If you intend to be prepared for the next disaster, you will need to store various types of fuel. Once a disaster occurs, it may not be possible to run out and buy fuel. Your evacuation vehicle, generator, heating and cooking sources will be useless without the fuel to run them.

There are three main issues with storing fuel; space, preservation of the fuel and, of course, safety. If you are storing more than one kind of fuel, keep them separated so that one does not become an accelerant for the other.

Fuel Confusion

Not only will using the wrong fuel in your generator, heater or automobile be damaging to your equipment, it could be fatal. Be sure to transport and store fuel in the appropriate colored container to prevent fuel confusion.

Gasoline

Gasoline is designed to run internal combustion engines. It is extremely flammable and volatile. It can be easily ignited with a small spark. Under the right conditions, the vapor from one cup of gasoline can have the explosive power of five pounds of dynamite.

Containers: Gasoline should be transported and stored in approved “gasoline” containers only. These containers must be airtight and clearly marked. Many types of plastic will degrade when they come into contact with gasoline and glass jars are easily broken.

Use only approved gasoline containers.
Make sure that gasoline containers are tightly sealed.
Never use milk jugs for gasoline.
Allow room for expansion when filling gas cans.
Clean up all spills when filling cans.
Never smoke or open cans near a source of sparks or flame.
Even empty gas cans contain enough vapor to cause a major explosion.

Storing Gasoline: Storing gasoline and other highly flammable liquids at home is dangerous if not done properly. The best way to store gasoline is in a well-ventilated area separate from your house. The location should have no electrical equipment, open flames or other sources of ignition present. In addition, the location should be protected from the heat of the summer sun to keep evaporation to a minimum.

Do not store gasoline in the basement of your home or in the utility room. The furnace, water heater, clothes dryer or any of several other items could ignite fumes which may leak from the can and travel considerable distances. If you do not have a suitable storage area, consider building a cabinet outside your house for storage or purchasing a commercially available flammable liquid storage cabinet, available from safety equipment suppliers. In addition, never put gasoline or any other nonfood material in a container which resembles a food container. Keep gasoline and other dangerous materials locked up. These practices will prevent children from getting into the material and being accidentally poisoned.

Never smoke when handling gasoline and never refuel a hot or running engine. Take a break if you must smoke or let the engine cool down. If fuel is spilled, wipe it up immediately. Before starting the engine, move the fuel container at least 25 feet away from the fueling area to avoid igniting fuel vapors which are heavier than air and may linger for some time.

Rather than storing gasoline in small containers, you may want to consider some larger but still portable options like this 30 Gal. Portable Gas Caddy from Home Depot.

Never use gasoline as an accelerant to start fires. It is far too volatile, and vapors will travel considerable distances.

Preserving Gasoline: Gasoline begins to degrade after a short time. Gasoline that is going to be stored for more than a few months should be treated with a fuel stabilizer and protected from moisture. Properly treated gasoline can be stored for up to two years whereas untreated gasoline could degrade and cause damage in as little as a few months. Likewise, is true of the fuel in your generator tank. If you are not using your generator on a regular basis, the fuel could gum up your carburetor and cause it to malfunction. It is also a good practice to turn the fuel off and run the carburetor dry before long storage periods.

Liquid Propane (LP Gas)

Safely storing liquid propane has always been an issue that bears considerable attention. Liquid propane is extremely explosive and improper storage and/or transportation can result in massive property damage or death. Here are a few guidelines to help keep you safe.

Containers:

All modern refillable LPG containers are equipped with a pressure relief valve (overfill protection device). Do not use LPG tanks that are not equipped with this valve.
LPG can only be stored in an approved high-pressure tank.
LPG tanks come in various sizes and are relatively inexpensive. Larger tanks can be rented from your local propane dealer.

One-pound propane cylinders are readily available for operating propane lanterns, heaters and camp stoves. Unlike the larger cylinders, they are safe to store indoors in a cool place. You can even purchase a kit and refillable one-pound cylinders that allows you to fill your small cylinders from a larger propane cylinder.

