Store Gasoline Safely Using These Simple Tips - Page 2 of 2

Without special help, gasoline can typically only be stored for between 3 and 6 months because the octane degrades. However, you can add stabilizers to help your gasoline last longer. You should also be aware of your local regulations regarding gasoline storage. Once you've done that, you can take these steps to ensure safe long-term storage of your gasoline:

STORAGE CONTAINERS
As we have already mentioned, gasoline has to be stored in appropriate containers to match safety precautions and legal demands when it comes to using and storing gas on private properties.

Gasoline needs to be stored in barrels with a capacity of less than 5 gallons. All containers have to have lids where you can use sealable containers or tanks. The best and the safest option is to buy a tank or a container that is specifically made for storing gasoline as gasoline is extremely flammable and may (and will) cause damage on the open flame. Even when you are filling small engines up with gasoline, you need to make sure that the engine is well cooled and cold to avoid accidents.

You also need to avoid spills, consequently avoiding accidents, so keep your gasoline containers sealed. Every container you have bought and are using for this purpose has to be approved and made for the purpose of storing gasoline, making storing gasoline safe and legal.

If you are planning on storing gasoline on your property, make sure you have replied to all safety regulations when it comes to picking the right type of containers for gasoline storage.

STORAGE ROOM
Besides from choosing the right type of containers for storing gas, you also need to make sure that the room where gasoline is stored is indeed the most suitable environment for keeping gasoline.

Otherwise, you are risking having an accident with gasoline spills, fire and poisoning. In order to have a suitable storage room for gasoline, the room temperature should be normal and kept cool. Gasoline containers should be placed away from light sources, such as direct and indirect sunlight. This is why the basement could be one of the best possible choices for storing gasoline.

If there is a furnace in your basement, avoid placing the gasoline containers there and try to find more suitable and safer storage room for the gasoline you are saving for rainy days.

Also, you should keep the gas containers from any and every possible heat source: hot water boilers, furnaces and similar devices with heat emissions, regardless of how low heat emissions are considered to be – having containers placed near or in the same room with heat sources is considered reckless and utterly unsafe, so in case of an accident, you are risking losing your home, your supplies and your life even. That is precisely why gasoline needs to be handled and stored with care.

Gasoline tanks and containers should also be kept far from any sources of ignition, such as pilot lights. Make sure you keep all the gasoline containers for at least fifty feet away from sources of ignition.

WHERE TO STORE GASOLINE?
The basement might be a fairly good option for storing gasoline on long term basis, but as safety is our main point of discussion, we need to stress out that keeping dangerous, flammable substances such as gasoline, in your living space and within your home is not safe at all. Even though you have all safety regulations in place, there are some things you just can’t control and one of the external factors that might stand in a way of safety is having children playing around the room where gasoline is stored.

Gasoline should be kept away from children, no matter how safely stored you think your supplies are. In order to avoid any possible accident, you should consider (definitely consider and plan out) storing the gasoline tanks outside your home. You could use a shed if you have one in your backyard, but you can also easily make one. Make sure that the shed is well made, strong, resistant to rain where you know that your supplies won’t be affected by bad weather and where there are no heat sources that can affect the gasoline and cause accidents.

You can also have the gasoline stored in a garage as long as your garage is safe enough having it built in a way that your living space is separated from the garage. Remember: keep the gasoline away from children, and preferably away from your living space.

Another reason why gasoline should be stored outside your living space is because of the fact that gas evaporates and the vapors produced are heavier than air, so when evaporating, gas can travel across the ground (floor in this case) – in case there is a source of ignition anywhere near, you are probably doomed to facing devastating consequences. Safety first!