A serious warning

[Dorset Diver]

We arrived home yesterday to about 33 deg C. SWMBO went into the garage (standard brick built double) and discovered a strong smell of petrol. I was sent to investigate. Long story short. I had two 5 ltr plastic petrol cans in there, neither over filled. Both had expanded in the heat and were blown up like balloons. One, the standard green type you find everywhere, had developed a small split and was spraying petrol out. I released the cap and pressure on both and shifted them to safety. I hate to think what could have happened if they had been in the boot of a car with a smoker.

 

[MichaelT]

We arrived home yesterday to about 33 deg C. SWMBO went into the garage (standard brick built double) and discovered a strong smell of petrol. I was sent to investigate. Long story short. I had two 5 ltr plastic petrol cans in there, neither over filled. Both had expanded in the heat and were blown up like balloons. One, the standard green type you find everywhere, had developed a small split and was spraying petrol out. I released the cap and pressure on both and shifted them to safety. I hate to think what could have happened if they had been in the boot of a car with a smoker.

Do many smokers travel in the boot of a car?

 

[Spriddler]

Thanks. 30 to 35 deg daytime here. Just been down to my shed and released considerable pressure from my two ballooning green plastic 5L petrol cans. Who knows, it may have saved my three vintage motorbikes from a soaking or even incineration.

Do many smokers travel in the boot of a car?

It helps avoid the shame of being seen.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Thanks. 30 to 35 deg daytime here. Just been down to my shed and released considerable pressure from my two ballooning green plastic 5L petrol cans. Who knows, it may have saved my three vintage motorbikes from a soaking or even incineration.

Spriddler I have been monitoring mine all day and despite releasing the pressure on the now only good one it still keeps ballooning.

 

[suavecarve]

We had one go in the garage of the motorhome.
Awful stink and shed loads of cleaning with extremely smelly stuff and doors open for a couple of days.
Bought one of the metal containers instead

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[Spriddler]

Spriddler I have been monitoring mine all day and despite releasing the pressure on the now only good one it still keeps ballooning.

I'll keep an eye on mine. Hopefully they won't cool and implode.
I recall an experiment at grammar school with a metal gallon can containing a pint or so of water which was heated till steam came out. The cap was screwed on and the can put aside to cool. It collapsed spectacularly as if crushed by an invisible hand.

 

[Richard n Ann]

"pressure and temperature are relative.. Always remember that" my old boss used to say... I always remembered it god rest his soul, nice man

 

[John Barrett]

I'll keep an eye on mine. Hopefully they won't cool and implode.
I recall an experiment at grammar school with a metal gallon can containing a pint or so of water which was heated till steam came out. The cap was screwed on and the can put aside to cool. It collapsed spectacularly as if crushed by an invisible hand.

Atmospheric pressure at 14.7 psi is pretty powerful stuff! BTW why does someone always have to trivialise a serious post?

 

[PeteH]

Fortunately my garage is the coolest place, that's my excuse to spend lots of time in there. Of course come January?

 

[Winger]

It’s a good job you didn’t switch on a light!

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[Richard n Ann]

I've got a 1kg container of R134a in the garage. Before we came away I made sure I moved it away from the back wall (West facing) cladding and put it on the floor where it would be cooler. A few years ago I was sunbathing on the back garden and kept hearing a faint "sss" every few minutes, I went in the garage and it was the 134a container venting on its safety valve . I'd filled it up too much.. err.. like to the top, it was quite warm and I'd forgotten about it.. "pressure and temperature are relative mate, alwa..." yes I know Pete

 

[Podney]

Ive often moved cans out of the sun for this reason......but then I’m a kind of belt and braces “what if” sort of guy. Probably better to leave the cap just a teeny weeny weeny bit loose if it’s somewhere suitable.

 

[WillH]

Carrying petrol is probably the reason I have never got a genny for the van, too many years on oil tankers made me a little risk averse concerning hydrocarbons.

