Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

A friend in Idaho and his family in Montana bought 55-gal drums and hand-crank gasoline pumps to store gasoline. They visit each other often and want to ensure that they won't get stranded during a gasoline shortage.

Attachment 13674

They bought the drums local [new] and ordered the pump from Grainger.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg...mId=1611629231

With Oil now at $75/barrel and Iran/Venezula hunkering down...could be a jolt to the supply. Right after Katrina all the Auto Stores were sold-out of locking gas caps.
:smokin:

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Yeah....got a rotary pump one like that, and another that is stroke type piston pump...used them more for diesel fuel shuttle to the dozer to keep from having to bring it down to tanks. We have a 300 gallon gasoline tank on a stand that is gavity feed and another 200 gallon one for diesel......in addition to quite a few stored drums.

Gasoline will keep easily for at least 3 years in a sealed drum if you use PRI-G ( and PRI-D for diesel ).

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

TnAndy, are you absolutely certain gasoline will be ok after three years with the additive? I would like to store some as well. Thanks

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Knowing you the first question is probably silly Andy.

1. Did you buy the gravity fed tanks & stands or did you build them (specifically the stands)? Any pictures?
2. What type (steel, fiberglass, etc) and where did you buy them from (TSC)?
3. How do you get them filled? Do you have some sort of fuel supply place deliver or what?

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

I have a 765 gallons tank which I will be filling in a couple of weeks and it will be by gravity also, I paid $300.00 for the tank (used) with the stand already made.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Yep.....I'm absolutely certain because I've done it.

I suspect longer, actually, but since I've rotated mine in 3 years or less, I can't say for certain.....but the 3 years IS based on personal experience. In fact, most anything I tell ya'll here in this little sub-forum IS based on personal hands on 'done done it'......unlike the PM sections where I like to theorize with the rest of ya.....ahahahahahaa... I consider this area way too important to bullshit folks, so unless you see me add the qualifier " I've HEARD TELL you can do 'such and such'......", then you can assume what I'm saying is from personal trial and error.

And since you plan to do it, let me give a couple other tips and details.

I use pretty clean drums.....get them from a sawmill down the road where they order motor oil and trans fluid by the 55gal drum, and the oil company doesn't want the drum back, so they are a disposal problem to them. So they are 'new' except for one filling of the original oil. I fill 'em with exactly 55 gals of fuel, which will leave a small head space for expansion...then add a HEAVY dose of PRI-G to it.....about 6 ounces out of a Pyrex measuring cup I stole out the wife's kitchen......then screw the 2" bung down snug ( they never take the 3/4" one loose to start with ) and then slap a coat of paint on the 2" bung to help seal it good.

The drums go on a special pallet I built just ot hold drums.....it measures about 24" square inside, and has a back board built up about 24" with 2 sideboards that slope to the front, front is open....the back and sides to keep the drum from sliding around on the little pallet. You need to remember a full drum of about anything is in the 400lb range, and better plan on some dang way to move 'em around. I use the front loader on my tractor to move and stack the drums.....I have a pallet fork attachment and the forks must be slid together for these pallets.

THEN I store the drums in a COOL shed built back into the side of a hill, out of direct heat, and where the ground helps moderate temps. Also write the date and price paid......makes ya sick to pull a 3 year old drum and see that.....ahahahahaa.....

I started doing this in 1998 prepping for Y2k and just kept doing it.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

No, I bought both. The diesel was a used heating oil tank I bought from an individual for about nothing, the gas tank was new, purchased from the local Exxon dealer. Both are steel....both use a stand made of some small steel angle....like a 1x1....then I set them on a couple of cinder block to get a little more height. Bought hose, filters and nozzles from the local TSC ( Tractor Supply Co ). Also set both in an open face shed built under some trees out of the direct sun so they stay cool and dry ( I'll try to get some pics of this later ). Also store my lube oil in that shed.......all this well away from shop and house in case of fire.

As to filling, the local Exxon and Farm Co-op will both deliver...and sometimes I take a couple 55gal drums in the truck to town and transfer from drum to tank with that handpump as above when I find a much better deal than delivered price......like I got a Shell MC this winter and they were giving 15% off gas purchases for the first 60 days using the card......when gas was 'cheap' back this winter at around 2 FRNs, I was stocking up at 1.70 using their fool deal..(uh, no, I DON'T carry a balance )...Shell probably wonders what the heck kinda vehicle I've got that uses 110 gals of fuel 2-3 days a week......ahahahahahaa.......

We don't 'normally' use the tank for fillups at home.....(we'll use it for 4wheeler gas, or lawnmower gas, or sawmill engine gas,or generator/welder gas, etc.. or I'd need a bigger tank), but as a buffer in prices.......we'll buy from a station in a town until the price starts to hit 3 bucks or so, like it spiked with Katrina....then it's home fillup for a while to avoid those market highs.......although, this summer, probably won't be able to ride out the price which may not come back down.

Currently, my tank and drums are all full at less than a buck.70/gal awaiting world events.....bring it on world.....all I can do is all I can do.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Just curious Andy, do you have to vent those tanks? If you do vent them, how do you do it, and how much do you estimate you lose to evaporation over time?

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

They are vented.....but I've never noticed evaporation to be a problem. Guess it would if you were talking years in a vented tank....but that's a guess.

One reason I located the shed where I did was due to the shade factor.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

drewk4,
I ran mine out to FIVE years. I used Stabil. Then FINALLY after five years rotated them through my truck. WORKED GREAT. Nary a hiccup on the stored fuel. The funny part was that given that it was purchased back in 1998, and then I used it in 2003 the prices for what I paid in 98 and what I WOULD have paid in 03 were within about .05 of each other.

I got my 15 gallon barrels from a barrel distributor and they are rated for 'hazardous material' so I GUESS I could store nuclear waste in them, but for now, fuel will do.

I concur. Cool, dry space out of direct sun is best. I like the fact that Andy went into the hillside. That's being VERY inventive.

Hope that helps.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Yes, it helps alot. Thanks to all for your help.:bowdown:

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Static electricity might cause [fire] problems and I have seen something about installing a ground-strap on the gasoline pump/barrel. Maybe Tn Andy can offer some advice/comments about ground-straps?
:wavey:

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

I just used up some gas, stored in plastic, 7 months old, no problems. Is storage in plastic ok and how long should I expect gasoline to last without additives?
Thanks for all the wisdom found here.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

I just buy my gas at the gas station, i have a HVAC Business my truck has a 38 gallan tank and i fill up 2x to 3x a week when i get real bussy in the summer.
will jack up prices to pay for gas, just hope we don't have a gas shortage would kill me, I do lot of driving sometimes 7 calls in a day 30 miles here 30 there fourty over there 20 back, sit in lot of traffic two, and about twice a day im going to supply house for part not on the truck.
had a slow winter need to catchup in the summer i will even work sunday to make up for the mild winter we had.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Wallew: "I like the fact that Andy went into the hillside. That's being VERY inventive."

Well, I'd like to take credit for inventive, but the fact is flat land is at a premium around my place, and digging back into hillsides is about the only option....ahahhaaaa


On grounding Book: probably not a bad idea.....mine aren't grounded and I've had no problems, but again, it wouldn't hurt I'm sure.

Aware: Plastic is likely ok....mine are all metal. The issue I understand it with gasoline IS evaporation of the lighter components ( so tight seal is best.....and cool storage area so it doesn't expand much ), but anything I've ever stored over a year w/o some kind of gas stabilizer is smelling real 'varnishy'....so spend a little extra on chemicals if you plan to store over what you've been doing.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Thank you Sir. I cranked a lot of gasoline from 55-gallon drums as a kid on the farm without incident. OSHA recently insists on the groundstrap. A lot of Gas Station gas pump fires have occured due to static electricity. Must be all those 3000-watt stereo amplifiers in the Car creating the charge in the vehicle...that jumps to the metal gas pump...grounding the circuit.
:beer:

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Actually it seems CELL PHONES are the largest culprit. Driver pulls into a gas station talking on his/her cell phone. Finishes the call, turns the car off, opens door and jumps out to pump gas. In the process of sticking the pump handle into the automobile causes the nozzle to discharge whatever electrical charge that the driver has absorbed by talking on the phone. Small amount to be sure, but JUST enough in some instances to cause the fire to start.

