Diesel storage

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Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Diesel storage

Post by Nurseandy »

Hi all, looking for some advice on diesel storage - I would like to store a few gallons for use in the cars if supply gets disrupted. I have two 10litre plastic jerry cans. My dilemma is- I have a brand spanking new car and I'm led to believe that modern diesels are more "sensitive" to fuel quality than older diesels. Am I likely to encounter issues with putting diesel that's potentially a few months old into my car?
Other option would be to only use it in my wife's 10 year old diesel.
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8732
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Diesel storage

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Rotate it use it once a month to fill your car and go refill the Jerry can. .
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
easy rider
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2015 9:11 am

Re: Diesel storage

Post by easy rider »

I have kept diesel over 12 months no problems.
However my advice would be ,ensure containers are spotless, keep them in cool place , rotate your fuel within 6 months to ensure no problems.
Brim your containers if at all possible to save on any condensation.
Check out fuel stabilizers.Diesel system cleaners with added power .forte are good
Consider using the best quality diesels even if a few pennies more.
If you want to be doubly sure place a couple or more layers of fine nylon stockings over the nozzle to help remove any foreign bodies in fuels on use .
Bosworth
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 11:03 pm

Re: Diesel storage

Post by Bosworth »

I keep a few 20L Jerry cans of diesel kicking around. I write the month I filled them on a label and occasionally cycle them round. I try to do so every 6 months or so, but often miss that deadline by a month or four.

I store them in an entirely uncontrolled (temperature-wise) environment and have never had a problem.

My mitigation around this poor practice is to fill the car with the can when the tank will just about be full when the can is used. Any imperfections in the fuel will therefore be diluted to the max. I also put it in the crappy car rather than the nice car just in case.

For info, I live in London so (a) filling up cans is unusual, (b) filling the car from a can is VERY unusual when rotating, and (c) fuel is critical to me to ensure I can get out of town or use the car to charge batteries etc if required.

In an emergency situation I wouldn’t care if my car ran a bit lumpy if it got me out of town a few weeks after a crisis started.
Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Diesel storage

Post by Nurseandy »

Thank you everyone, reassured with the general consensus there.
grenfell
Posts: 3951
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Diesel storage

Post by grenfell »

I posted something of a "test" I did last year. I drive an 09 plate transit and keep several metal jerry cans of diesel ready just in case. Last year someone drove into me and my van was off the road for a while and during that time the insurance provided me with a hire van . That was a Vauxhall not 2years old. Ideal chance I thought to try out the diesel that was probably two years old . No problems whatsoever , the van ran just as well as if it had been fed "fresh" diesel.
I do keep another gallon or two in the 5L plastic cans but tend to rotate that more often . I just feel metal is better than plastic for longer term storage. I keep petrol in a metal container too but that's normally used up within six months or so.
Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Diesel storage

Post by Nurseandy »

Excellent, thank you Grenfell.
bedford_prepper
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:59 pm

Re: Diesel storage

Post by bedford_prepper »

I'm keeping my car topped up all the time right now.

It has a 60L tank and as long as I don't lead foot it, It's enough to get me to my bugout location in Europe without having to fill up. So right now, I'm filling up every week instead of once a month, this way the car should always be ready to go. I also have 2 x 20L plastic jerry cans (metal ones can go rusty) that I keep my diesel in and I rotate it every 3 months to ensure it doesn't go stale.

My SHTF plan is to take the two jerry cans + the full tank and it should get me anywhere I need to go.
The consensus is that 6 months would do just fine, and even up to 12 months if stored in good conditions. Rotating every 3 months pretty much ensures no issues but longer you may need special chemicals to maintain the fuel.