Stupid question. Do you have to store diesel in 5 gal YELLOW can versus RED?
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patrick_g
Elite Member
There are advantages and disadvantages to metal gas cans.
The only safety disadvantage is corrosion and the leaks caused.
There is a plastic coating method to coat the interior of the can with a plastic coating and there will not be a subsequent corrosion leak. The plastic coating will seal a tank that is already corroded and leaking. On a new tank it will keep th interior PERFECT forever.
The plastic coating is easy to apply and easy to find. Most auto restoring catalogs have it. People use it to rescue an old original tank. The coating kit is sold at many motorcycle shops.
Google on Kreem and you will find plenty of possibilities.
If you used Kreem on new steel gas cans there would never be any interior corrosion.
If I used Kreem on the inside of a new steel gas can I would probably want to put a better paint coating on the outside as well so the exterior corosion would not obsolete the otherwise "forever" can.
Pat
The only safety disadvantage is corrosion and the leaks caused.
There is a plastic coating method to coat the interior of the can with a plastic coating and there will not be a subsequent corrosion leak. The plastic coating will seal a tank that is already corroded and leaking. On a new tank it will keep th interior PERFECT forever.
The plastic coating is easy to apply and easy to find. Most auto restoring catalogs have it. People use it to rescue an old original tank. The coating kit is sold at many motorcycle shops.
Google on Kreem and you will find plenty of possibilities.
If you used Kreem on new steel gas cans there would never be any interior corrosion.
If I used Kreem on the inside of a new steel gas can I would probably want to put a better paint coating on the outside as well so the exterior corosion would not obsolete the otherwise "forever" can.
Pat
Not having reading through the whole post,.. but the colored cans to differentiate between gas and diesel is for the "common town folk" who don't know what the difference in smell between the two are,.. and for transportation purposes of hazardous materials.
It is much easier to tell someone to use the yellow can instead of the one that smells like diesel. Also,.. if any of you have diesel or gas thieves,.. its a good way to mess up their vehicle by using red cans for diesel,.. they most likely have no clue what the difference between the two are apart from price.
It is much easier to tell someone to use the yellow can instead of the one that smells like diesel. Also,.. if any of you have diesel or gas thieves,.. its a good way to mess up their vehicle by using red cans for diesel,.. they most likely have no clue what the difference between the two are apart from price.
Slade
Silver Member
Jason537 said:
Not worried about thieves in my area -- I use yellow and red 5 gallon plastic cans to keep my GF from putting diesel in the Suburban. Fortunately, she considers the 5740 to be off limits to her, so it's safe.
[dream] When I finish bleeding from an expensive large scale drainage/retaining wall replacement project I really need to build a big barn and get a nice diesel tank. [/dream]
IMO if someone can't smell (or feel) the difference between diesel and gasoline they probably shouldn't be allowed to operate anything mechanical. LOL
patrick_g
Elite Member
If theft is such a prevalent problem as to require storing gas in yellow and diesel in red to "get even" I think I might be taking "other" measures.
I'm not sure it is a good assumption to make that the thieves are aware of what the colors mean. I'd be more likely to cover the red and yellow cans with a tarp or otherwise keep them out of easy view and leave a can or two of gas, diesel, used solvent, whatever, and used motor oil "blend" in plain sight to be found first and easiest. It'l will smell like gasoline but won't burn too well.
In the previous "fuel crisis" of long lines and alternate day availability lots of theft problems arose. I was driving a propane powered (not dual fuel) pickup. Another guy doing the same had fuel theft problems in his area so he filled his unused pickup ORM fuel tank with something like a gal of gas and the rest with used antifreeze solution (to not rust the tank.) Yup, it was siphoned.
Another guy had 4-5 "Jerry" cans. metal type with flexible metal spouts that fit his Jeep's can racks. The extras were chained together and to a post beside his shed. The contents were stolen. He refilled with mostly water and that was stolen. We agreed it would have been interesting to find someone stranded with a contaminated fuel problem and huge amounts of water in fuel but...
Pat
I'm not sure it is a good assumption to make that the thieves are aware of what the colors mean. I'd be more likely to cover the red and yellow cans with a tarp or otherwise keep them out of easy view and leave a can or two of gas, diesel, used solvent, whatever, and used motor oil "blend" in plain sight to be found first and easiest. It'l will smell like gasoline but won't burn too well.
In the previous "fuel crisis" of long lines and alternate day availability lots of theft problems arose. I was driving a propane powered (not dual fuel) pickup. Another guy doing the same had fuel theft problems in his area so he filled his unused pickup ORM fuel tank with something like a gal of gas and the rest with used antifreeze solution (to not rust the tank.) Yup, it was siphoned.
Another guy had 4-5 "Jerry" cans. metal type with flexible metal spouts that fit his Jeep's can racks. The extras were chained together and to a post beside his shed. The contents were stolen. He refilled with mostly water and that was stolen. We agreed it would have been interesting to find someone stranded with a contaminated fuel problem and huge amounts of water in fuel but...