If you use LPG often, you might consider having a larger tank installed by your propane provider. These tanks are piped directly to your LPG appliances and you can arrange to have the tank kept full automatically by your propane provider.

Transporting LPG: Transporting liquid propane cylinders inside an enclosed vehicle can be fatal. There are several reasons that they can explode. The overfill protection valve will vent propane gas if the tank gets too warm. This will fill the enclosed space with the extremely flammable gas. Any spark (including normal electrical functions) can ignite the gas, causing a massive explosion. LPG cylinders can also explode if the car is involved in a collision.

Liquid propane cylinders should never be transported in an enclosed vehicle.
Cylinders should be secured to prevent them from rattling around or becoming dislodged in the event of a collision.
Cylinders should only be transported in an upright position.
Cylinders should be immediately removed from the vehicle and properly stored when arriving at the destination.
Never smoke while transporting fuel.

Storing Liquid Propane: Properly storing liquid propane can be a matter of life and death. It can be easy to become complacent about fuel storage, but if there is an explosion, it will happen without warning. Make it a habit to do it right and you won’t have to worry about it.

Improperly storing LPG tanks can have very disastrous results. A few simple precautions can save your life.

Never store LPG cylinders indoors.
Store LPG cylinders outdoors, in a shaded area.
Store cylinders in an upright position only.
Never store cylinders near heat or flame.
Make sure that your storage area has no electrical appliances.
Don’t let LPG cylinders get too warm or the pressure will rise, and the gas will escape.
Never smoke around your LPG cylinders.
Do not store LPG near other fuel types that could be an accelerant.

Using Liquid Propane:

Always close the valve tightly when not in use.
Use LPG only for appliances that are designed for its use.
Insert the safety plug when the tank is not in use (even if it’s empty).
Always read the manufacturers recommendations on your LPG appliances.
Periodically check all connections with detergent or soapy water. Never use a match or flame.

Diesel and Heating Oil

Diesel and heating oil are among the safest fuels to store. It is not nearly as flammable as gasoline or liquid propane. You can have your fuel delivered on a regular basis and your tank kept full by your heating oil company. If you already use heating oil, you may need to consider installing a larger or additional storage tank to meet your disaster preparedness needs.

Oil Tanks: There’s a variety of heating oil tank types available for residential use. Many of these tanks are designed for indoor use. They can be installed in basements, garages, out buildings, etc. The advantage of this is that your fuel can be secured from theft and protected from the elements. There are also outdoor above ground tanks and underground type tanks. Check with your local dealer to determine the best type of fuel tank for your needs. If you have a heating system that requires heating oil, your tank will be piped directly to your heater. Before installing any fuel tank, check your local building codes and regulations. All fuel tanks should be installed in accordance with the manufacture’s recommendations by a qualified installer.

If you are storing diesel for use in your generator, you can also have the tank piped directly to your generator. Installing the tank higher than the generator may be necessary so that the fuel is gravity fed. If you are storing diesel for your vehicle or you don’t want to pipe your tank directly to your generator, you can install a fuel spout or hand pump to transfer the fuel.

55 gallon drums can be handy for storing diesel fuel, heating oil and kerosene. You can install a hand pump for transferring fuel.

Containers: If you find it necessary to store heating oil in smaller, more portable containers, be sure to use containers that are designed for the use. Never use containers such as milk jugs or jars. Heating oil can be stored and transported in diesel containers. It is extremely important that you do not store gasoline in diesel containers and vice versa. Fuel confusion can be a fatal mistake. Simply be sure that each type of fuel container is clearly marked. Different colors are even better.

Transporting Diesel or Heating Oil: Although, transporting diesel and heating oil is not as dangerous as transporting gasoline or liquid propane, it is not without its hazards. Caution should be exercised while transporting any combustible material.

Use only airtight approved containers.
Clean all spills from the exterior of the container before placing it in your vehicle.
Allow for expansion when filling containers. Do not overfill.
Be sure that containers are tightly sealed. Expansion can pop the tops off of your cans if they not securely attached (even if you have allowed for expansion).
Strap or otherwise secure the containers for moving in the event of a quick stop or accident.

