[obelisk]

I am heading up to PNG and Indonesia in a few weeks and this time I will have an extra piece of equipment, a gasoline powered dive copmpressor. There will be five of us on board, all divers, so the thing will be running a lot. I want to take some extra gas above the regular jerry cans I carry for dinghy fuel but they are trerribly expensive here in NZ/. The shop near my mooring has loads of these oil and hydraulic fluid jugs in the recycling area and i was wondering, Why not use some of these? They are obviously OK for petroleum products and very sturdy. Because they have no vents, if I avoid filling them all the way to leave room for expansion, is there any reason i shouldn't carry these as backup? I will clean them thoroughly with a bit of diesel first. Any red flags here?

Thanks

 

[MedSailor]

Nope. I've used the same jugs, though they had cooking oil in them previously. I didn't even bother to clean them out too much, the cooking oil would likely do the diesel engine some good. The only issue is make sure you've got a good funnel with a wide mouth because pouring from them can be a pain. Also, if you don't fill them completely, and pour while holding them sideways, they're easier to pour without the "glug glug splash!" that can happen when pouring from a traditional position with a fully filled jug.

Save a buck, fill 'em up, and go get wet!

MedSailor

 

[SoOkay]

You're good to go with those. You've covered contamination and venting. Can't imagine what else would be a problem.

Have fun diving you lucky dog!

 

[safira]

The only problem I see would be the venting of them ... to cure that ... fill about 3/4 and do not tighten the cap all the way

 

[ebs001]

I can't speak for NZ but in Canada and probably in the USA as well these are not approved gasoline containers and as such can be refused at filling stations. They would also in some cases void insurance coverage.

I have never seen a vented jerry can. To me it would be unwise to allow for venting except when emptying as gas vapours would present an ever present chance of explosion and or fire.

 

[obelisk]

thanks guys. i'm going to pick some of the best, clean 'em up and have the gas to do LOTS of diving in PNG/Indo!

 

[wind_magic]

I've had three of the ventless approved gasoline containers rupture.

#1 was in the sunlight and expanded and ruptured near one of the top corners so no actual gasoline was lost, it just made its own vent, and I'm just glad it didn't do so explosively.

#2 was not so fortunate. It was a container that seemed to be strong, no obvious problems, but after sitting for a while developed a leak along what looked like a seam, though I don't think it really was a seam because I think the containers are formed as one solid piece. That resulted in gasoline leaking all over the place, a dangerous situation. This again may have been due to the container being in sunlight at some time before the leak appeared.

Moral of the story. Be careful with these containers in sunlight. They may be made to expand when the sun shines on them, but they can still be a safety hazard once the pressure builds.

Edit

#3 I just remembered that I had a third failure, one of the black plastic "safety" nozzles broke during use which also resulted in a gasoline spill.

 

[Group9]

I've had three of the ventless approved gasoline containers rupture.

#1 was in the sunlight and expanded and ruptured near one of the top corners so no actual gasoline was lost, it just made its own vent, and I'm just glad it didn't do so explosively.

#2 was not so fortunate. It was a container that seemed to be strong, no obvious problems, but after sitting for a while developed a leak along what looked like a seam, though I don't think it really was a seam because I think the containers are formed as one solid piece. That resulted in gasoline leaking all over the place, a dangerous situation. This again may have been due to the container being in sunlight at some time before the leak appeared.

Moral of the story. Be careful with these containers in sunlight. They may be made to expand when the sun shines on them, but they can still be a safety hazard once the pressure builds.

Edit

#3 I just remembered that I had a third failure, one of the black plastic "safety" nozzles broke during use which also resulted in a gasoline spill.

I had a small 3 gallon gasoline tank for my outboard do the same thing. I went out on deck and saw it swollen to about 1.5 times it's normal size. I was almost scared to pick the thing up!

 

[SailRedemption]

Those examples are the reason why construction sites are required to have metal fuel containers. More expensive but at least you don't have to worry about leaky tanks or worse tanks busting open.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Cap-Couillon]

I've used the cooking oil containers in Central America for diesel with no problems, but would worry about gasoline due to the higher vapor pressure. Diesel leak smells, gasoline leak can equal a really bad day.

Colored containers stand up longer in UV than clear. Either will eventually harden and crack.

 

[Group9]

I've used the cooking oil containers in Central America for diesel with no problems, but would worry about gasoline due to the higher vapor pressure. Diesel leak smells, gasoline leak can equal a really bad day.

Colored containers stand up longer in UV than clear. Either will eventually harden and crack.

