Diesel storage

[defuzz]

now that diesel is getting ever higher, i figure its time to get myself a nice 20ltr jerry can and fill it up.

Whats the deal with storing diesel?  Does it have a limited shelf life?  How long can I store it for?
How safe would it be to keep a 20 ltr can in the back of the disco? (assuming it is properly prevented from flying when I brake)

Are there any legal complications?

[rokcrawlin]

If I remember correctly you now need a licence to store more than 5 gallons of fuel, diesel does not degenerate like petrol so can be stored for some time only thing you have to watch out for is condensation forming in the can and then contaminating the fuel

[Manicminer]

now that diesel is getting ever higher, i figure its time to get myself a nice 20ltr jerry can and fill it up.

 :?:  :?:
You are not going to save anything that way.By the time you add the cost of the can then it's twice as expensive.

If you buy in bulk direct from a supplier then you could have a p or two a litre off as a discount. You would have to buy something like 1000 litres min at a time. You still have the cost of a big bunded tank to consider and you would have to buy diesel for a few years before you make any saving.

[defuzz]

M Thomas, you're probably right.  My main reason is, as fuel prices rise, eventually we're going to find ourselves in the midst of another fuel protest.  If that happens again it would be comforting to know I've got a little stash, which at the very least would get me to work and back for a week or two.

[Bush Tucker Man]

If I remember correctly you now need a licence to store more than 5 gallons of fuel

Isn't it only petrol that needs a permit??

[NeilWilson]

Your local Trading Standards office should be able to tell you.  I checked with mine in 2004 about storing a few jerry cans of diesel in the shed - they said there was no legislation that a private person needs to comply with for storing diesel, other than if it was hundreds of litres then you might need to contact the Envirnonment Agency - I presume regarding possible sources of ground water contamination.  Cheers.

Neil

[defuzz]

so how safe is it store a 20l jerry can?  If its not in the back of the car, it has to live in my parent's she, no where to store it where I live....

[muddysteve]

diseasal is safe as houses, in a metal gerry can you cant go far wrong, its not liable to burst into flames or anything, we use gallons of the stuff at work and IMHO the worst thing it will do is make things smell bad if you spill it. If you buy it from a garage the best bet is to buy it in the winter if your planning on storing it for a while as theres more anti waxing agent put in it in the winter, so if you buy some now and store it use it before the weather gets cold

Steve

[big lizard]

i keep 5 liters in a small metal jerry can straped to one of the folding seats in the back
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/biglizard/disco/IM000029.jpg
it is better to have and NOT need than NEED and not have

[bovaboy]

M Thomas, you're probably right.  My main reason is, as fuel prices rise, eventually we're going to find ourselves in the midst of another fuel protest.  If that happens again it would be comforting to know I've got a little stash, which at the very least would get me to work and back for a week or two.

To be honest not being able to get to work due to no fault of my own would be a bonus!  :lol:

[Tony W]

i have 3 x20 ltr stored up most of the time and generally take 1 when going out on long trip nothing like being short and being stung like motorway prices :twisted:


 i have no rear seat 6-7 in mine and the fit in there nice i use a block next to my box to hold it down

[defuzz]

To be honest not being able to get to work due to no fault of my own would be a bonus!  :lol:

if only it was that simple, if I don't turn up, they don't pay me!!  I could cycle, I only live 4 miles away but its very hilly and no showers at work, so I'd be stinky all day, well, more than usual :-)

[thermidorthelobster]

There's an issue about selling fuel in this form, IIRC - I've seen garages with signs saying they can't sell you more than (I think) 10 litres in jerry cans, and these are the same garages which are selling 20l jerry cans!  There's some approval issue with 20l jerry cans, but I don't know the specifics.

My local BP is one example, but when I've filled jerry cans in the past I've not had any complaints.

David

[TimM]

There was a program on Channel 4 last night about the sudden influx of snow in 2003 - there were accidents on the motorways and everywhere just blocked up.

I lived in Cambridge at the time (very close to the M11 and A14 - two of the worst hit roads) and the word on the CB's and on local radio was that lots of people were keeping there engines running to keep warm - and were running out of fuel (either in the jam or between there and home afterwards as many garages didn't open as the staff couldn't get through either).

If you are going to keep extra jerry cans, the questions I would ask are:

1) Are you storing fuel that could easily fit in your tank (i.e. do you keep it full?)

2) What use is a can of fuel when it's at home and you are not?


Just a thought.

Tim.

[thermidorthelobster]

To pick on a point raised there, it's not safe to run the engine when snowed in.  The exhaust gases tend to get trapped around the vehicle, and it's not uncommon for people to suffocate, particularly in deep snow.  If you have a diesel you may be more lucky, as I've heard it's not possible to suffocate on diesel fumes, although you may die of coughing ;)

[TimM]

Don't worry, the snow was only inches deep not feet, what I was really pointing out was that diesel at home is not always the best idea, and more importantly that most people I know (both Land Rover owners and car owners) NEVER fill there tanks up (though I'm sure lots of people do), and so diesel stored in can when there is room for it in the tank is stupid.

Good point about the deep snow though - the one time I did get stuck (in a car) the police 'rescued' everyone in a Land Rover and took us to a 'emergency refuge centre', but I left my engine running then..... Have I been infected by fumes? It must be either the fumes or the trauma of being stuck that have led me into buying a Land Rover - At last I have found a reason!

Tim.