Storing gasoline
 

Where can I store gasoline in gas can ready to use in mower or generator if I have an enclosed lanai?

In the garage where you probably have your mower and generator.

I am guessing that there is someplace on your lot where you can place a small deck storage box such as the "Suncast SS601C 22.5" x 17" x 22.5" 22 Gallon Outdoor Small Deck Box with Storage Seat and Reinforced Lid for Backyard or Patio" (Amazon). In this small box you can fit ten gallons of gas or so.

Yes, yes, 100 times yes; someone could complain that those aren't allowed. Nevermind that I have seen dozens upon dozens of this boxes throughout TV. The advantage of the box is the fumes that escape are vented outside your living space

Reality, most of us store it wrong. Gasoline is highly flammable. Not only that but it oxidizes over time. The way an engine works, you spray gasoline vapor into an enclosed space, the cylinder, the spark plug, sparks and it starts an explosion driving the piston.

In an enclosed space, ie your garage the gasoline vaporizes. At high enough concentrations, fortunately not likely, you turn on the lights or anything makes a spark and explosion is possible-not likely. A generator will require a fair amount of gasoline.
Depending on what you need or want as well as budget. There are generators that run on gas as well as others that run on diesel which is not as explosive or easy to ignite as gasoline.

Few do it right. Most get away with it.

I’m leaning towards storing gas in the car’s tank. And when I need it just siphon it into the gas can and then whatever is not used siphon back. Any suggestions?

My plan is to store ten gallons in cans, five in the cart and more in the car's tank. Use "GasTapper 12V MAX Electric 12 Volt Gasoline/Diesel Transfer Pump for UTV's, Boats, Planes, Farm Equipment, Tractors, Vehicles - Excellent Tool for Preppers - Built in the USA" (Amazon). This pump can defeat the anti syphon mechanism in your car, they claim.

No comment on generator gas usage is even qualified to be useful without knowing what type of generator that you have and your expectations.

I lived eight days in the south without power and used under twelve gallons of fuel. I had hot water, cold food, lights, internet. It can be done, much depends upon your home, the time of year. All this to say most posters here on this forum don't know much about this topic in this climate.

Nucky and I had a detailed discussion on this, I believe that he is in your neighborhood. I bet he will help you/relate his experience to you, Velvet.

Don't listen to the person who said to get the storage box and put it outside. It's against the rules and if you break them and something goes wrong(gas fumes explode...damage your place and others)you're libel. People that don't take into account consequences and break simple rules can't be trusted to use common sense.

As to the person who said it might explode in your garage due to the concentration of gas fumes and electrical lights or appliances...bollocks. Your garage is too big and not air tight in the least so you'd never get that volume of gas fumes collecting. Just google the cubic ft. of the garage and the what is required for the concentration of gas fumes to become a danger.

I wouldn’t, and if you do away from the house. Plenty of containers you can buy to safely store it outside and away from house few feet, (yards better).

Choose one you like. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=flammable..._ts-doa-p_1_10

Definitely not the garage. Outside is best

Newbie
 

Some of you guys with your gas storage questions are as far out as Mars. Just by your suggestions I can tell some of you never lived in rural areas and don't know how many Americans live day to day. You put your gas where you need to and where you want to when you don't worry about it as long as you got a decent can.

Anywhere outside is acceptable for the gasoline itself it's just a matter of whether you want to break the rules according to some here. I love the idea of a deck box that someone suggested right out of the chute. The risk of an explosion and all the scary tactics that they put on year is BS when it's outside.

Yeah, that won't work.

Depending on the vehicle there are screens, check balls and a number of other anti-siphon/anti-tipover/anti-splashback measures. If you did want to do it, it would require a very small tube and with luck your vehicle won't have a screen. The small tube will make siphoning fuel out a long process.

It is possible to attach to the fuel rail and use the fuel pump to deliver it to a hose, but again, it's different in each vehicle and some don't have an easily accessible shrader valve as an attachment point.

I store two gas cans at a time.
One 5 gallon is in garage, which I use over the year to top up the other 1 gallon container (for mower) in my garden shed.
Been doing it for years, with never a problem from fumes, or leakage.

I think the safety issue is less about an explosion from the vapors (unlike with propane tanks) than it is about the risk to firemen if your house catches fire due to some other cause and the fire sets off the gasoline. The same goes for any combustibles. Although I do not, we should keep all our combustibles in a cabinet for flammables.

Just put it in good gas cans and in your garage. I store gas for my golf cart and cannot smell any gas fumes. Do you ever open the garage door? There won’t be any fumes if the cans are sealed properly. Don’t put them in a tiny, enclosed space out in the heat. That is looking for trouble.