I had earlier reported I use Pri-G in my gasoline for storage. Today was my 1 year test.
I live in Florida. Prior to hurricane season I fill my gas cans and normally don’t let let them sit longer than 3 months before using. However, I did keep 1 can of undosed gas for 6 months. When poured in a nearly empty car gas tank it caused rough running after about 1–2 miles. Filling the rest of the tank with fresh gas stopped the rough running. After that I bought some Pri-G off the internet and treated gas for the next hurricane season. The next year I then used gas treated 6, 7, and 8 months ago in the car…no rough running. After those tests, I had 2 5 gallon cans of treated gas left. They are now a year old. I just finished putting one of them in the nearly empty car tank and drove 10 miles…smooth running, no roughness. I am going to now re-treat the remaining year old gas and hope it’s not needed so I can let it sit another year before using/testing it to see what happens.
Note: I tried treating the gas I use in my Honda Element over several tankfulls and did not experience increased gas mileage like Pri-G claims it can provide.
I have not tested Stabil. I used Pri-G, as I liked the claim of less carbon buildup in my generators. I cannot verify that is true yet.
I’d like to know the results of the “already 1-year-old” gas that you’re now adding Pri-G to. I would think that the gasoline would have degraded quite a bit already, having sat untreated for a year. But alas, I have to wait a year to find out, don’t I? :-(
The remaining can of gas was treated with Pri-G in August 2005 (bought just before Katrina). You are supposed to retreat every year. I readily admit this is not scientific testing, but I am convinced it works for preserving gasoline and will continue to use it. I cannot verify its other claims.
My sincerest hope is that I do get to test that can of gas next year, as that means I didn’t have to use it for hurricanes or BF. I store my gas in 20 liter steel Swiss military surplus fuel cans…they are airtight and do not let fumes out like some of the plastic cans.
And where, may I ask, did you come across Swiss military surplus fuel cans?
Sportsmansguide.com It looks like they don’t have any right now, but periodically check back. They get a shipment in, sell out, and get more. They were $14 when I bought them. Some had dings; all were serviceable. They come with a set of little metal signs that slip into a holder that tell what liquid is in the can. They don’t come with much of a spout, so I use a funnel.
Like the cans myself. Got a dozen 10 are exc, 1 good, one fair. I have used Stabil with good results on gas up to 15 months old.
Where does everyone STORE all that gas??? I’ve got two 5 gallon marine tanks and scares the bejeezes out of having them in a larger plastic container in the back yard (Phoenix area, 110 degrees. . .
Sportsmansguide.com. I swear by this company. Better than any Army surplus store I’ve ever been in!!!
SCW AZ – at 23:46 --- Bury it underground a couple of feet. The Sun won’t get to it, and it should stay “relatively” cool.
Although not listed in their web site via search by name, if you search by stock number HX6X−23686, they now have the Swiss military gas cans in stock. $14.97 (Buyer’s club $13.47) Sportsmansguide.com I have no affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer.
If I may put forth a theory, I have heard many people say that they have had trouble using gasoline that had been stored for 6 months even though it had been treated. Could this possibly be a result of using the wrong “season” of gasoline rather than a degradation of the fuel itself? I am storing 10 gallons of gasoline each month and labeling the cans. I hope to use each month’s worth one year later. Of course if gasoline is not available, I will use what I have stored until it is all gone. But, barring any emergencies, I plan to dump the cans into a vehicle on the corresponding month that it was stored last year.
Bronco Bill – at 00:07 Bury it underground a couple of feet. The Sun won’t get to it, and it should stay “relatively” cool.
Bronco Bill: I have come to take your posts as reliable in the months I’ve been reading the wiki. I have considered doing this myself, but is there some resource you can point me to that says this is OK? And if you bury metal containers (as with these Swiss Army gas cans), won’t they degrade and leak? Our land is part of a beautiful marsh from which we will use surface water if push comes to shove. I don’t want to damage the marsh at all, and certainly not if we are going to rely on it for water. What do you think?
Hillbilly Bill: Like Bronco Bill, your posts are always full of tons of great info. Am I correct in recalling that you store your gas in outbuildings? If not, how do you store it?
Thanks!
Edna Mode – at 08:33 --- Couple of things you can do:
Place one or two cans into non-biodegradeable plastic bags and bury ‘em that way. Covered, the dirt will hold the bags tightly against the cans.
Hillbilly Bill- One thing to consider in storing gasoline for a long time (which I do) is that due to the seasonal blends, the gas which is made for winter has a much higher vapor pressure. I first caught onto what this meant one hot summer when I went out to the shed and all of my gas cans were trying to look like inflated balloons.
If you keep winter blend gas over the summer, there is a higher probability that the high volatility components will try to outgas, leaving you with a less complete version of what you bought.
In my own life, I have taken to stocking up on summer blend near the end of the season (pretty soon now), doping it with twice the recommended dose of Stabil, and then running on it till gone (sometimes a year if we don’t get too much snow and too much grass).
Edna Mode – at 08:33
I am fortunate to have multiple safe places to store fuel. I have a detached garage where I keep about 10–15 gallons. Also at the family farm about 1/2 mile away, we have multiple, well ventilated, outbuildings for equipment. I keep the majority of my fuels, (gasoline, kerosene, deisel), there because they are distant from any residences and have concrete floors.
HBB, I love your comments/suggestions but…you knew that was coming…:−0 Digging a hole deep enough in most of the desert to bury a gas can would probably require the use of some kind of explosive. Kinda frowned on.
As I was driving around running errands today wondering about the wisdom/safety of storing gasoline underground, I realized what a complete numbnut I am. It’s only what every gas station in the world does. Oi! Thanks Bronco Bill and Hillbilly Bill.
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