After a year in the sun, the yellow plastic diesel cans I was carrying on deck for spare fuel, were just about done. One started leaking and I realized I could almost put my finger through all of them.

 

[benesailor]

Scepter Jerry Fuel Cans 20L MFC USGI Military Army USMC Fuel Spout Nozzle | eBay

Scepter military fuel cans are the best. But, illegal for sale in the US because they don't meet EPA standards. (But ok for the military?) Don't leak, wide mouth/screw in spout, explosion proof. Guranteed not to leak; i consider that important. Can be found used on-line.

Safest can for storage on board. They make great water cans as well.

 

[TakeFive]

Always remember: Free advice in the Internet is worth what you paid for it...and often less.

Nobody here has mentioned the possibility of static buildup, and its potential to spark an explosion or nasty gasoline fire. Any plastic container that is not specifically designed for gasoline may be susceptible to static buildup. (I've always assumed that approved plastic gasoline containers have conductive additives compounded into the plastic to prevent static buildup.)

For this reason, I would NEVER put gasoline in ANY plastic container that was not specifically designed for the purpose.

Even containers that were designed for kerosene or diesel fuel would not be acceptable. Not all petroleum products are the same. Kerosene and diesel are not flammable (they are merely combustible), so I would expect that their containers do not need the same level of anti-static protection.

I hope you guys who are advising that he use these cans are ready to bear the liability for the injuries that your misguided advice might cause.

 

[pdqaltair]

... Nobody here has mentioned the possibility of static buildup, and its potential to spark an explosion or nasty gasoline fire. Any plastic container that is not specifically designed for gasoline may be susceptible to static buildup. (I've always assumed that approved plastic gasoline containers have conductive additives compounded into the plastic to prevent static buildup.)...

Bingo.

I few years ago I did an accident investigation regarding a tank that was ignited by pumping static./ I would have thought it was a million to one... until I saw it. And for all you guy that think diesel is better because it can't explode, it was ULSD (mist from high speed fueling is explosive).

Read this from CDC regarding filling gasoline jugs.

CDC - NIOSH Publications and Products - Fire Hazard from Filling Portable Gas Cans in Pickup Trucks and Cars (98-111)

This is the wrong place to save a buck. Personally, I hunted up some non-carb jerry cans. The carb design causes more spill and emissions than it saves, I have no doubt.

---

Regarding can over pressure, the cause is E-10. The vapor pressure is considerably higher than non-ethanol gasoline but they are not yet designing for it.

 

[capecodda]

I hope this isn't considered a thread hijack, but the question is related.

I don't know about you guys, but I leave my dingy gas can tied down on deck...no gas below decks. I'm using a small outboard with integral gas tank, so I've got a small plastic can with a spout. The little gas cans at the hardware store or West Marine that are labeled for gas aren't vented. On a sunny day, they blow up like balloons.

I've never had one burst, but I've often wondered is this safe?

 

[Ajax_MD]

This is just one more reason why I prefer my electric dinghy propulsion.

 

[SoOkay]

you know, static buildup is something I hadn't thought about. Learn something every day.

So here's a question then, wouldn't the metal jerry cans be even worse in this regard?

I guess there's a reason to use the right can for the right fluid after all.

 

[Brewgyver]

you know, static buildup is something I hadn't thought about. Learn something every day.

So here's a question then, wouldn't the metal jerry cans be even worse in this regard?

I guess there's a reason to use the right can for the right fluid after all.

The short answer is they COULD be wores, if they are insulated from ground.

Static charges typically build up on non-conductive surfaces, or on conductive surfaces that are insulated, with no path to ground. Steel (and aluminum) fuel tanks are highly conductive, and therefore typically will not accumulate the millions of excess electrons needed to make a static spark, as they are continuously bled off to ground, IF they are grounded. That is why it is dangerous (and illegal) to fill a portable can sitting in a vehicle. When you put the can on the ground, and fill it slowly, the charge dissipates because of the cans conductance and contact with ground.

Twenty years ago I had to clean up a lot of broken glass - about 50 square feet of tempered glass window that had been shattered into very small pieces. Stupidly, I proceeded to suck it all up with a heavy duty shop vac. Then, after turning off the vac and reacing to unplug it, the shock from my hand to the screw on the outlet coverplate knocked the crap out of me!

 

[pcmm]

The only thing I would be worried about is someone accidentally topping off your water tanks with the contents of the blue can! Blue is (in this part of the world) the standard container colour for drinkable water!

 

[wind_magic]

I've never had one burst, but I've often wondered is this safe?

See my post on the first page of this thread, they will rupture.