 

[Vipar]

Don’t forget your sanitizer that is like a hand grenade if it gets too hot.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Ive often moved cans out of the sun for this reason......but then I’m a kind of belt and braces “what if” sort of guy. Probably better to leave the cap just a teeny weeny weeny bit loose if it’s somewhere suitable.

That is what I have done.

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[gus-lopez]

Spriddler I have been monitoring mine all day and despite releasing the pressure on the now only good one it still keeps ballooning.

It will do. even if you vent it & then crush it to release as much air as possible it will still expand to normal ,if not more.
I use 20 l jerry cans. The only 20 litre plastic petrol can I have resides in the shed , 40º at the moment, with a rubber glove over the outlet pipe .
I did have a 5 litre one burst a few years back.I found it when I came back from the UK

 

[mitzimad]

i got into the van the other morning to find a bic lighter had exploded

 

[gus-lopez]

On my chainsaws I now make sure never to leave them full of either petrol or chain oil as I had one split the chain oil tank a few years ago

 

[RandallC]

Saw the balloon effect on a green cana few years ago so came across a steel Gerry can (10l) which does the mower and scoot if needed.

Happy now, SHOULD be no serious risk of leakage

 

[Interceptor]

Hi all
Quite strange this tread is on here.
The other day the van sunk of petrol given it's a diesel though that's funny.
While driving with the window open it did not go away.
The generator some time vents if quite full.
Then I thought I have not filled it in ages.
I stopped unlocked the back and the cap on one had split over half way round.
It's proberly my fault for having them on the top shelve.
And fuel dripping down my stock as it bounced about.
I'm glad I read this I never thought about the sthil saw I alway fill it up.
I have a hadit of using the two stroke in the four stroke generator.
Mite make sense to buy two more plastic can and keep them just over half full.

Would steel ones be better although I don't fancy a twenty litre one.
How did thay get on with the steel ones on the running boards in th wold days.
And land rovers crossing desserts with jerry cans hanging off the bumpers.

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[Dorset Diver]

Hi all
Quite strange this tread is on here.
The other day the van sunk of petrol given it's a diesel though that's funny.
While driving with the window open it did not go away.
The generator some time vents if quite full.
Then I thought I have not filled it in ages.
I stopped unlocked the back and the cap on one had split over half way round.
It's proberly my fault for having them on the top shelve.
And fuel dripping down my stock as it bounced about.
I'm glad I read this I never thought about the sthil saw I alway fill it up.
I have a hadit of using the two stroke in the four stroke generator.
Mite make sense to buy two more plastic can and keep them just over half full.

Would steel ones be better although I don't fancy a twenty litre one.
How did thay get on with the steel ones on the running boards in th wold days.
And land rovers crossing desserts with jerry cans hanging off the bumpers.

Half full or at the approved maximum makes no difference. Heated petrol expands as it gets hot and can exert high pressure.

 

[ElliesBoss]

Do a search on "BLEVE" and look at the videos. See what can happen with a tank containing pressurised vapour, even if not full of liquid.

 

[autorouter]

How did thay get on with the steel ones on the running boards in th wold days.
And land rovers crossing desserts with jerry cans hanging off the bumpers.

Now you know why they were on the running boards or hanging off the bumpers, not packed inside.

 

[Speve]

I have can like this I don’t like plastic containers.

 

[poppycamper]

Genuine ex army jerry can for me.

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[tonyidle]

It’s a good job you didn’t switch on a light!

You've been watching too much TV. The real danger is when you switch one off .

 

[nicholsong]

Now that most of the information concerning fuel and dangers of heat/pressure have been aired(so to speak) may I just relate a slightly humourous story about liquid and pressure.

I was flying as co-pilot on a 5-seat unpressurised executive aircraft, and it was my duty to serve coffee from a pre-loaded flask.

One day in the cruise as I started opening the top and coffee immediately sprayed everywhere, all over passengers and me.

The reason? the flask had been filled at near boiling point at grounnd level. The boiling point of water decreases with height because of decreased pressure, thus as soon as it is exposed to air at 10,000ft the coffee started to boil, pressurised the flask and sprayed out.

Therafter the kitchen was instructed to fill at well below boiling temperature.

Geoff