Disposing of old fuel

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Slight drift here - I inherited with my boat a 5ltr plastic can of diesel that is now at least 3 years old. I am not going to put in my boat tank and I have a petrol car. I was going to tip it in the oil disposal container at the marina - any better ideas?

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How bigs your boat tank ? 5 ltrs will make literally no difference at all ......... if really worried ... get 10 ltr can and mix 5 fresh with 5 old ... THEN pour into tank ...

The only time you should think is when you buy the stock ... winter spec diesel is different to summer ... (actually Gasoline has winter and summer as well ... but that's on RVP and not same ball-game and will make no difference to you).
 
I always suspectthat carb hasn't been drained of well or fuel hasn't been mixed up well before trying that restart next season ... if any gums / heavy components drop to base of tank ... carb etc. - what will happen ? You end up with what is claimed to be stale fuel ...

I don't say all people have this ... but IMHO - there may be more than just age of the fuel.

I have old fuel sit in my outboard tanks .. I have various containers of old fuel ... I give all a good shake before use ... they start and I purr of down the river etc.
 
Many new cars incl. Mercs are designed to burn a small amount of Lub oil ... some even quote a rate they burn at ...

The amount of 2T in a small can of mix thrown into your car will as long as you fill up with what you normally use ... shouldn't do much harm ... but this is personal opinion - not labs.

I have put 2T into my Volvo when short on fuel to get me to petrol station ... haven't had any effects shown yet - and it has Emissions check annually ...
 
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Many new cars incl. Mercs are designed to burn a small amount of Lub oil

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Are you sure this is true for petrol cars - I know my VW diesel is designed to burn some oil and the service intervals reflect this -but not heard the same for petrols?

Jonny
 
For several years I have disposed of the contents of my 6gal tank in my wife's petrol Astra with no ill effects. 2 stroke mix is only 1/100 so should not be detrimental. If you are concerned, just put a couple of gallons in a full tank.
Cheers,
GM
 
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Most marina's have a disposal facility (Fleetwood has a couple of huge oil drums you can tip used oil/fuel etc into) - don't ask what they do with it though (best not to know!)

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It probably gets used for heating oil - one of those drip feed industrial type workshop heaters. But I bet they don't like petrol in it though!
 
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Most marina's have a disposal facility (Fleetwood has a couple of huge oil drums you can tip used oil/fuel etc into) - don't ask what they do with it though (best not to know!)

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It probably gets used for heating oil - one of those drip feed industrial type workshop heaters. But I bet they don't like petrol in it though!

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If me - I'd use it for the Marina Work-boat !!
 
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I'd use it for the Marina Work-boat !!

[/ QUOTE ] Mixed with old engine oil, gear oil, paint and antifouling thinners, water, cooking oil 'cos the Council tip wont take it, and any other oily waste you can think of. Going to have a very sick work boat!
 
There was an interesting thread on this some time ago. I have been known to use a small amount to start a bonfire (when I was young and stupid). Goes up a treat. But (isn't there always a 'but') it's possible for it to not just ignite fiercely, instead it seems to vaporise in the air just above the bonfire and then explode - and it makes one hell of a bang. Perhaps SBC can step in here with the technical details - suffice to say that I wouldn't now use petrol to start a bonfire!
 
Councils should have the facility to take it away. About 3 years ago I had about 50 litres of contaminated diesel from when I renewed my fuel tank as well as 25 litres of used thinners. I rang up my local council and they said they would collect it - which they eventually did about 6 weeks later. They just picked up the 5 gallon drums and that was it!
 
Ok ... accepted ... but I think original post mentioning marine waste drums .. I assumed they would be labeled for what goes in ? Anyway paint settles out in most fuels !! as well as most solids etc.
 
Petrol has a habit of creating a vapour area above the liquid that is in either the lower or upper Explosive limit envelopes. You approach with a match - BOOM !

Usually if a good breeze - you could get away with it ... being upwind of course.
Tempearure - of the material the petrols been poured onto ... ambient temperature around .. all play their part in creating that vapour layer.

There are instances of even common dust being involved ... the dust and petrol vapour combined are extremely effective explosive combinations.
 
i use any old petrol or 2 stroke in my genny, only slight prob is if i dont use it for a long time, the petrol evaps in the carb and leaves a bit of oil in it, have to clean it if i forget to run it dry or drain the bowl. no probs
stu
 
I usually use mine for starting bonfires, but I always (well, twice) get into trouble on this forum for saying so. But I do. So there! I have a brazier and use a bit at a time. On the other hand, I have diesel that's been in my 'spare' diesel tank on the boat for an unspecified number of years which I use when it's calm and I'm in another boat's company. Always works fine. Also another vote for garden machinery use of any old rubbish. Also useful for cleaning old engine parts.
 
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Petrol has a habit of creating a vapour area above the liquid that is in either the lower or upper Explosive limit envelopes. You approach with a match - BOOM !

[/ QUOTE ] You mean if its concentration is between the lower and upper explosive limits it goes BOOM.

For n octane for example the limits are 0.8% and 6.5% by volume. Concentrations of vapour within those limits (in air) are explosive. For n butane the limits are 1.5% and 8.5%. Propane 2.1% and 9.5%. Worth noting the very wide range for hydrogen of 4.0% and 75.6% (all at 1013mb and 20C of course)
 
LEL is between 2 %'s ..... UEL is between 2 other % 's

But because the vapour is in open air ... both ranges will exist ... in ideal situation (theoretical ...) You will be OVER-RICH at / near surface of the petrol. It will not burn as insufficient oxygen. Rise up slightly and the mix will be more oxygen - Upper Explosive Limit range ... continue moving away from petrol source and the mix will dilute further with oxygen and enter Lower explosive limits.

Both UEL and LEL are LETHAL ...

The lack of wind / breeze at times can explain why you can have an explosion and then no fire ... The explosive mixes have gone boom ... the vapour above the petrol is over-rich and the boom effectively blows the ignition source out ... OK - don't test the theory - it is only theory and any slight breeze / air movement will null and void it !!

At end of day ... petrol is too volatile as a bonfire lighter ... even though I do use it as well ! But I make sure I throw a lighted taper at the fire from a distance.
 
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LEL is between 2 %'s ..... UEL is between 2 other % 's

[/ QUOTE ] LEL is the "lower explosive limit" It is the lowest concentration of a flammable vapour in air that will ignite. The UEL is the "upper explosive limit" and is the highest concentration that will ignite.

They are two discrete figures which can be found in the literature (the book I have on my shelf lists the LEL and UEL for about 70 or so flammable vapours and the LEL only for a few more). A mixture will ignite if the concentration of the flammable vapour is between the those two figures. There is not a range of concentrations that constitutes the LEL and another which constitutes the UEL. The range is LEL to UEL.

For everyday purposes it is the LEL which is important, below that concentration the mixture will not ignite, above it will.
In an enclosed vessel a mixture above the UEL will not ignite. In free air it is of very limited importance for the reasons you have indicated.

Alarms on equipment that monitors potentially dangerous environments are of course set well below the LEL In my experience at 10% of the LEL. (meaning if the LEL is 1.5% then the alarm is set at 0.15%).
 
Your book is therefore different to mine !! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But anyway - what you say is in effect the practical reality .. and is the safe way to regard the matter.
 
I drained my diesel fuel tank into a plastic container whilst laid up in the shed at the Hayling Yacht Company. The shed is kept locked overnight, only employees and those whose boats are laid up the shed have keys. The container was right underneath the boat and marked with the boat's name. Next morning some piece of thieving low-life had stolen it.
 
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