Today storage of gasoline makes sense, sincethis consumable is really valuable, and the prices for it are growing. Therefore, many car owners make a fuel reserve, but at the same time it is necessary to consider the gasoline shelf life and storage conditions. It is not enough simply to dial plastic containers in the hope that the fuel will be stored for a long time in such conditions.
Sometimes people are stockpiled with hundreds of liters of fuel,using storage tanks and canisters for storage. Many car owners do not even think about whether there is a shelf life for gasoline, because oil was stored underground for millions of years, and therefore gasoline can be stored for years. But actually it is not. Under ideal storage conditions, gasoline without loss of its properties can be stored for five years. If the conditions are not observed, the deadline does not exceed one year.
If the storage conditions are not met, the fuelspoils and completely loses its properties due to changes in temperature, humidity and other factors. Of course, the loss of properties occurs not in one day, but within months. Although every day the effectiveness of gasoline will fall.
There are four main factors, due to which the shelf life of gasoline is limited:
The first reason is oxidation, which is inherent inpractically any liquid. When the fuel interacts with air (oxygen), its quality is reduced. Oxidation leads to the appearance of resin in the fuel systems of the car, as well as on the walls of the cylinders, candles. Therefore, it is not possible to use fuel that has had contact with oxygen for a long time (air).
The second reason is evaporation.The fuel contains many volatile substances that increase the octane number. If the gasoline is stored in a leaky container and at an incorrect temperature, the evaporated substances volatilize, and as a result, the octane number falls. Petrol with a low octane number becomes less efficient, a detonation detrimental to the power plant arises in the engine, the consumption of such fuel greatly increases.
Also extremely important and additives,used in fuel. They also increase the octane number of gasoline, but they have a certain shelf life. Gasoline with long-term improper storage loses its properties due to the disintegration of additives. Some additives after 2 weeks break up if the storage conditions are not respected. Therefore, even at the gas station there is a risk of buying gasoline, which is already starting to deteriorate, although the probability is small, because the storage conditions are observed there.
The sediment that occurs at the bottom of the canister orAnother storage capacity, also detrimental to the quality of fuel. The fact is that the gasoline contains small heavy fractions, which, with prolonged settling, sink to the bottom. The presence of this sediment in the fuel system will adversely affect the operation of the fuel filter and, with a small degree of probability, may lead to some breakdown.
It is for these reasons that the expiration date of gasoline AI92 or AI 95 is not more than five years. But 5 years is a maximum under ideal conditions of storage. But the expiration date of gasoline in the canister will not be more than one year. Considering this, it is necessary to store fuel in a dark place at a low temperature in a sealed metal container.
If you want to maximize the expiration date92 gasoline (or 95th), then it is necessary to use a metal sealed tank. Ideally suitable barrel, canister, tank or other similar containers. But the storage of fuel in plastic tanks is highly undesirable because of the slow chemical interaction of fuel with plastic, as well as the accumulation of static charge.
Some drivers store gasoline in conventionalplastic bottles, but this is strictly forbidden for security reasons. Not only can gasoline lose its properties, so it can damage the tank, which will lead to the destruction of the container and the emergence of a dangerous situation, because the fuel will flow out. Also, experts argue that plastic accumulates a static charge, and this can lead to inflammation. Although in fact it is unlikely.
If you do not take into account these factors, the rest of the storage of gasoline in plastic is no different from storage in a metal tank.
Recommended containers for fuel storage:
From all this list, canisters are suitable forthe storage of gasoline is the worst - there the expiration date of 95 gasoline (or AI 92) decreases, but many car owners use them because of their accessibility and simplicity. The best option is a cistern deep in the ground. There, gasoline will always be in the dark and at low temperatures (the ground does not allow the tank to heat up even with direct sunlight). Living in private homes, people often dig into the ground barrels with a sealed cover - this solution is also a good idea for storing fuel.
If you comply with the conditions, the expiration date of gasoline AI 95 or AI 92 can be increased up to five years. What is important to consider:
Proceeding from this, it is possible to present the buriedA metal barrel with a sealed lid as an ideal storage tank for fuel. Such a solution for storage efficiency will not differ from the large reservoirs that are used at the gas station.
Some owners install tanks inyard, without hiding them under the ground. In this case, it is necessary at least to hide the barrel from direct sunlight. Gasoline should always be cooled, so the storage tank should either be put in the basement or buried. It is believed that the optimum temperature for storing gasoline is 20 degrees above zero. At a higher temperature, the substances in its composition can evaporate, which will lead to a deterioration in the technical parameters of gasoline.
As for storage in the winter, hereit is also important to comply with the temperature regime. Do not allow the fuel to cool down to -10 degrees. Of course, in many cars that are in a winter night on street parking, the fuel is cooled to -20 and sometimes even -25 degrees, but these temperatures can be tolerated for a short time. But with long-term storage of fuel, this is unacceptable.
The last nuance is the tightness of the container forstorage. With frequent contact with air, the oxidation process will occur very intensively. Of course, it is impossible to completely avoid contact of fuel with air, but it can be reduced. Therefore, the cover must be sealed tightly.
As already mentioned above, the fuel storage perioddepending on the conditions is 1-5 years. In case of complete neglect of the requirements, the shelf life is further reduced. First of all, we are talking about cases when gasoline is stored in the open sun and in an open tank. Approximately these are the periods of storage of gasoline depending on the tanks:
Under ideal conditions, gasoline retains itsproperties and can be used without loss of efficiency for five years. However, very few people use special storage tanks for fuel, and even in the buried state. More often than not, drivers store gasoline in jerricans, storing them in their garages. In this case, fuel can be stored for only one year.
As for diesel, it's just to store ithas the meaning. Unlike gasoline, diesel fuel has an expiration date of up to 10 years under ideal storage conditions. When storing solar oil in conventional cans, its expiration date also falls, but in any case it is possible to store this fuel even in inappropriate conditions for a very long time.