Pat
I think some of you are misunderstanding my point,.. in regards to thieves and red or yellow cans,.. Why go out and buy a yellow can for the sole purpose of diesel UNLESS you have people using your fuel that don't know any better. Why give thieves the chance,.. "hey theres diesel or gas"
I just use red containers "in case" it happens,.. if some yahoo is going to go to the trouble to jump my fence break into my shed,.. then I think he deserves to get the wrong fuel,.. depending on what he/she are after.
Also, in some areas diesel "MUST" be transported in yellow containers,.. just like gas in red and water in blue. It also deters cross mixing so contamination doesn't occur,.. but we all know how well that can go when you live on a farm right?
I just use red containers "in case" it happens,.. if some yahoo is going to go to the trouble to jump my fence break into my shed,.. then I think he deserves to get the wrong fuel,.. depending on what he/she are after.
Also, in some areas diesel "MUST" be transported in yellow containers,.. just like gas in red and water in blue. It also deters cross mixing so contamination doesn't occur,.. but we all know how well that can go when you live on a farm right?
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I have a 200 gallon tank on a trailer that I use for most of my diesel fuel, but before that, I bought several yellow fuel cans for diesel. At the time, they were a buck cheaper then the red ones. Don't know why that was, but since I already had some red ones, it was a no brainer to buy the yellow ones.
If I need a small amount of diesel, I drive less then half a mile to my gas station and pay full price for it there, and use the appropriate color can. I like to have at least five gallons of gasoline on hand for the lawn mower, four wheeler and weed eater. I always use my best red container for this, as it might sit there for a month or more.
When buying diesel, I tend to buy more then I really need, even at full price. I can get red died farm diesel for less, but it's a ten mile drive each way. Time and fuel to get ten gallons of diesel doesn't make it worthwhile. I usually use yellow for this, but might use both colors, and save the yellow cans for last in case I fill up and don't use all of the fuel in the containers.
Right now, I have a red can sitting next to my lawn mower full of gasoline and an almost full yellow can next to my backhoe, which is already full. My dad is here visiting and running the equipement, so it's important for us to know what is in what container. The idea of telling him that the red can has diesel in it is too risky. He might remember, or he might not. This way, I know that he will use the yellow container for the backhoe and not mix it up. At 70, he's pretty sharp, but he does tend to confuse small changes.
I also have a gasoline engine in my dump truck and will used both yellow and red cans to get fuel for it. I will empty the yellow cans into it first and then save the red ones. Again, this eliminates confusion when one of us fuels it up a few days or a week later.
Eddie
If I need a small amount of diesel, I drive less then half a mile to my gas station and pay full price for it there, and use the appropriate color can. I like to have at least five gallons of gasoline on hand for the lawn mower, four wheeler and weed eater. I always use my best red container for this, as it might sit there for a month or more.
When buying diesel, I tend to buy more then I really need, even at full price. I can get red died farm diesel for less, but it's a ten mile drive each way. Time and fuel to get ten gallons of diesel doesn't make it worthwhile. I usually use yellow for this, but might use both colors, and save the yellow cans for last in case I fill up and don't use all of the fuel in the containers.
Right now, I have a red can sitting next to my lawn mower full of gasoline and an almost full yellow can next to my backhoe, which is already full. My dad is here visiting and running the equipement, so it's important for us to know what is in what container. The idea of telling him that the red can has diesel in it is too risky. He might remember, or he might not. This way, I know that he will use the yellow container for the backhoe and not mix it up. At 70, he's pretty sharp, but he does tend to confuse small changes.
I also have a gasoline engine in my dump truck and will used both yellow and red cans to get fuel for it. I will empty the yellow cans into it first and then save the red ones. Again, this eliminates confusion when one of us fuels it up a few days or a week later.
Eddie
Jason537 said:
If I leave 5gal of gas outside, somewhere along the line it is empty. If it's not my brother-in-law it's the guy who fixes the outside light or guy who painted the shed. I have had friends come for a cook out and asked for a gallon or so in order to get to gas station. Anyway you look at it the gas goes; if it's in site. Of course if my brother-in-law puts that diesel in his gas car I'll probably have to spend 1/2 a day helping him fix it. I still like that idea of diesel in red cans, though.
I have had a gas station jockey stop me from putting gas in yellow cans.
Cheers
IslandTractor
Super Star Member
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coffeeman said:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that yet. I thought it was illegal to put diesel in red or gas in yellow containers. I know that the Coast Guard will not allow red containers on our ferry but yellow containers are permitted (presuming law abiding citizens have diesel in them).
One thing that has bugged me is that the standard road diesel pump spouts do not fit inside the yellow container necks so I almost always spill some (when I am too dumb to have remembered to bring my funnel). That just seems stupid that the commonly sold yellow plastic diesel containers don't have an appropriately sized filler neck.
patrick_g
Elite Member
IslandTractor said:
Many stations have two sizes of nozzles on their diesel pumps, the larger diameter which fits big rigs and pickup trucks and the smaller diameter which fit out Mercedes.
If I stopped in the Mercedes at a station with only the large nozzles, I too was not happy. I soon learned which stations had the smaller nozzles, at least in our general area but had to take "pot luck" away from home.
IF you were fueling a big truck or machine requiring say, 100 gal or more you would be glad to find the BIG nozzles.
Pat