How To Store Gas

Why Storing Gas Is A Good Idea-

Some people thought my friend was crazy when I told them he was going to buy 500 gallons of gasoline. He did it for three reasons. He didnt want to have to stand in line to get gasoline in case of a natural disaster. Every time there is a hurricane people are in lines for hours and hours and get barely enough gasoline to go to work and back. I know you have seen the pictures and the news footage, it happens every time. He will be able to stay away from gas stations in a natural disaster or gas shortage. Click here to subscribe to my mailing list.

He will have plenty of fuel to run a generator to keep his food from spoiling when the power goes out. If power goes off for more than a day or so all the expensive meat in his freezer would go bad. I wouldn’t want that to happen. His gas supply is insurance for his perishable food.

He can save money by buying low and can use it when prices are high. Over the last 10 years gas prices have been their lowest during December and January. The summer is when they are the highest. It is just like stocks, buy low, sell high.

He bought his gas tank and waited for the prices to get their lowest. He was waiting for them to drop down to the bottom and start to come up again to know the true bottom. He bought as soon as we saw gas prices going up. In his area gas prices bottomed out at $2.73 per gallon, he called the gas company right when they started to rise up. He was 10 days late from buying at it lowest. In just 10 days the prices jumped up to $3.07.

We learned that gas stations are slower in raising their prices than the delivery companies. No worries though, within 2 weeks of him buying, gas stations are now at $3.15. That is 7 cents a gallon in savings. He wants to wait until gas costs 50 cents per gallon more before he starts using it.

How To Store Gas In Small Tanks-

To buy 500 gallons of gasoline you need a 500-gallon tank. If you’re like me and live in the city, that is not an option.You really must have at least an acre of land to store a large gas tank. Your tank has to be 50 feet from any structures.

For those of you who don’t have that much land, I recommend buying a bunch of 5 gallon tanks. You can easily store them in your garage or shed. Check local codes by calling the fire department if you are worried about safety.

Another option is to get a portable 13-gallon tank. They are on wheels and have a little pump handle. Having two or three of these is a good alternative if you live in the city. Having 3 of these would give you almost 40 gallons of gas. That could run a generator for a few days or give you week or more in your car.

Just know that you need to use gas within a year because it will go bad. If you want to store gas more long term you can buy a gas stabilizer that will make your gas store for about two years.

How To Store Gas In A Large Tank-

First you have to buy a tank. As my friend and I looked, we found that new gas tanks are super expensive. A new 250-gallon tank was over $1200. We found one on a local online classified. I found a couple on craigslist but they were not in good shape. The one we got was a 500-gallon used methanol tank. It cost him $550 and was in really good shape.

We wanted to make sure we were doing everything according to city code. He called the local fire department and they recommended having the tank 50 feet away from any structure. They said to have a retaining basin in case of any leaks. For his tank we got a 700-gallon steel water trough to set the tank and stand in. He got his tank at a local ranch store for $306. There were plastic tanks but this stainless steal tank will last forever.

The hardest part was getting all the right fittings for the hose and nozzle. We went back to the store 6 times before we got all the right pieces. The gas delivery guy helped us finally have all the right parts. There are certain nozzles and fittings you need to use if you want to gravity feed gas to your car. If you plan on using a pump, it is not tricky and you can use whatever you want.

He chose to go with a gravity feed system. It is a lot cheaper and in the case of an emergency you don’t want to have to supply power to a pump to get you gasoline. Hand crank pumps are available and range from $150 to $200.

Parts-

For the gravity feed to work well we needed to have 1” diameter fittings.

2” to 1” fitting converter makes the 2” hole in the tank convert to a 1” fitting.

1” locking shut off valve

Filter head and filter- make sure you get this kind of heavy-duty filter. The one we first tried to use was partially made of plastic and could freeze and crack. Filtering fuel before it enters your car is super important. You don’t want dirt, water, rust or paint chips getting into your car gas tank. This is the filter the gas delivery guy recommended.

1” 12 foot hose

1” fitting to ¾” nozzle gas handle- The gas handles that look like the ones you use at a gas station only flow if your gas is being pumped. You have to get the farmer one, like I have in this picture. The nozzle has to be ¾” so it will fit into your car.

Locks- Locks are crucial because you don’t want people stealing your fuel.

Gas gauge-You can also buy a gauge to know how many gallons you use each time. They are $50 to $150.

Fitting Parts Together-

When fitting the parts together make sure you use Gasoila E-Seal. It is the best product to use on you fittings to prevent leaking. Coat threads on both fittings and screw them together tight.

Follow the pictures in seeing how to put it together.

First step, coat threads with Gasoila E-Seal on tank and 2″ to 1″ converter fitting. Coat each side of threads before screwing all fittings in. Screw 2″ to 1″ fitting into tank. Coat and screw in the 1″ shut off valve. Close valve and put lock on. If you look at the picture close you will see a small sleeve that slides up and down the shut off handle. By sliding it down and inserting the lock makes it so no one can open it without a key.

Coat and screw in filter head. Screw in the filter into the filter head. Don’t coat threads of the filter. This kind of filter is good for up to two years of use. You know you need a new one when your gas stops flowing well. Coat and screw in the 12 foot hose into the filter head.

Coat and screw in the gas handle into the hose. Make sure all fittings are tight.

After all the fittings are screwed together, you are good to go. Call local gas delivery companies find the best deal and set up a time for them to come fill up your tank. Delivery should be included in the per gallon gas price.

I hope you know how to store gas now. Now my friend can have plenty of gas in case of an emergency, avoid standing in line if a disaster hits and save by buying low and using when prices are high. Leave any questions in the comments below or send me an email by filling out contact form under the contact tab. Click here to subscribe to my mailing list.

Authored by Steven Cooper Google