plastic gas cans

[RB]

I periodically store plastic gas cans with mower gas in 'em in the shed. These things typically have a vent cap that can be removed.

With the vent caps on, they sometimes plump up like a ball-park frank over a campfire because of expansion from warm air in the enclosed space. Should I go ahead and vent 'em---knowing that at some point I'll likely have no gas in the can from evaporation? Or, leave 'em closed?

If I do open the vent, do I in fact lose gas, over a period of time? With the vents open, I don't smell gas, so don't know exactly what's going on. Maybe there is no problem with leaving the vent caps open.

[David Efflandt]

I have had it with plastic gas cans. I have one with where the nozzle can store inside the main cap, but this winter when it inflated, it somehow blew gas/oil mix up the inside of the inverted nozzle out onto the garage floor. And even if that is not a problem they almost always leak from the base of the nozzle when pouring.

Your best bet is probably a metal safety can and funnel.

[Joseph Meehan]

They are designed to flex as you have noticed. However they also have a fill limit and if you overfill them you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Most allow you to fill them about 3/4 full or a little less.

I have one that you don't need to remove the cap to fill and it self stops when the mower is full. I love it.

[Doug Kanter]

I'd love to be able to find one.

[Charles Spitzer]

i got mine at an autoparts store.

[blue]

Do you recall where you got it or who makes it? I'd like to find one of those.

[Joseph Meehan]

I got it about three or four years ago at Lowes. I don't know if they still carry them.

I checked on line and the first hit was:

Which is what I have.

[J Kelly]

TrueValue hardware has them around here.

[SteveB]

"metal gas can" - 906 hits in .35 seconds - google

metal gas can (no " " marks around metal gas can) - 2,780,000 hits in .36 seconds - google

Steve

[Richard J Kinch]

Ooooo! Banned in CA, DE, NY, PA, MD and ME! Nassty gas can.

[Richard J Kinch]

Yes, you also admit condensing moisture with enough temp swing. Gasoline goes out, water goes in. Nature abhors purity.

Keep the caps on. The vapor pressure is significant, but inherently limited. A commercial product should be designed to contain it.

[Scout Lady]

[George E. Cawthon]

If you are talking about the typical low type used for mowers and hold about 2 gallons, then the answer is leave them vented. Close the vent if you transport the things in your car but be sure to leave some space above he liquid or you are likely to have gasoline squeeze out the fill hole.

In the shed, leave the vent hole open. I leave the vent open all winter and don't notice any particular loss of gasoline over four months (maybe I just forget, but there is still plenty of gas in the spring and in the fall the container is usually around 1/4 full). I leave the vent hole open all summer and don't notice any particular loss even when the temperature is at 90 F and seldom smell gasoline (and then, usually from a spill around the mower).

[m Ransley]

The question is not weather you loose gas but that you reduce its octane and allow moisture to enter, you realy shorten its life leaving it open

[Retiredff]

Doesn't say a thing about about being banned in those states. It says they can not be shipped to them.

Of course, you have to wonder why.

[RB]

This bizarre piece of legislation in Maine, which is apparently trying to make itself into California (not a good thing) imposes testing and record keeping on the manufacturer that is I'd guess is onerous enough to cause them to opt out of selling here.

The tree huggers got another piece of their agenda enacted into law.

RB

Retiredff wrote:

[Doug Kanter]

What kinda world is it where you have to mail order a metal gas can????? :-)

[Bob in CT]

A kind where people who create good search engines are about to make billions of dollars.

[Phisherman]

I loosen the vent cap and leave it that way to allow gas pressure to escape and to help pouring. If the there is a lot of evaporation, then the gas is likely stale and should be disposed--gasoline begins to deteriorate in two weeks unless a stabilizer additive is added. I tightly close the vent cap when transporting the gas (from the gas station to home) to prevent spillage.

[SteveB]

We were in Sunnyside, Nevada, camping. That is just due northeast of Rachel, Nevada, and just south of Lund, Nevada. IOW, it is out in the middle of nowhere. We saw dust approaching from the southeast, the direction of Rachel. After a time, we saw a brown UPS truck barreling down the dirt road shortcut between Rachel and Lund. Rachel has about 900 people, and Lund, probably less than that.

For these people who have a phone line and a UPS truck that comes a couple of times a week, why drive 180 miles round trip to Ely, Nevada, for a gas can?

Everyone doesn't live in the city. For those waaaaay out there, there's always the Internet.

Steve