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If you\u2019re a homeowner, you likely need to store gasoline to power various home maintenance machines like lawn mowers, power washers, and leaf blowers. <\/span><\/p>\n But, as everyone hopefully knows, gasoline is highly combustible and flammable stuff. According to the National Ag Database, the vapor of one cup of gasoline has the explosive power of about five pounds of dynamite. Ka-boom!<\/span><\/p>\n To ensure you\u2019re storing your gas safely at home, we provide the following common sense guide. <\/span><\/p>\n Check your local laws and homeowner\u2019s insurance policy for gas storage regulations. <\/b>Because gas is a highly flammable and combustible substance, most cities have ordinances on the books regulating its storage. Most allow homeowners to store what is deemed a \u201creasonable\u201d amount of gas (the amount you\u2019d need for powering things like lawn mowers) on their property without a special permit. This amount can range from 2.5 gallons (as is the case in NYC) to a couple dozen gallons (in more rural areas). Check with your local fire department to find out your local limits for gas storage.<\/span><\/p>\n Besides checking with your fire department, be sure to give your homeowner\u2019s insurance policy a glance over. Most policies will limit the amount of gas you can store on your property. They might cover fires started by a reasonable amount of stored gas, but if a fire burnt your property down because you were storing 100 gallons of it in your garage, you\u2019re probably not going to be covered.<\/span><\/p>\n Only store gas in a container approved for gas storage. <\/b>Don\u2019t chintz out and store your gas in milk jugs or glass containers; translucent containers let in light, which degrades gas, and insecure containers can lead to spills. <\/span><\/p>\n For safety and to preserve the longevity of your gas (more on the shelf life of gas below), only store gasoline in approved containers. Most plastic jerry cans you can buy at hardware stores meet all standards for storage. <\/span><\/p>\n And a bit of useful information about fuel storage containers \u2014 there\u2019s a color code for them:<\/span><\/p>\n This could come in handy if you run out of gas and call your buddy to bring you some fuel. If the can he brings you is blue, you\u2019ll want to think twice before you start filling up your car with what\u2019s in it. <\/span><\/p>\n Ideally, store gas in a shed or garage that\u2019s detached from your home. <\/b>According to the National Fire Protection Association, every year there are about 2,400 fires in American homes that start from gasoline stored in the home. And most of the time, \u201cstored in the home\u201d means in an attached garage. The problem with storing your gas in an attached garage is that it\u2019s closer to ignition sources like a pilot light of a furnace or hot water heater, and if a fire does start, it can quickly spread to your living space.<\/span><\/p>\n To reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading in your home, store your gas and other flammable materials in a detached garage or shed. If you don\u2019t have a detached garage or shed, and don\u2019t want to build an entire out-building just for storing your gas, you can buy a special steel safety cabinet that\u2019s designed to store liquid flammables and can be set up outside your garage. <\/span><\/p>\n While, ideally, you should store gasoline outside of your home, most people just store their gas in their garage, even if their garage is attached to their house. That\u2019s fine, as long as you follow the below precautions.<\/span><\/p>\n Store gas in a well-ventilated and cool area away from an ignition source and out of reach of children. <\/b>Whether you store your gas in a detached shed or your attached garage, you want to make sure that the area is well-ventilated, fairly cool (shouldn\u2019t get hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit), at least 50 feet away from an ignition source (e.g., pilot lights), and out of reach of children. <\/span><\/p>\n This will reduce the chances of a fire starting or your kiddos playing with the gas.<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t fill gas all the way to the top of the can. <\/b>Gas expands as it heats, so you want to leave some room in your gas can for that expansion. When you fill your gas can up, don\u2019t fill it up all the way to the top. Most gas cans have a fill line that\u2019s well below the top of the can; only fill your can to that line.<\/span><\/p>\nHow to Store Gas Safely<\/h3>\n
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