The Blitz gasoline can - what went wrong - what needs to be fixed

[Nate Nagel]

For once, the Beam is 100% correct.

[jim beam]

how does my ass smell, brown nose?

[repairs]

I have one of these idiotic gas cans. I hate the damn thing with a passion, but until I find a replacement older style can at a garage sale or auction, I'm stuck with it. The other night I went to town after dark. I needed some gas for my tractor, and I put about 4 gallons in the 5 gal can, and placed it in the bed of my pickup truck, being sure to tie it to the truck rail so it dont tip over and possibly spill. Gas it too damn expensive to spill these days.

I got home late and was damn tired, so I went to sleep without putting the gas can in the shed. The next day was hot and sunny with temps well over 90 deg. Around noon I walked past my truck and noticed the gas can had ballooned out. The can was so bloated it was actually round, and was rocking back and forth from myself leaning against the truck. Only the twine I used to tie it kept it from falling over. I released the lever and a huge amount of gas smelling air came out. Even after allowing all the air to escape, the can was still rounded. I then put the can in the shed. Today the weather was cooler and when I went to get the gas can, it had gone the other way, now it was all sucked inward.

Those valves apparently do seal well, maybe too well. I wonder how much longer that can would have held the huge amount of pressure inside of it, sitting in the hot sun, before rupturing. And if I had not tied it, it would have tipped over, because it was only the twine that held it upright.

Somehow this does not seem safe. If the temperature had been higher, I'm afraid it would have blown up. There needs to be some sort of pressure relief on them, or KABOOM!

So much for government safety!

[Danny D]

While I agree with you that they blow up like a balloon, which makes them tip over easily, I don't think they'll ever actually explode from the 13 psi above atmospheric vapor pressure inside.

If you didn't see it, here's a picture I had posted of my 5-gallon Blitz gasoline can where I took two cans from the shaded shed, and put one in the sun, and the other next to it, in the shade, for ten minutes ... look what happened:

[Jerrod]

Yah, this is serious shit. There should be a law that requires all new gas cans have a charcoal canister/vapor recovery unit on them.

Remember, it's for the children!

[CRNG]

On Thu, 16 May 2013 01:08:11 -0500, [e-mail] wrote in Re Blitz gasoline cans may be dangerous and explode:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's publication "AP-42: Compilation of Air Pollution Emission Factors", Chapter 7, Table

7.1-2, publishes the True vapor pressures (in psia) for gasolines having Reid Vapor Pressures of 7.

That Table 7.1-2 is at:

Extracted from the table

deg F: 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 psi: 7.8, 8.3, 10, 11.5, 13, 13.5 and 15.

In your case the temp of the can was probably well over 100F so the internal pressure was well over 15psi.

[Danny D.]

Angus, at CARB, told me that the California Winter forumulation had a RVP of 13.

Does that mean that California gasoline is more volatile than those having an RVP of 7?

[Mark Lloyd]

The lack of a vent makes flow erratic. I'll be filling my mower, and it has slowed to a trickle. Then along comes a burst, causing gas to spill on the mower.

[snip]

[bob haller]

I use gasoline to clean bearings before repacking. Just a little in a small pan.

Much of the gasoline NEVER evaporates. just a one inch deep sluge remains 3 weeks later.

i have tried using bearing cleaner without much success.......

its a big job getting to them, and i dont want to have to do the job again because all the crud wasnt removed....

[Doug Miller]

jim beam wrote in news:kmv07h$au$ [e-mail]:

and a brain.

[Danny D]

Bad news on finding a simple one-piece Blitz replacement cap:

The Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation 855-708-6333 yellow *water* jug caps arrived in the mail today - and they are far too small.

[CRNG]

On Mon, 20 May 2013 23:34:10 +0000 (UTC), Danny D wrote in Re Re: The Blitz gasoline can - what went wrong - what needs to be fixed:

Bummer.

[Vic Smith]

That was just a dice roll.

[krw]

Not even a good one.

[bob haller]

anyone try a briggs and stratton gas tank lid? oce I accidently swapped a gas can lid with my engine lid, the threads were the same.

I only found the problem when the engine quit, since gas cap lids have no vent.

but after seeing gas cans very big from pressure a vented one appears a good idea. my cans live in the shed.

[Danny D]

Well, the *theory* was that Hopkins bought all the molds from the now-defunct Blitz company *except* the gas-can molds, but, the (bad) roll of the dice was that the caps *might* fit.

Clearly they're not even close. :(

I'm still waiting for my replacement caps from the other order.

[Danny D]

What they really need are consumer use-model specifications.

They have mandated that the gas stays in the can. That's half the spec.

Now they need to mandate that a consumer can get the gas *out* of the can!

[krw]

I would *never* have expected a container that was used to hold a toxic and dangerous chemical to be the same as one used for potable water. Pipe and fittings for flammable gas and liquids are intentionally made so they can't be confused.

If they're intended for gasoline containers, I'd give them a *much* better chance of fitting. If they're meant for other liquids, not so much.

[Harry K]

Same story. The old style spouts fit the old style cans, they will not fit the epa type. EPA knew we would be trying that.

Harry K

[DMorgan]

Amen...worst idea ever. I am disabled and have limited arm use. Being able to use this gas can spout is nearly impossible for me. The spout doesn't re ally work anyway. Tip it up and gas leaks out. It is so cumbersome that I s pill gas all over the place. I don't see having to buy an additional spout to be able to use this gas can. I will be returning this overpriced gas can . My best suggestion is to send emails to Blitz telling them how bad this i dea was for consumers.