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fuel storage - 11/29/2003 3:21 PM   
buchtes


 

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Status: offline 		what is considered the maximum amount of time to store fuel before it goes bad.
Does container, temp. light make any difference?
Finally, where can you get some good quality metal cans with a good airtight lid?

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RE: fuel storage - 11/29/2003 5:29 PM   
flythe9



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Status: offline 		I am using fuel that is 4 years old stored in the original plastic bottles in a unheated outside shed.

No problems with the fuel.

There was recently an article in one of the model mags. where their engine man showed an engine running with 20% water mixed in the fuel.

The article went on to show that most of the "fuel storage, water and condensate" issues heard at most fields and published in some mags. are false.

see page 66 Model Aviation Jan. 2004 issue. The article starts with the boldface "As regular readers"

< Message edited by flythe9 -- 11/29/2003 9:31:15 AM >

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RE: fuel storage - 11/29/2003 5:44 PM   
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Powermaster fuel comes in metal cans with resealable caps. Might want to try this
if you are looking for metal cans. If fuel is sealed and has not been exposed to moisture
then life of the fuel is almost indefinite.

< Message edited by POWERMASTER -- 11/30/2003 4:15:04 PM >

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RE: fuel storage - 11/29/2003 10:43 PM   
buchtes


 

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Status: offline 		thanks flythe9 & Wendall for your input. I still have a unopened can of Powermaster on the shelf I bought 3 months ago, been running a mix between homebrew and Ritch's Brew. I definitely will reuse the can can in the future, trust it more then the plastic jug. Still no answer's on the lifespan of the fuel, that stuff may last forever???

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RE: fuel storage - 11/30/2003 12:18 AM   
mikefuture



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Status: offline 		I would think that if the fuel was kept in it's original container, sealed tight, and kept in a cool dark place that it would last indefinitely.

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RE: fuel storage - 12/11/2003 5:20 AM   
doctorgo


 

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Status: offline 		I personally witnessed 20 year old K&B fuel in a rusted can, opened for the first time, used with success some years ago. I also have 4 year old Morgan Omega fuel(I over-bought)kept in my basement, that I use regularly. Yes, I would agree, shelf life is indeed lengthy.

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DrGO

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RE: fuel storage - 12/11/2003 6:09 PM   
rajul



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Status: offline 		Sounds good !

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RE: fuel storage - 12/18/2003 8:38 AM   
Live Wire


 

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Status: offline 		The only way fuel get bad is if the Nitro And Alco. evaperates, Have Red Max 7 years and still good. Had fuel left from my store and using it up!

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RE: fuel storage - 12/18/2003 3:38 PM   
rjbarthel



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Status: offline 		has anyone seen 2 stroke fuel loose its color ! I had a gallon of sig 15% that was about half full that went from pink to nearly clear !! It seemed to work ok ! the only thing I can think of that was different with this jug of fuel compaired to others Ive had was it had been in the sun light much more !! thanks RB

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RE: fuel storage - 12/18/2003 7:29 PM   
3d-aholic



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Status: offline 		I used fuel that was 8 years old and if anything it worked better than the new stuff. Key is the plastic bottle were stored in the original plastic bottles with zero head space and the red plastic stopper in first and screw cap on top. They were in the original fuel case carton sealed with no light.

Light, heat, oxygen and water provide catalysts for reactive products....limit those and your fuel with last longer.

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RE: fuel storage - 12/20/2003 7:59 AM   
Fuelman


 

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Status: offline 		Unopened fuel either in bottle or can has a nearly indefinate shelf life. Keep it out of the sun.
Some companies use dyes that may lose some briliance after exposure to the sun, this should not indicate a problem with the fuels burn-ability if sunlight was the only cause for the color change.


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RE: fuel storage - 12/21/2003 10:56 PM   
RaceCity



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Status: offline 		Wine doesn't spoil with age? Why should fuel?

Ever hear of anyone throwing away a bottle of Lafite Rothschild because it was old?

Keep it away from temp extremes...light and the atmosphere and it's good for a LONG time.

As for the bit on water in the fuel being good? I'd like to see that test repeated with r/c engines....

Show me how good the idle...transition and reliabilty is. JW's article in MAN was a lot of
hoo-hah.

Water in glow fuel is B-A-D.

