I'm hoping to get some advice on how to store gasoline safely. I'm only talking about a single 5-gallon metal can with a flame arrestor, with stabilizer added to the fuel. Problem is I have a hot water heater in my garage, and, from all I've read, gasoline should never be stored within 50' of any device with a pilot. The house has a crawl space with room to stand, but storing gasoline under the house seems like a bad idea. I thought of buying a deck box, putting it the yard, away from the house, and using it to store the gas can. But I'm wondering if there might be a heat build-up problem, especially since I live in SC, where it can get over 100 degrees in the shade during the summer. I suppose I could bury the sucker! Any thoughts?

 

I never store gasoline, I converted my generator to use natural gas or propane. My lawn equipment is all electric.

When I was in elementary school ( a LONG time ago) they had a concrete vault to store gasoline. As I recall it was about three feet long, two feet high and about two feet deep, maybe a little less on the depth. The walls were about four inches thick and it had a steel door about 1/4 inch thick with a padlock hasp. I've never seen anything like it since but IF I were going to store gasoline that is what I would want.

Others will not be as afraid of gasoline as I am.

 

Store it outside. Preferably against a north facing wall so its in the shade. Be sure it's properly vented. You should be fine.

 

I store mine in a dog house with a roof that slides back. Keeps the gas away from the shop, blends into the landscape, and, who knows, but may cause a bad guy to have second thoughts about messing around the place when nobody is home.

 

I like that idea aka pedro. I wouldn't worry about heat buildup in a small shed... even on those 102 degree days, it won't get hot enough to ignite. Gas takes more than a little heat to ignite, but it only takes the tiniest spark if the fumes are heavy enough. Anywhere near a pilot light is not an option. A lot of folks around here keep their gas and mower under the house or under the back deck. I guess if there is no chance of a spark, then it's not going to hurt anything, but for peace of mind I wouldn't really want it there and don't recommend it. In a storage building away from the house is best I think.

 

Oh heck....just keep it in an open bucket beside the WH.

No...seriously...outside is better, preferably in a shelter of some sort.

Why do we need warnings about common sense? I don't even store my propane tanks in the garage unless they are in use.

 

Back before I bought an electric mower I kept my gas in the back yard far from house and garage. Set the can on a couple of bricks, upended a 30 gallon metal trash can over it and put a concrete block on the trash can to keep it in place. Didn't put it in the can and put the lid on because I figured less likely to have vapor build up because it could just escape from under the can where it met the dirt.

Having owned Ford pickups with the gas tank behind the seat I can say it is unlikely it would get any hotter in a shed then the cab of a PU with the windows closed setting in the Texas August sun.