Really weird, if you think about it.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/common/i...tton_print.gifhttp://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/common/i...utton_back.gifhttp://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/common/i...news_small.gif
More Fires Sparked At Gas Pump
SPARTANBURG, S.C., Aug. 30, 2004 (CBS) Warning for drivers: Be careful at the pump.

Some experts say the number of fires being sparked at gas stations is on the rise, and you could be in harm's way.

On Monday�s The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen reports on how these fires start and what you can do to stay safe.

At gas stations all over the country, unsuspecting drivers are becoming victims of static fires.

At a gas station near Tulsa, Okla., a woman lost her life while pumping gas. Static electricity sparked a blaze that went out of control.

It happened to Ignacio Sierra while he was pumping gas at a station just outside Spartanburg, S.C.

"I thought it was a nightmare," he says.

Sierra grabbed the nozzle and felt a shock.

"When I touched it, the spark made the fumes blow and the whole car was like a flame, a whole flame," he recalls.

His 4-year-old daughter, Esperanza, was buckled up inside his truck that was on fire.

"I just tried to think,� Sierra says, �'Get my daughter out of the car and run for safety.'"

Sierra and his daughter escaped without harm, but his truck and a portion of the gas station were destroyed.

Static electricity expert Steve Fowler notes, "Most people, when they pull up to the gas station, are not thinking about static electricity."

Fowler says static fires are a growing problem, and not enough is being done to warn the public. Most of these fires are caused by drivers who get back into their cars while the gas is still pumping. By getting into their seats, they are building up static electricity.

Just like rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching a door knob, the same thing can happen in a car.

�It's the same thing," Fowler says, "You're rubbing your clothes on the seat, and you can see there's a lot of rubbing going on, and as you stand, you are giving yourself a high voltage potential."

That static can turn dangerous when you go back to the nozzle. As vapors come out, just touching the nozzle can spark a fire.

A total of 78 percent of these fires happen to women. Why? Because they tend to get back into their cars more often than men. They look in the mirror to check their makeup, grab a purse on the floor, check on the kids in the back, or they get inside to stay warm during the winter months.

A video recording shows a perfect example of static electricity at work: A woman gets back into her car with the gas dispenser running. When she gets out of her car, and reaches for the nozzle, there's a blast of fire. Then she tries to put the fire out - grabbing the nozzle - and pulling it from the car. Something Fowler says that's something you should never do.

"The main thing to do is get away,� Fowler says. �If you have people in the car, get them out. Leave (the nozzle) alone. Do not touch that and do not pull it out."

A demonstration video shows what can happen if you pull out the nozzle after sparking a fire: Flames spread quickly. The fire (feeding off the fuel) becomes even worse.

To combat the problem, the top nozzle makers in the United States are now putting static fire warnings on all new nozzles and hose attachments.

Spinx gas stations in South Carolina were the first to put up warning pads. They not only warn you of the static danger, but you can touch them to discharge your static, eliminating the risk of sparks at the nozzle.

Eric Baumholser of Spinx notes, "A lot of our decals at this location are dirty, and that's a good thing because people are using them."

If your gas station doesn't have one of these pads, you can simply touch the door of your car to get rid of your static.

Sierra says that's something he learned the hard way. He feels lucky to be alive and believes someone was watching over him that day.

Experts say if you have passengers in your car when you stop for gas, make sure everyone unbuckles their seat belts while you are filling up. If there is a fire, they will be able to escape more quickly. And it will be easier for you to rescue a child.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

When I was fueling aircraft at VanNuys and LAX we had to "ground" the aircraft via a copper wire to the fueling truck, or to a station pump before touching the nozzle.

I've often wondered why they didn't have grounding reels at gas stations for cars.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

I think using a long jumper cable with clamps at both ends might be the sensible solution with a home setup.

no smoking zone >>> :smokin:

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Anyone know how long Coleman fuel or White Gas will last?

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Same question as Aware, I have a five gallons of Colemans fuel and about seven of the one gallon that are about six years old.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

I also have some that is REAL old....I mean the cans are rusted outside.....but they are sealed good, and I suspect they are fine.

Re: Gasoline Pump and Storage
 

Here's a pic of my 'gas station'. Gas on left, white tank, diesel on right, green tank, oils stored on shelves.

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...1_p108610.jpeg