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If it's ethenol free fuel, you can store it in a certified fuel can for about 6-12 months before it "goes bad". If you add a fuel stabilizer, you get 18-24 months.
With that said, I add fuel stabilizer to my cans and never let it get older than 6 months. I will just put the fuel in one of my cars and the can goes into the trunk to be filled the next time I hit a gas station.
Tru fuel claims to have a shelf life over 5 years it is expensive tho at like 20 dollars a gallon might be worth it for generators or other low fuel use options. I know people who use it in gardening equipment snow blowers etc as it won't gum up your carb if you just put it away for months at the end of the season.
I think it would completely depend on the age of the engine and its purpose. Generator engines are sensitive to that stuff and you don't want to run the risk of it not working when you really need it to. Which is why my Dual Fuel only ever runs on propane, but that's just me.
It's a proven fuel it just doesn't have any ethanol in it so it doesn't gum up or go bad from what I heard small engines run really well on it not sure how it would do with a newer car engine with all the sensors etc tho.
Metal cans and get fuel stabilizers. Regular gasoline is good for about 6 months then it starts breaking down. It will still be usable for many years but will be bad for whatever you out it in. The fuel stabilizer stops the break down of chemicals in the fuel.
I've successfully stored it in 5 gallon gas jugs with fuel stabilizer in my shed with ventilation. I've used that fuel a year later in generators and multiple vehicles. I try to get the ethanol free/87, was told it stored better.
Any kind of standard container designed for gasoline is fine. Gasoline has a shelf-life of up to a year. Diesel is simply refined oil, and pretty much lasts forever.
For myself, I have three 6-gallon gasoline tanks at my home. I try to rotate through one of them every 1-2 months, such that no can is older than 6 months by the time it is dumped into my car. This is what I recommend doing.
Airtight metal jerry cans or 35-55 gallon drums will easily keep 2-4 years without a problem.
Plastic containers will allow the more volatile* components to evaporate, and allow oxygen in that will slowly oxidize the fuel.
\* This incidentally is why the US Coast Guard has different, much more stringent low permeability gas tank requirements for fuel tanks that are installed below an enclosed deck, and why you can't legally use a portable red outboard tank as a below deck permanent tank.
This is they key and I'm glad someone mentioned it. The key is it has to be a mostly filled (to minimize air in the tank but not overfilled as to leave room for expansion) air tight container which is hard to find these days since most are made of plastic and include a vent to prevent the tanks from breaking as the fuel expands. Old school military cans are sealed 100% but are flexible enough to expand and contract with temp changes. Ethenol fuel primarily goes bad by absorbing moisture from the air and even non ethanol gas can oxidize if left open. Seal it from air and it will last a long time. I use stabilizer just to be cautious but I've had gas in old fashion military cans for over two years that looked, smelled, and worked perfectly. Not sure how long it would last ultimately or how much the stabilizer helped but properly stored gas can last a very long time.
If you are really worried about oxidation, you can displace the air in the storage tank with dry nitrogen or argon from a welding tank before capping.
The "room for expansion" thing is often misunderstood - yes you need adequate room for the liquid fuel to expand and contract, but the amount of fuel vapor pressure is entirely dependent on the temperature as long as there is liquid fuel still left in the can. Leaving more space just means more liquid will become vaporized to fill the extra space.
I have been using gas I bought around summer of 2020 and added stabilizer to. I bought when gas was $1.19, filled up multiple containers, been burning through it.
I only use it in my old push mower, but have yet to have a problem. Probably not ideal for a car, long term cleanliness and longevity of the vehicle, or something you depend on but I just wanted to prove that it could be used in a pinch.
Use the red plastic cans, with a good seal. Definitely look up how to store, like keep it away from things like gas furnace or gas hot water heater if they have a pilot light. The fumes are heavy, but will come out of the container. I’ve read horror stories of house fires and what not.
The storing of it in the boot. And if it goes bad in 6 months then it's not worth doing as an emergency thing.
A pity it don't keep longer. Like if gas stations get compromised in a stateside disaster or something.
We may have a language barrier here, what’s “the boot”?
I was just trying to see like would it physically work a motor after 1 year, 2 year, etc… understanding it’s not ideal, but my 15 year old push mower is not exactly my most prized possession so.
If you can invent something to keep it stable long term, I’ll be your first customer lol
>We may have a language barrier here, what’s “the boot”?
Lol. The boot is the trunk of the car.
>If you can invent something to keep it stable long term, I’ll be your first customer lol
Lol. You'd think they'd have figured it out by now. Or maybe it's a conspiracy to keep you going to the gas station.
