Colin_S
Well-Known Member
I've heard petrol goes 'off' after a while but does this apply to diesel? I've got a few gallons that are getting on for a year old and wonder how long they are good for.
Diesel shelf life
- Thread starter Colin_S
- Start date
abraxus
Well-Known Member
11 months
Freebee
Well-Known Member
if its in a sealed dark container with no water bottom, many years.
Colin_S
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
if its in a sealed dark container with no water bottom, many years.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well it's in a very dark railway arch with 2 padlocks so I guess it should be OK. Thanks Mike.
if its in a sealed dark container with no water bottom, many years.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well it's in a very dark railway arch with 2 padlocks so I guess it should be OK. Thanks Mike.
abraxus
Well-Known Member
Sorry Colin, I'm just in one of those moods tonight.
Colin_S
Well-Known Member
Me too, probably something to do with the remains of a large glass of scotch carefully placed inches away from my right hand /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
2Tizwoz
Well-Known Member
All sorts of things are put under railway arches.
On the other hand 'they' put a security fence around the end arch of a viaduct out in the woods. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
On the other hand 'they' put a security fence around the end arch of a viaduct out in the woods. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
G
Guest
Guest
Neither Petrol or Diesel have shelf lifes as such .... just daft containers allowing light ends to vapourise off ...
Diesel is a heavier medium than petrol and is far less likley to suffer degradation ... kept in a reasonable sealed container in a cool place and no strong light on it ... YEARS AND YEARS can go by ... still good.
Petrol - should be in sealed container preferably dark and in cool place ... good for long periods ... I have some that is over a year old - no problem ...
The only time that you may have a problem and then its minor - usually means that octane or cetane number drops a point or so .. is when its a blended product and the product is repeatedly opened etc. allowing gases to vent ...
Just to qualify the above ... before I get accused of bolleaux again ... I run Fuel Labs and quality / quantity inspection of these very products .... ok ...
Diesel is a heavier medium than petrol and is far less likley to suffer degradation ... kept in a reasonable sealed container in a cool place and no strong light on it ... YEARS AND YEARS can go by ... still good.
Petrol - should be in sealed container preferably dark and in cool place ... good for long periods ... I have some that is over a year old - no problem ...
The only time that you may have a problem and then its minor - usually means that octane or cetane number drops a point or so .. is when its a blended product and the product is repeatedly opened etc. allowing gases to vent ...
Just to qualify the above ... before I get accused of bolleaux again ... I run Fuel Labs and quality / quantity inspection of these very products .... ok ...
Pisces
Well-Known Member
Hi Nigel
Some random thoughts you might be able to help with.
Does shaking the can before you open it cause some ot the lighter part of the vapours to re disolve? My Dad always shook fuel containers before use - I guess this is why.
Would it be better to store petol in a carboy (sp) with a tap at the base so that the fumes cannot escape?
Just pondering
Some random thoughts you might be able to help with.
Does shaking the can before you open it cause some ot the lighter part of the vapours to re disolve? My Dad always shook fuel containers before use - I guess this is why.
Would it be better to store petol in a carboy (sp) with a tap at the base so that the fumes cannot escape?
Just pondering
G
Guest
Guest
Agitation of fuel ...
Actually agitation of any liquid liable to create vapours increases the vapour thrown off !!
eg - I used to sail on LNG tankers many moons ago ... (Methane to you lot !!) We had boil-off as you can imagine which powered the main boilers. If we had calm weather - boil-off was quite low. If we had rough weather boil-off often reached levels that we would have all machinery running ... winches, all sorts to use up the greatly increased amount of gas given off.
Shaking a can .... funny thing is I do it as well ... and I cannot honestly explain why ! There is no real reason to as it should not separate given reasonable useage time.
Carboy ???? Wasted effort I would say ... but worst staorage container is a plastic one such as a DIY store plastic can with screw top - they are not vapour-tight and often even drip fluids when upturned ... Fitting lid with tissue / paper / other gasket idea makes it worse as well !!
Best is a proper glass sample bottle as we use ... OR the Land-Rover military Jerry-can .... designed to seal in desert conditions ......... I store all my gasoline for lawn tractor use etc. in a 20ltr Jerry-can .... short-term stuff for near immediate use in the plastic fuel-cans supplied at petrol stations etc.