Storing Diesel and/or Heating Oil: When stored in portable containers, diesel and heating oil should not be stored inside your home. The containers should be stored in the shade to protect them from expansion. It is best to keep them locked up in an area such as an outdoor cabinet or shed that does not house any working equipment such as your generator.

Diesel and heating oil will absorb moisture from the air. The resulting water in the fuel will cause sludge to form. Eventually the water and/or sludge will clog filters or seriously degrade the efficiency of your fuel. This degraded fuel can damage your generator or heater. All diesel and/or heating oil should be treated when its purchased, and it should also be filtered before use.

Kerosene

Kerosene has been used for decades for light and heat. It has lost its popularity because of electricity and other more convenient fuel sources. Kerosene also has a very distinctive odor. However, it is somewhat safe to store and there are many lights, heaters and cook stoves that are suitable for disaster preparedness that operate on kerosene. With the proper precautions, it can be a very handy fuel to have around in an emergency.

Be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendations on your kerosene appliances. Most of them will require that you use high quality 1-K kerosene, with no dyes only, especially in those heaters designed for indoor use. Also pay particular attention to the ventilation requirements for your kerosene unit.

Containers: Kerosene should only be stored in clearly marked containers that have been approved for kerosene. As you can see, kerosene cans are typically blue or have a blue label. This is to prevent them from being confused with gasoline or diesel cans.

Transporting Kerosene: Transporting kerosene is not unlike transporting diesel. Caution should always be exercised.

Use only airtight approved containers.
Clean all spills from the exterior of the container before placing it in your vehicle.
Allow for expansion when filling containers. Do not overfill.
Be sure that containers are tightly sealed. Expansion can pop the tops off of your gas cans if they not securely attached (even if you have allowed for expansion).
Strap or otherwise secure the containers for moving in the event of a quick stop or accident.

Storing Kerosene: Kerosene should be stored in airtight containers, in a cool dry place, away from the home. Wide fluctuations in temperatures should be avoided. If properly stored, kerosene is a very stable fuel and can last for several years. However, exposure to air and temperature fluctuations can cause it to degrade rapidly. Stale kerosene takes on an odor similar to varnish and should not be used.

Lamp Oil

If you intend to burn oil lamps as an alternative source of light, you should use lamp oil that is specifically intended oil lamps. It is a much cleaner burning version of kerosene that produces far fewer toxic fumes.

You can buy lamp oil at your local market and you can store it indoors. Be sure that it is stored away from any open flame or heat source.

Firewood

If you have a woodstove or have decided to install one, then you’re going to need to store firewood. The best place to store firewood is in a woodshed. You can build one yourself of you can find a variety of portable storage buildings at your local hardware store. If you’re not interested in putting up a woodshed, you can purchase a rack, or you can even build your own. The most important thing is that you keep your firewood off the ground and that you keep it dry. To this end, you can simply place some lumber or pallets on the ground to allow air under your wood pile and stack away. Cover it with a tarp and you will have a dry source of fuel. However, if you live in an area that has a lot of snowfall, you will be digging for your wood all winter. The shed is starting to sound better. Whatever methods that you choose try to store your wood a fair distance from your house. Wood piles tend to attract spiders and other unwanted houseguests. Also, take care to inspect the wood before you carry it in. You don’t want to get bit by a nasty bug.

Coal

Coal is an extremely durable material and can be stored almost anywhere. It can be purchased in bags, boxes or in bulk. Some people store it in their garage, basement or shed. Others store their coal in a coal bin or simply pile and cover it. If you intend to use coal, be sure that you have the appropriate stove. Coal burns much hotter than wood and can damage a conventional woodstove.

The really interesting thing about coal for disaster preparedness is that it does not degrade. If you store 10 tons of coal, you could conceivably have several years of heating fuel. The bad news is that in some parts of the country, coal is hard to find while it is abundant in other parts. So, before you purchase a coal stove, find out if you can get coal for a reasonable price.

WARNING:

Always use common sense when handling, transporting or storing any fuel or other flammable material. Be sure that all containers are clearly marked for the fuel type. Fuel confusion can be fatal.

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