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Storing gasoline

nickrides

Nick Kennedy
My question for the people in the know is:
How long can you store gas in a metal tank?

There is a "pure gas" station about 70 miles from me and I think I am going to set up a 50 gal or so storage / filling station out of my storage shed.

I won't have any humidity issues around here.

30 days?
90 days?

Thanks in advance
Nick Kennedy
1978 R80/7
1990 K75 RT
 
I store pure gas in regular red plastic gas "cans" for six months at a time then pour them into my pickup tanks and throw the empties in the bed to go fill them up again.
 
My question for the people in the know is:
How long can you store gas in a metal tank?

There is a "pure gas" station about 70 miles from me and I think I am going to set up a 50 gal or so storage / filling station out of my storage shed.

I won't have any humidity issues around here.

30 days?
90 days?

Thanks in advance
Nick Kennedy
1978 R80/7
1990 K75 RT

Nick, I guess this is a question best answered by farmers on this forum. I don't own a storage tank, but the gas in my pickup must often be over a year old (not winterized either, though I SHOULD fill that tank now) since I use it so little.

The question I have is how you are going to fill a 50 gallon tank at that gas station then transfer it to a storage platform? And what vehicles are you then going to fuel at home?

My understanding is that "winter gas" does differ from "summer gas."

If you elaborate a bit on what you want to accomplish, you will get smarter replies than mine.
 
I read those links. Not to get into a religious area but do the Mormons store gasoline along with food? If so, that would be an area of information. The governments "strategic reserve" -how is it stored? Is it gas & diesel or rotated or unrefined crude or what?
I keep diesel around the farm for months at a time,depending on season & always "seems fine".
As to real gas- I was in MO & TN recently & both seem fairly common there-I asked a guy at a car dealership & he said it was the lakes there. I live 7 miles from a large C of Eng lake & there is none near me, unless at the marina docks, which is not where I ride.
 
Considering that many of us up here in the midwest need to 'store' fuel in our bikes, boats, etc. over the winter months (and have done so for years without issues), you might consider this:

Store your pure gas (non-ethanol) in a clean container, add some Star-Brite Star-Tron Ethanol Stabilizer (the 'blue' stuff) to the fuel to prevent varnish/gumming problems, and enjoy. :thumb
 
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And yet, every single time I've taken any small engine device to be serviced, they tell me that gas (any type, any time of year) is good for 30 days. :fight

Seems like straight dope is just that - mind altering substance that can't be acquired legally. And frankly I can't say I trust the manufacturers/govt. to tell the truth either since it is not in their best interest to tell the truth about stored fuels reliability.
 
A bad Idea

Check local laws/ordinances and HOA rules, many of these restrict the quantity that you may store. I know of no fire extinguisher (other than maybe a pumper truck) that would extinguish 50 gallons of burning gasoline.

Storing gasoline in large quantities is dangerous (no kidding) Think ahead to the civil liability and moral issues should you burn down several houses and/or disfigure someone with painful burns.
 
Many folks store fuel to power generators, etc. There's a garage tank at SOs place that holds fuel for the mowers and generator and is generally kept fairly full but rotated a bit.
Still, on average its probably old fuel. Buns and runs stuff just fine.
What you don't want to do is leave engine carbs with fuel in their bowls- guaranteed to make carb cleaning necessary.
My bass boat tournament motor of old went its entire service life without a carb cleaing simply because it was always run dry when put on the trailer, never letting fuel evap ot of the motor in storage.
 
Hey Guys
Thanks for the links and info guys..
Sounds to me like storing gas for a summer season would be OK.

Nick Kennedy
 
The governments "strategic reserve" -how is it stored? Is it gas & diesel or rotated or unrefined crude or what

It is crude oil stored in huge underground salt dome caverns in a number of places in south Louisiana.

That is ok most of the time, but then you have a problem like we are having right now with an abandoned salt dome storage facility that is collapsing and making a big sink hole near the home of one of the "Swamp People", Troy Landry. Another big chunk of surface land fell into the hole several days ago.

Photos here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bay...GODJO88wSFlYCADQ&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=944&bih=520
 
Amount of Stored Gas

Had to insure our business (federal) met the National Fire Protection Code. It allows storage in a building of a maximum 500 gallons in safety cans, provided fuel is not your primary business (incidental only). For NFPC purposes, a metal 55 gallon drum is a safety can. Local ordinance could change that, but the NFPC is generally adopted wholesale.
 
Check local laws/ordinances and HOA rules, many of these restrict the quantity that you may store. I know of no fire extinguisher (other than maybe a pumper truck) that would extinguish 50 gallons of burning gasoline.

Storing gasoline in large quantities is dangerous (no kidding) Think ahead to the civil liability and moral issues should you burn down several houses and/or disfigure someone with painful burns.

Good suggestion!

It would probably be a good idea to take a look at your insurance policy to see if storing it voids the policy.

E.
 
It is crude oil stored in huge underground salt dome caverns in a number of places in south Louisiana.

That is ok most of the time, but then you have a problem like we are having right now with an abandoned salt dome storage facility that is collapsing and making a big sink hole near the home of one of the "Swamp People", Troy Landry. Another big chunk of surface land fell into the hole several days ago.

Photos here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bay...GODJO88wSFlYCADQ&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=944&bih=520

So we'll have "salty" petroleum now"? Oily ground water?:dunno
 
I store pure gas in regular red plastic gas "cans" for six months at a time then pour them into my pickup tanks and throw the empties in the bed to go fill them up again.
I've grown old enough that my "real gas cans" have all gone down the tube and now it's the lawyered up version we all see in the box stores. They are crappy! They do all kinds of dances no matter of full,1/2 full or empty. I know theres still better ones out there but my 2 newer ones are "hateable"...
 
I've grown old enough that my "real gas cans" have all gone down the tube and now it's the lawyered up version we all see in the box stores. They are crappy! They do all kinds of dances no matter of full,1/2 full or empty. I know theres still better ones out there but my 2 newer ones are "hateable"...

I hear ya. I hate those CARB compliant POS's but they're all you can get now. My old 5 gal GI cans were the best.
 
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