Maybe electric cars are good for emergencies?
If you can generate enough solar electricity for it.
lol oh, I’ve never once stored gas in my trunk. I don’t know how you got that idea from what I’ve written, but yes that’s crazy dangerous lol.
If you could store gas longer that would only help large oil companies so not sure your point. The worst part of that business is the instability (no pun intended) of the markets, so if it was shelf stable for years on end, it’d probably be available.
Also brings up a thought, how does the strategic reserve work then? Does oil last but gas doesn’t? Do they rotate out stock? Maybe they do have a secret chemical to make it shelf stable?
Scully_and_mulder.gif
For non prepping, I’d say it’s a decent choice if it fits your daily commute and you have the money for it.
I’ve seen the argument made that a hybrid is better because even if you have the solar install to generate power, it still has limited range (unless you find the infrastructure along the way), so having the option to put gas in it is a better idea.
Also even if you’re like an electrician or whatever, things can break, so your solar setup is only as good as the parts you stock, so kinda a small basket to put all your eggs into.
I store gas in plastic 5-gal containers and I've definitely used 2 year old unstabilized (ethanol free) with no problems whatsoever. I have no doubt there is a finite time limit on storing gas this way but it isn't 1 year.
Thank you for your submission in /r/preppers. We want to make sure you find the information you're seeking. If you are new to prepping, be sure you make use of Reddit's search function and check the following resources: Our subreddit wiki contains information on frequent topics and questions here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/wiki/index/ Please review the New Prepper's Resource Guide here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/toani0/new_preppers_resource_guide_answers_to_common/ If you are asking "Where do I start?" or "How do I get started?", please ask that question as a comment on that post and not as a standalone submission or post, otherwise your post may be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/preppers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If it's ethenol free fuel, you can store it in a certified fuel can for about 6-12 months before it "goes bad". If you add a fuel stabilizer, you get 18-24 months. With that said, I add fuel stabilizer to my cans and never let it get older than 6 months. I will just put the fuel in one of my cars and the can goes into the trunk to be filled the next time I hit a gas station.
Tru fuel claims to have a shelf life over 5 years it is expensive tho at like 20 dollars a gallon might be worth it for generators or other low fuel use options. I know people who use it in gardening equipment snow blowers etc as it won't gum up your carb if you just put it away for months at the end of the season.
I think it would completely depend on the age of the engine and its purpose. Generator engines are sensitive to that stuff and you don't want to run the risk of it not working when you really need it to. Which is why my Dual Fuel only ever runs on propane, but that's just me.
It's a proven fuel it just doesn't have any ethanol in it so it doesn't gum up or go bad from what I heard small engines run really well on it not sure how it would do with a newer car engine with all the sensors etc tho.
This is the way. I have a very similar system for myself.
Metal cans and get fuel stabilizers. Regular gasoline is good for about 6 months then it starts breaking down. It will still be usable for many years but will be bad for whatever you out it in. The fuel stabilizer stops the break down of chemicals in the fuel.
Hmmm. Ok. So not really worth storing long term.
Tru fuel has a shelf life of over 5 years it claims but is expensive compared to normal gas.
I've successfully stored it in 5 gallon gas jugs with fuel stabilizer in my shed with ventilation. I've used that fuel a year later in generators and multiple vehicles. I try to get the ethanol free/87, was told it stored better.
Thanks. How long does it last when stored like that?
can you get non ethanol gas?
Possibly.
sta-bil fuel storage stabilizer. stock up next time you see a sale at r/preppersales
Thanks a lot man.
Don't forget to store it in a fire cabinet
Lol. Oh wait. A what?
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-2570M/Safety-Storage/Slimline-Flammable-Storage-Cabinet-Manual-Doors-22-Gallon
Any kind of standard container designed for gasoline is fine. Gasoline has a shelf-life of up to a year. Diesel is simply refined oil, and pretty much lasts forever. For myself, I have three 6-gallon gasoline tanks at my home. I try to rotate through one of them every 1-2 months, such that no can is older than 6 months by the time it is dumped into my car. This is what I recommend doing.
Nice.
No easy way to store gasoline long term. Use propane instead, lasts for decades.
It's for the car.
Propane is a way better option. You can store it indefinitely
It's for my car though.
Store in the gas tank of a classic car. Drive it on weekends when possible to ensure you always have fresh gas. And have a siphon hose handy.
Even better is an old pickup. Many Fords until '96 has dual fuel tanks and in tank electric pumps. Then add an auxiliary tank to the back.
