough to be able to gas up the truck and either run it to Harge the kids gizmos or to drive out of the down zone, which would normally take about 10 gallons


----------



## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

For some reason my brain has stuck on a goal of 40 gallons, plus what I normally keep in the trucks. Completely arbitrary number.


----------



## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

I saw on another forum that someone had stored gasoline in a 55 gallon drum with stabilizer as a test...before he sealed the drum he forced out all air with a gas... propane I think.
He opened and used it 10 years in and it was fine, supposedly.

Very dangerous to store though...one spark on opening and you are through.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I'd go with the 55 gallon tank, stabilizer, and purging the tank with butane or propane. Tip the tank slightly (a 2X4 under one edge) so that water does not cover either bung. Around here you can find good tanks for between $5 and $20.

Try to avoid gas with alcohol as the alcohol draws water. Storing water sucks.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Linctex stored gasoline in a propane tank, so that it could be sealed. 
An automotive propane tank should be fairly easy to get a hold of since most modern electronic vehicles are not cost effective to convert to propane. 

I haven't gotten around to doing this yet.

Linctex posted that he had stored gasoline for 5 years in a propane tank.

A steel drum would need to be kept at a fairly constant temperature, to keep it from expanding and contracting.

plastic containers will let the light ends (the more volatile compounds) escape, so they are not good for long term storage.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

If your goal is 40 gallons and you already have a few 5-gallon cans, I'd suggest you stay on your current path and just get a few more 5-gal cans.

You can get something slightly larger (like a fuel caddy pictured below) that holds 15-gallons but they're pricey and think about filling them. At 15-gals, that's about 120 pounds. Kind of difficult to carry/handle for taking to a station then throwing it in/out of the truck.

5-gal cans are easier to handle and rotate your stock. I use those manilla cards with a string (https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Shippi.../dp/B002U42VW4?ie=UTF8&tag=duckduckgo-ffab-20) and each time I fill, I write the date purchased and octane on the card for easy reference for rotating.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Plastic is fine for short term storage. If you use plastic then dump it in your vehicle every three to six months and then get fresh for storage.

Any closed steel container would work for longer storage. The five gallon jerry can or 55 gallon drum are examples. As mentioned the light ends dissipate but not through steel. Large steel fuel tanks have vents so they will loose the light ends. It needs to be totally sealed. A couple of old propane tanks, as mentioned earlier, would do a fine job. The 100# or smaller tanks must be tested every 12 years or they can't be legally refilled, you should be able to pick these up for very little.


----------



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

So stored the gas before the ice storms hit your area I do the same before hurricane season hits Miami.


----------



## OutInTheWoods (Jun 13, 2016)

I have 6-5 gallon jerry cans, galvanized steel (Briggs & Stratton manufacture). Rotate them out in Sept (before snow season) and March (before tornado season).

At $50-$60 each they're not cheap, but if I have to bug-out, a dose of Sta-Bil and they're good for longer. Also, the rectangular shape makes them much easier to pack into the rear of my truck without wasted space.

B&S Also makes a cold-rolled steel 5-gallon in yellow for Gas or Diesel use - more expensive at $80-$90, but perhaps a good investment.


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

We have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D42YN6W?psc=1

It's a car battery that you can keep charged. You can use it to jump start your car. It has built in USB and cigarette lighter plug ins.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

BillS said:


> We have something like this:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D42YN6W?psc=1
> 
> It's a car battery that you can keep charged. You can use it to jump start your car. It has built in USB and cigarette lighter plug ins.


Bill,

I like those thing a lot. Keep one in every vehicle.

Just curious what it has to do with gas storage.


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

ZoomZoom said:


> Bill,
> 
> I like those thing a lot. Keep one in every vehicle.
> 
> Just curious what it has to do with gas storage.


She was storing gas so she could charge her electronic items.


----------



## hihobaron (Jul 5, 2016)

Hello All
Storing Gasoline:
Normal Sta-bil will only protect your gas for 3-6 months.
Rotating your "Stock by using it" is "Critical" for a couple reason.
#1 Gasoline is "Reformulated" for Summer blends and Winter Blends Volatility, additives, etc.
#2 Gas with Alcohol should be avoided for storage. 
It goes bad faster. You can find fuel suppliers that market "Ethanol" free gasoline.
#3 The same company that makes Sta-bil Makes a product don't remember the name. But is branded Sta-bil but it is in a clear bottle and is BLUE in color.It counteracts the Ethanol in normal gas and still extends the storage life of any gas.
I have a good friend that owns/runs a good small engine shop.
He uses the Blue stuff exclusively in every engine he works on. 
#4 For myself
SHTF Transport fuel needs. What is in the tanks on the trucks.
I have 2 different self-fueling systems in place for after the first 30 days. Horse power and goat power as well as maybe a OX or two.
#5 Everything here runs on propane (It dose not Go bad)
I have over 100 gallons on site. Over a years worth for me.
Plus I have worked at Propane Supply points and have all the equipment to tap any bulk tank for refills.
Once the first die off of city folk happens (30-45) days after event. Any place with a outdoor Propane Bulk Tank is fair game for me to refill portable tanks from. 
Go Propane/LPG for storage and on site usage.
My Refrigeration, Power, etc is all setup to use propane.
Propane/LPG never goes bad. 
Last item: There are many vehicles that use propane/LPG on the road that do well.
Happy Trails
hihobaron


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

hihobaron said:


> #3 The same company that makes Sta-bil Makes a product don't remember the name. But is branded Sta-bil but it is in a clear bottle and is BLUE in color.It counteracts the Ethanol in normal gas and still extends the storage life of any gas.