Outboard tanks - fixed and portable are not really suitable either for long-term - even though I am guilty like most others of this one !!
Actually agitation of any liquid liable to create vapours increases the vapour thrown off !!
eg - I used to sail on LNG tankers many moons ago ... (Methane to you lot !!) We had boil-off as you can imagine which powered the main boilers. If we had calm weather - boil-off was quite low. If we had rough weather boil-off often reached levels that we would have all machinery running ... winches, all sorts to use up the greatly increased amount of gas given off.
Shaking a can .... funny thing is I do it as well ... and I cannot honestly explain why ! There is no real reason to as it should not separate given reasonable useage time.
Carboy ???? Wasted effort I would say ... but worst staorage container is a plastic one such as a DIY store plastic can with screw top - they are not vapour-tight and often even drip fluids when upturned ... Fitting lid with tissue / paper / other gasket idea makes it worse as well !!
Best is a proper glass sample bottle as we use ... OR the Land-Rover military Jerry-can .... designed to seal in desert conditions ......... I store all my gasoline for lawn tractor use etc. in a 20ltr Jerry-can .... short-term stuff for near immediate use in the plastic fuel-cans supplied at petrol stations etc.
Outboard tanks - fixed and portable are not really suitable either for long-term - even though I am guilty like most others of this one !!
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
In my experience diesel has no shelf life as it will
run off the shelf almost immediately.
run off the shelf almost immediately.
pappaecho
Well-Known Member
A firend of mine used to run the TV switching centre in the Post office Tower, and they used to have 6 diesel standby generators in the basement. After 30 years of merely testing the genny's but not actually using them in emergency, they stood some down. At the same time they looked at the diesel in the tanks which were so old that it had been paid in predecimal proper money that is pounds, shillings and pence.
When "revalued" at 1997 prices they made a very handsome paper profit... and by the way the diesel still ran the generators then and probably still does today
When "revalued" at 1997 prices they made a very handsome paper profit... and by the way the diesel still ran the generators then and probably still does today
brianhumber
Well-Known Member
Re: Agitation of fuel ...
Keep up the good work Nigel - have been a having a chuckle over on the PBO forum this morning.
Re shaking - My dad who trained as an aircraft engineer fitter with RR in the early 1930s and spent many years battling with poor quality fuel in the deserts etc always shook and swirled - Like father like son and I always do as well.
It may also be a hang over from two stroke days when long stored cans of fuel were found and used in the garden Jap and Villers engines of the 50s and 60s. I still have our 1952 Ransome mower and Allan Scythe in my garage. The fuel mix used in those is a good 15 years old and still they start and smoke first pull.
Bri
Keep up the good work Nigel - have been a having a chuckle over on the PBO forum this morning.
Re shaking - My dad who trained as an aircraft engineer fitter with RR in the early 1930s and spent many years battling with poor quality fuel in the deserts etc always shook and swirled - Like father like son and I always do as well.
It may also be a hang over from two stroke days when long stored cans of fuel were found and used in the garden Jap and Villers engines of the 50s and 60s. I still have our 1952 Ransome mower and Allan Scythe in my garage. The fuel mix used in those is a good 15 years old and still they start and smoke first pull.
Bri
G
Guest
Guest
Other thread ....
YEh - creases me up ....
The two - stroke one is valid ... I can remember rocking my Lambretta side to side to make sure fuel was mixed ... remember the days of 1/6d of petrol and 2 shots of 2T .... I even used to shake the Lambo next day to make sure I didn't oil up the plugs !! with any 2T in bottom of tank etc.
Problem is nowadays that true gasoline is not anymore available ... it is a blend of various unlikely products and other gasolines ... enough said !!
Cheers .... and keep chuckling ....
YEh - creases me up ....
The two - stroke one is valid ... I can remember rocking my Lambretta side to side to make sure fuel was mixed ... remember the days of 1/6d of petrol and 2 shots of 2T .... I even used to shake the Lambo next day to make sure I didn't oil up the plugs !! with any 2T in bottom of tank etc.
Problem is nowadays that true gasoline is not anymore available ... it is a blend of various unlikely products and other gasolines ... enough said !!
Cheers .... and keep chuckling ....