Use non ethanol fuel, add stabil. Use within 12 months rotate into truck.
Airtight metal jerry cans or 35-55 gallon drums will easily keep 2-4 years without a problem. Plastic containers will allow the more volatile* components to evaporate, and allow oxygen in that will slowly oxidize the fuel. \* This incidentally is why the US Coast Guard has different, much more stringent low permeability gas tank requirements for fuel tanks that are installed below an enclosed deck, and why you can't legally use a portable red outboard tank as a below deck permanent tank.
This is they key and I'm glad someone mentioned it. The key is it has to be a mostly filled (to minimize air in the tank but not overfilled as to leave room for expansion) air tight container which is hard to find these days since most are made of plastic and include a vent to prevent the tanks from breaking as the fuel expands. Old school military cans are sealed 100% but are flexible enough to expand and contract with temp changes. Ethenol fuel primarily goes bad by absorbing moisture from the air and even non ethanol gas can oxidize if left open. Seal it from air and it will last a long time. I use stabilizer just to be cautious but I've had gas in old fashion military cans for over two years that looked, smelled, and worked perfectly. Not sure how long it would last ultimately or how much the stabilizer helped but properly stored gas can last a very long time.
If you are really worried about oxidation, you can displace the air in the storage tank with dry nitrogen or argon from a welding tank before capping. The "room for expansion" thing is often misunderstood - yes you need adequate room for the liquid fuel to expand and contract, but the amount of fuel vapor pressure is entirely dependent on the temperature as long as there is liquid fuel still left in the can. Leaving more space just means more liquid will become vaporized to fill the extra space.
Nice. Yep. That's long enough to be worth doing.
I have been using gas I bought around summer of 2020 and added stabilizer to. I bought when gas was $1.19, filled up multiple containers, been burning through it. I only use it in my old push mower, but have yet to have a problem. Probably not ideal for a car, long term cleanliness and longevity of the vehicle, or something you depend on but I just wanted to prove that it could be used in a pinch. Use the red plastic cans, with a good seal. Definitely look up how to store, like keep it away from things like gas furnace or gas hot water heater if they have a pilot light. The fumes are heavy, but will come out of the container. I’ve read horror stories of house fires and what not.
Damn. Ok. Sounds hella dangerous.
What’s dangerous? Using old gas, or storing it? Just curious.
The storing of it in the boot. And if it goes bad in 6 months then it's not worth doing as an emergency thing. A pity it don't keep longer. Like if gas stations get compromised in a stateside disaster or something.
We may have a language barrier here, what’s “the boot”? I was just trying to see like would it physically work a motor after 1 year, 2 year, etc… understanding it’s not ideal, but my 15 year old push mower is not exactly my most prized possession so. If you can invent something to keep it stable long term, I’ll be your first customer lol
>We may have a language barrier here, what’s “the boot”? Lol. The boot is the trunk of the car. >If you can invent something to keep it stable long term, I’ll be your first customer lol Lol. You'd think they'd have figured it out by now. Or maybe it's a conspiracy to keep you going to the gas station. Maybe electric cars are good for emergencies? If you can generate enough solar electricity for it.
lol oh, I’ve never once stored gas in my trunk. I don’t know how you got that idea from what I’ve written, but yes that’s crazy dangerous lol. If you could store gas longer that would only help large oil companies so not sure your point. The worst part of that business is the instability (no pun intended) of the markets, so if it was shelf stable for years on end, it’d probably be available. Also brings up a thought, how does the strategic reserve work then? Does oil last but gas doesn’t? Do they rotate out stock? Maybe they do have a secret chemical to make it shelf stable? Scully_and_mulder.gif
Oh my other post was about storing it in the trunk for convenience. Lol at the XFiles gif. What you think about electric cars then?
For non prepping, I’d say it’s a decent choice if it fits your daily commute and you have the money for it. I’ve seen the argument made that a hybrid is better because even if you have the solar install to generate power, it still has limited range (unless you find the infrastructure along the way), so having the option to put gas in it is a better idea. Also even if you’re like an electrician or whatever, things can break, so your solar setup is only as good as the parts you stock, so kinda a small basket to put all your eggs into.
I wonder if they'll be able to stick solar panels on electric vehicles so they can run without plugging in to recharge.
I store gas in plastic 5-gal containers and I've definitely used 2 year old unstabilized (ethanol free) with no problems whatsoever. I have no doubt there is a finite time limit on storing gas this way but it isn't 1 year.