That's the Marine Formula Sta-Bil made for boats.
If you are going to use the Sta-Bil brand, this is much better than the red stuff.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

LastOutlaw said:


> I saw on another forum that someone had stored gasoline in a 55 gallon drum with stabilizer as a test...before he sealed the drum he forced out all air with a gas... propane I think.
> He opened and used it 10 years in and it was fine, supposedly.
> 
> Very dangerous to store though...one spark on opening and you are through.


Yes, pretty close. 
I did use 55 gallon drums & stored the gas for 5 years with no degradation *at all*. 
The drums were stored in very shady area, somewhat insulated (hidden under pallets & other junk) and kept of out the rain. 
I have since found some very cheap "out of service" bulk propane tanks and have switched to them for storage.

My original experiment worked well, though: http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f2/gasoline-stored-5-years-success-22028/

Purging the air space with propane is *NO* more dangerous than regular gasoline fumes..... exercise extreme caution in both cases.


----------



## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

I feel your pain, midwestmom. I store and rotate gasoline into vehicles from plastic cans fairly regularly, and I do keep a few cans with stabilizer for up to 6 months. My intended use is extra bug-out fuel and generator fuel for power outages, with a little on hand for my normal small engine use, as well. I generally have enough on hand to power our essentials for up to 3 weeks, comfortably, but I may opt to go longer at some point.

I have only plastic gas cans, mostly 5 gallon, a 6 gallon or two, and couple of 2 and 2-1/2 gallon. A trick I learned was to buy plastic threaded gas can caps to replace the pour spouts while in storage. If, like me, you have missing or broken pour spouts, you can revive the cans with these caps, but that's not the main reason I bought them. They have a heavy gasket and can be tightened down quite firmly to provided a good seal, even under pressure with expansion of the liquid during hotter months of the year. These are far more reliable and effective at this task than the two sealing surfaces you're dealing with when a spout is installed on the can. I do have some cans that are possibly 20+ years old with damaged/missing spouts and still are a viable storage option now with the new caps.

These caps work surprisingly well at eliminating odors of gasoline once the cans tightly capped-off, and they do hold pressure inside the can so I know they are stopping vapor loss and reducing fire-risk. The two major types I purchased due to the varied types of cans I've acquired over the years are listed below:

Typicaly Fits Blitz, Midwest, Scepter, EZ POUR's Chilton Adapter And EZ POUR's Jerry Can Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NB3UUDK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Typically Fits Older Briggs And Stratton, Rubbermaid, Essence And Gott Cans:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P9R1TH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like they're still priced @ $4 each, but I don't even leave the pour spout on the can once it's emptied, and never leave the cans with the spout installed any more. I've had far too many pour spout gasket not seal properly and cause leaks in the past and these caps solved the problem. If long-term storage is not your goal, the storage caps offer a great option for improved safety during storage. I ordered a couple packs of each a year ago and put them all to use immediately upon arrival...I wouldn't do it any other way now that I have the caps, because it still allows me to purchase and store smaller quantities without drawing attention to myself.

You can buy replacement spouts for most cans, too (and deal with the same old leakage issues), but you only need one of each type (or a funnel) when using these caps on your cans.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Plastic cans are fine for short term storage. A few months. For longer term you need a sealed metal container like the old military jerry cans or a fifty-five gallon drum. Plastic is porous and will allow oxygen to pass through as well as the lighter volatiles. If you are replacing your gas every six months you are fine with plastic.

In either case PRI-G, Sta-Bil, or a similar product should be used.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

*using "bad" gasoline*

Over this spring and summer I have powered my 120 cfm compressor with stale gasoline that a couple of scrap metal haulers bring along with waste oil (for my shop heater) the engine on the compressor is a 4 cylinder Chevrolet industrial from a IHC swather. It is a direct relative of the inline 6 chev engines, 194 to292 . it runs fairly well, but it burns another 1/3 or so of the crappy fuel, if the ambient temp is above 65*f it will start on the crappy fuel, much cooler and it needs help, I found that a Tiger torch (weed burner) over the air filter inlet helped get it fired with out fouling the spark plugs. An early fuel injection engine might be able to burn it too, but it doesn't work on the newer engines very well. we also have a valve setup so that we can start the compressor on fresh gas and switch it over to crappy gas for longer running jobs.

PAW is not going to be easy for those who will not think outside the box.


----------



## frankd4 (Oct 22, 2010)

*Pri g*

I use PriG to keep gas good, I have used some gas stored for a year and it was good.


----------

