The recent blackout has me thinking a bit about keeping some diesel fuel on hand in 5 gallon cans, just in case. For how long could I expect to keep diesel fuel around like that and be confident I could use it in my truck without screwing something up? Is there a way to treat it to lengthen the storage life?

 

Walmart and other places sell a gasonline/diesel fuel stabilizer that is suppose to keep the fuel fresh.. Look in the lawn and garden section and/or the automotive area.. Im assuming it does what it says it does..

One thing is to make sure the cans are filled as much as possible so you dont get water vaper forming in the can (and in the fuel)..

You may need to treat it with an anti-fungal additive as well.. Not sure who long it takes for fungus to grow in a container though..

One alternative is to use the fuel in the can every month or so and then refill them.. that way it wont have time for anything bad to happen to them..

A good source of information would be a local fuel oil company if you need some additiona information..

 

Thanks for the tip. I've put that stabilizer in my lawn mower for the winter, but I never noticed whether it was safe for diesel or not. Guess I'll have to look around and see what the labels say. That should make it good to go for at least three or four months, I'd think, if the mower is any indication.

 

depends where you're going to store it. For my 55 gal drums, I have dessicating breather/filters on the small bung to keep out moisture and dirt, and help absorb a bit of moisture from the fuel as it heats and contracts with the temp changes.

Racor makes a pretty popular biocide for storage. Check their site...

 

I'm not planning on anything as big as 55 gallon barrels, just some 5 gallon cans in the garage as an emergency backup. Should be pretty easy to rotate them every three or four months. I checked Racor's site and didn't find anyone nearby on their distributor list, but I'm sure someone around here sells a similar product.

 

A couple of months should not be an issue as long as the containers are not subject to major temperature fluctuations that would cause condensation to form inside the cans. This can begin to grow some real funky stuff believe it or not.