Your garage!!!

For 50yrs now, I’ve stored gas and in the garage, now a 2 one gallon, 1 two gallon and a five gallon along with a propane bottle, NEVER have had an issue; some of you sound like you’re trying to reinvent the wheel on storing gas advice.

I have been mowing my own yard for 11+ years. I have always stored the gas can next to the mower. It's sealed. I also crack the garage window a few inches more for charging my electric cart and for ventilation. Close it for storms and when traveling.

Newer automobiles now have a restriction in the gas tank neck (filler tube) that prevents a hose or tube from being inserted to siphon out the gas. I discovered this the hard way on a deserted highway.

Please see post #40

The gas smell is enough reason not to store in my garage.

At the moment I am at my lakefront home in eastern Pennsylvania preparing it for sale so I can live in The Villages year around. Overlooking the lake are a dozen double-wide modular homes with garages. On May 31 a fire started in the garage of one home, spread to the garage of the one twenty feet away, and both houses were burned to the ground, apart from a a few charred walls. I don’t think the fire was caused by gas in a gas can, but there was definitely a gas can in each garage, and probably at some point that added to the fire and helped it spread to the next house. The fire chief said there was also propane burning from the lines running to the two 100 gallon tanks beside each home, though I don’t know that they actually exploded.

I suspect that a sturdy gas can in good condition in a garage is at least as safe as the gas tank in a car left in the blazing sun, or in a hot lawnmower, and I don’t see them on fire very often. However, I occasionally need to use a little shellac in the garage. I always leave the garage door open when I do that, and the paper towel I use to apply it is left open on gravel outside until the shellac has dried and the alcohol in it has evaporated. Just in case.

I've stored my snowblower and a regulation plastic gas "can" in my garage for decades.

What is this "smell" you speak of?

If you can smell gas in your garage then there is a problem that needs immediate attention!

If you are smelling gas then either some was spilled or fumes are escaping. The tank in your car won't let fumes escape, the tank in your golf cart won't let fumes escape, and a proper gas can won't let fumes escape. If fumes are escaping then there is a leak that needs to be fixed

Gee… how about garage????

Just the facts mam
 

Do you have a car, or gas powered golf cart? Both of those store gasoline, and I are am sure they are stored in your garage. A proper 3-5 gallon plastic OSHA approved gas container with a sealing top is the same type of storage as your car or golf cart! If you notice a gasoline smell, the container seal is bad and you’ll need to replace the container. Put a small quantity of “Stabill” gas additive (you can buy online or at any automotive store) into the gasoline and it can be stored for 2 years, but I recommend using it before then.

A few yards away from your house? So you are suggesting near your neighbor's house? Be he would love that LOL

Both the car and the golf cart are designed to "safely" store gasoline in a closed garage.

The problem with gasoline storage is twofold. One, storing LARGE amounts of gasoline can be a major safety issue in the case of fire. Most municipalities restrict the amount of gasoline you can store in a resident to 25 to 60 gallons.

The second problem is with cheap "gasoline containers" that allow fumes to leak out into the garage. The gasoline liquid is fairly difficult to ignite without a full-blown fire igniting it. However, gasoline fumes (vapors) are easy to ignite and are explosive.

Just because so many people say they have stored it for decades and never had a problem does not mean there are no potential problems. It is very important to make sure you don't go cheap on the gasoline container, and that you pay attention to the smell. If you can smell it, it can explode. Leaving a window slightly open helps, leaving the door slightly open helps. Or having a garage ventilation system (exhaust fan) helps. The goal is to prevent fumes as much as possible and to get the fumes out of the garage if they are there.

It is also recommended to not fill your mower or cart or whatever inside the garage, but to move them outside into the open air before filling - again, to avoid the accumulation of fumes/vapors.

Please guys let’s not over analyze this. A 2 gallon can is more than enough to fill a standard lawn mower at least 4 times and is plenty safe to store in your garage. Your house is not going to blow up because you have a 2 gallon gas can stored