# fuel storage, both gas & diesel



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

So, I'm about to need to store diesel and gas, and now gas is likely to take a back seat in priority.

Gas: the suburban 4x4 BOV and the small genny that can run some small appliances, it's a 3800W unit iirc, it's gonna feed the fridge or even the stove (although why do that if the Sun is shining??) and etc... this still needs gas!

Diesel: new primary BOV and now new primary Daily driver. oops!:beercheer: 

I've become complacent with only storing gas, now I need diesel, and I need diesel more than I need gas! 

My first thoughts are, and please help sanity check this:

take existing 5 gal gas cans, which vary from red to camo to whatever color they may have been when I bought them, and I'll stop using them for gas. okay fine, but does having held gas before introduce problems to the diesel?

my first inclinations is NO, not in any short term anyway, perhaps if I topped off a 5 gal can that already has some "X" volume of "gas" then that could be bad...

what I'm planning, here's where I want ppl to please poke holes...

I'm gonna empty a set of jerry cans, and I'm going to let them air dry
now I'm gonna use painter masking tape and flat yellow rattle cans to mark a 3" stripe around the top of all cans that are going to be +D only

my thinking so far is I need +D lubricity, demulisfier and de-gel/preservative.

I also will need to choose a brand of additive, and thankfully where I am now, options are plentiful and inexpensive.

what did I forget?


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

You can switch back and forth between gas and diesel in the same jerry can. I try to get it as dry as I can but a few drops in the bottom have never hurt anything of mine.

A steel container will keep the fuel longer than plastic if it is non-vented. I'm in the process of cleaning a 55 gallon drum for gas storage. 

I have used yellow electrical tape on the handle to designate diesel. I comes off easily when I want to use a jerry can for gas again. I had a yellow plastic jerry can once and used a strip of red electrical tape on its handle. This is not a permanent answer but neither was my usage.

I just used a plastic jerry can of gas on a trip through Canada. It was about a year old, I added two ounces of Sta-Bil and did not notice any difference. I have used "Power Service" in home heating fuel when my customers had a jelling problem. I will try some PRI-D when I drive south next time as I can't find any here.


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## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

Check out LincTex's posts on fuel storage. He's put a lot of thought and effort into it.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

I use these two additives in my diesel storage and the same brand of Pri-G for gas storage. I have 2 55gallon drums 1 with gas 1 with diesel and the farm tank holds 300 gallons of off road diesel with the same storage additives, and have had no problems so far. I was forced to add a pressure vent valve on the 55g gas drum because of pressure issues. It kept blowing the top of my drum up in the summer.

Anyone have any ideas how to prevent this from happening in a steel drum? I filled the drum as full as I could get it tilted to try and remove as much air space as possible when it was filled and it still kept swelling.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

smaj100 said:


> It kept blowing the top of my drum up in the summer.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas how to prevent this from happening in a steel drum? I filled the drum as full as I could get it tilted to try and remove as much air space as possible when it was filled and it still kept swelling.


Leave a little air in the drum to allow expansion. Liquids expand and contract with temperature change. A gas will compress so leave some gas (air, butane, etc). Fifty gallons in a 55 gallon drum is about right.

Painting your tanks white and keeping them out of direct sun will also help. Extreme temperature is not great for shelf life on anything including fuel.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Are you going to the pump with these multi-colored 5-gallon cans? "Theoretically", they could stop you from pumping if you're trying to put fuel in the wrong color can. Red=gas, Yellow=diesel.

I use Power Service. My diesel is probably 6-7 years old now and still runs like new.

smaj100 - I'm surprised you're blowing the top off as diesel normally doesn't expand like gas does. I'd suggest you just leave the small bung just a little bit loose so no air pressure builds.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

I broke down and bought aluminum fuel tanks. 110 gallon each. One is an L shaped on the PU and the other rectangle in a separate shed for fuel only. It's so much more convenient to pump it off rather than trying to pour a 5 gallon can into something. Also think it's safer with less waste.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

ZoomZoom said:


> Are you going to the pump with these multi-colored 5-gallon cans? "Theoretically", they could stop you from pumping if you're trying to put fuel in the wrong color can. Red=gas, Yellow=diesel.
> 
> I use Power Service. My diesel is probably 6-7 years old now and still runs like new.
> 
> smaj100 - I'm surprised you're blowing the top off as diesel normally doesn't expand like gas does. I'd suggest you just leave the small bung just a little bit loose so no air pressure builds.


zoom,

The diesel tank is holding just fine, it's only the gas that was expanding and contracting like crazy. Someone else mentioned that I remove some fuel to allow for fluid expansion. Perhaps I'll try that and take out 5 gallons from the drum.

I don't want to leave either of the bungs loose for fear of moisture or water getting into the drum.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

smaj100 said:


> it's only the gas that was expanding and contracting like crazy.


How much exposure does your fuel have to sunlight? Fuel in sun is when I see expansion.

If your tank is pretty much full, if the bung is cracked, you shouldn't get much moisture. If you have 10 gallons in a 55-gal drum and leave the bung open and exposed to sun, you'll get moisture. A decent fuel additive should address even that nominal amount of moisture.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

If the drums are outside you need to put a piece of scrap wood or a brick under the lower rim of the drum half way between the bungs. This will allow the rain to run off before it reaches the bungs. You can't tighten the bungs enough to keep them from sucking in water when they cool. It may only be a drop but after many heat cycles you have a ton of water where you do not want it.


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