'race

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RE: fuel storage - 12/22/2003 5:27 AM   
rajul



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Status: offline 		Best way to keep fuel from getting bad ................burn it up !

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RE: fuel storage - 6/13/2012 9:57 PM   
MrShoes


 

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Status: offline 		I know this is a very old thread, but I don't believe shelf life of glow fuel is almost indefinate. I bought some Powermaster YS 20/20 and never opened the can. Kept it stored in my garage for about 2 years. I opened the seal for the first time and the fuel had lost its go-go, could net get engine to run. I had to buy a new can and the engine fired right and ran like a champ.

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RE: fuel storage - 6/14/2012 1:35 AM   
JPMacG


 

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Status: offline 		I am now using fuel that I purchased 3 years ago. My Saitos and Enyas run on it as well as new fuel.

Perhaps your gallon somehow became contaminated with water (leaky seal?) or perhaps it was a bad batch from the get go.

My personal experience is that 4-strokes do not run well on fuel that has been contaminated with water, however. 2-strokes seem to run OK on that fuel.

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RE: fuel storage - 6/14/2012 4:17 PM   
earlwb


 

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Status: offline 		For glow fuel there is no shelf life for the fuel. It is good for a indefinite period of time. I have used glow fuel that was over 20 years old with no problem. The trick is to store it so the sealed fuel container is not directly on a concrete floor and out of sunlight. Then the stuff is good to go many years later. The container may puff up when hot and suck itself in when cold, but that is OK as it is sealed so it can't leak.             


Now for gasoline it is hard to say, without stabilizers in the fuel, less than a year. With stabilizers a couple of years or more. Some gasoline blends don't store well for all that long due to the hydrocarbon chemicals they use in the stuff. The other problem is that many gasoline containers can breathe, letting the more voltaile chemicals evaporate or allow it to abosrb moisture (ethanol)  which shortens the shelf life even more.





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RE: fuel storage - 6/15/2012 5:24 AM   
1QwkSport2.5r



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Status: offline 		I now mix my own fuel, but when I bought fuel at the LHS, I always squeezed the jug without touching the cap and if I heard any leakage from the cap I grabbed a different jug. Leaky caps surely mean contamination is probably. As I understand, nitromethane breaks down in direct sunlight. I do not know if artificial light is included, but keeping it in a cool dark place isnt a bad thing. I've used fuel I mixed up a year ago that ran just fine.

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RE: fuel storage - 6/20/2012 1:37 AM   
MrShoes


 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: earlwb

For glow fuel there is no shelf life for the fuel. It is good for a indefinite period of time. I have used glow fuel that was over 20 years old with no problem. The trick is to store it so the sealed fuel container is not directly on a concrete floor and out of sunlight. Then the stuff is good to go many years later. The container may puff up when hot and suck itself in when cold, but that is OK as it is sealed so it can't leak.             


Curious as to why storage on a concrete floor is bad for fuel?

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RE: fuel storage - 6/22/2012 2:36 PM   
Sport_Pilot



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quote:

As I understand, nitromethane breaks down in direct sunlight.


I have heard this but have not had a problem with fuel that gets occasional sunlight, other than the dye turning dark, but runs fine.  Angus site says nothing about this, but says to store in original containers so not sure if this is true or not.  I have no idea why storing on a concrete floor would be bad.  Since concrete floors are normally cool seems like it would help.

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RE: fuel storage - 6/22/2012 2:46 PM   
SrTelemaster150



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quote:

ORIGINAL: mikefuture

I would think that if the fuel was kept in it's original container, sealed tight, and kept in a cool dark place that it would last indefinitely.



I recently opened some bottles of 15% Cool Power that were in a climate controled back room that were 14 years old. 1 was actually opened way back when but I kept it sealed W/my fuel lines plugged into the bottle. Both bottles were fine & I could determine no peak or idle RPM between the 2.

Alcohol fuel deteriorate when left open to the atmosphere where evaporation & moisture absorbtion degrade their quality. Kept sealed, out of direct sunlight & @ reasonable temperatures, they last a long time W/no ill affect.

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RE: fuel storage - 6/22/2012 7:52 PM   
Bobhend


 

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Status: offline 		Gasoline 10% ethanol [E10] on the other hand can't be trusted for the next season.  

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