Thanks for the post, invaluable info. I have copied the entire thread into my "Level 5 House/Notes" bookmark. I am glad to hear not only did you survive but you persevered. It sounds like a little forethought and expense made the difference between you and your family/friends getting into a desperate situation vs. being generally inconvenienced. I would like to ask a couple of questions...what make/model of generator do you own; and how much money do you think you have invested in the equipment you used during/after the storm to facilitate that standard of living? (Obviously minus the cost of the house and the standard "Joe six-pack" type of things) Thanks and I am very happy to hear you made out as well as can be expected. God bless.

Marc


"Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats."
-Howard Aiken

I find the military surplus cans from someone like Cheaper Than Dirt work well for fuel storage. I use to use the old style Rubbermaid cans that I really liked a lot but thanks to the California Environmentalist Mafia they are no longer available.
Use the German style cans they are the best I have found. CTD is out of the German made Swiss ones right now (marked Euro Surplus) but they have some new or almost new ones that are almost as good made in Europe for the Israeli army. They are very robust cans that are designed to float even when full and not to gurgle and splash fuel when fuel is poured from them. The pour spout they sell is made in China and is not the same quality as the surplus cans. I just use a funnel which works well with a little practice.
I also have stored fuel in drums but it is more difficult to handle than a 20 liter (5 gallon) can.

The demise of Rubbermaid had nothing to do with California legislation. There is a mixed bag of California laws ; classic steel jerrycans cannot be sold but the stores have a plethora of your lamented plastic ones. Gasoline for long term storage can be treated with stabilisers to prevent degradation. www.majorsurplusnsurvival.com sells it. Gasoline is best stored AWAY from the main domicile in a vented storage room with a clean,dry floor, preferably not of cement which can spark a dragged can with results garanteed to warm the souls of people concerned about Sparklites, Bics, metal matches etc. A NO SMOKING sign and a lock and chain to secure from theft are usefull.

My house is next to the life flight LZ for the hospital. I love hearing the chopper in the middle of the night.

Yes I have several of the new and improved "SAFE" plastic jugs with the California approved nozzles and I am not impressed. In the very narrow spectrum of what they tested these cans to do they must work some what but for the everyday use around a farm or refueling equipment they are less than desirable.
The California Air Resources Board at its September 23, 1999 adopted new emission and spill –control regulations for portable containers, commonly known as "gas cans," and gas can spouts. The regulations apply to new gas cans and spouts sold in California after January 1, 2001. This insanity or at least the poorly engineered results of this ruling has spread to much of the rest of the country. This is because of the size of the California market has induced the manufacturers to tool up their products to pass the new California laws.
I know they did this to keep people from spilling fuel while using the cans but I wonder how well it is working?? I know for me I went from hardly ever spilling or splashing fuel and keeping a very clean operation too just being happy if it only gurgles and splashes a little bit. Now I will readily admit that I have not tried all the cans available on the market but the 4-5 different manufactures cans I have tried are each as useless as the other. You can not legislate away stupidity or carelessness you can only make things more difficult for everyone else. Those who actually used their cans more than once or twice a year could probably with a little thought not spill much fuel to start with and everyone else is going to make a pigs ear of it anyway so why inconvenience the rest of us?

For a long term backup I'd consider a propane conversion kit. Propane stores better, burns cleaner, and you can get it in 420 pound cylinders which are nearly impossible to steal even if someone would want one and which will run your generator for a very long time without dealing with juggling 5 gallon jerry cans. Plus you can run a normal gas stove from one, plus you can easily buy the fuel without paying vehicle tax.

You will most likely have to wire that yourself as the electricians are all being educated to not do those anymore since it would be too easy for people to forget and leave the main breaker on so you end up back feeding to the line.

I had been wondering why the spout on my new 5 gallon gas can is so crappy. Now I know. I took one of the spouts off of an older 2 gallon can I had and it screwed on perfectly. No spills.

Regards, Vince

Same here. I always end up washing the lawn mower when I fill it up.
I also tried to empty my 5 gallon can into the truck last week so as to get some fresh in it and I noticed it runs very slow though the fill tube because the nozzel on the gas can isn't long enough to poke the little flap open in the filler on the truck.

Eugene, invest in a cheap plastic transmission filling funnel and it will go in past the "trap door" you speak of. It is almost two feet long and is shaped sorta half moon. It tapers from a big hole at the top to a little hole at the end. Saw the small end off just below where it goes thru the door. The half moon shape allows the funnel top to end up in the "up" position. Shove it in the hole with a little pressure and the funnel will end up free standing and you won't have to hold it while you pour. I hope this makes sense. I never could say anything in a few words. I envy people that can. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />