Green plastic petrol can safety

[cardiffrob]

Just a quicky....

I picked up a green fuel can yesterday in the back garden that has sat outside for use with the strimmer/mower/chainsaw etc. I guess the UV or the ethanol had got to it as the handle pulled away from the rest of it. Looks quite faded and the whole area was brittle and crazed. Can't be more than 2 years old. Hate to think what it would have done in the boot of the car if I'd been involved in a shunt!!!

 

[arther dailey]

Appreciate that,will check mine.

 

[rtbcomp]

I had a few plastic containers of various types go brittle when left outside, although 2 red and 1 green petrol cans were OK, but not in direct sunlight.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

It is the UV as all ready stated.
Not just fuel cans, plastic handle Fire extinguisher's as well.
All plastic handle fire extinguishers showing the damaged, the "Greying" of the handle need to be replaced.

You can guess what may happen.

Any questions PM me.

 

[pedrobedro]

Mine was outside under the cement mixer for ages till I needed it and it has suffered no ill effects. There are some that change colour if left in sunlight and they go brittle but the better quality ones survive. It would probably have been fine in a car boot in darkness, put your stuff away when you've done with it

 

[Kent]

You have to be really dumb to store petrol in a car boot for any longer than the trip home. I use steel jerry cans but only carry when I am about to use and strap them in the back of the truck secure

 

[arther dailey]

Agree with that, only use for petrol I have is lawn mower, diesel I use jerry cans,lawn mower can is in outside store away from property.

 

[Ton-up]

Happens to Zip ties too! All the overhead data cables that criss-cross our works fell down bit by bit as the installers hadn't used UV proof ties!

 

[sardine]

I carry it in a metal bucket, safety first.

 

[Migmac]

Our plastic rhones and down pipes have suffered from UV, they were brown but are now greyish/brown in colour.

 

[cardiffrob]

Garage is mine...garden is 'hers' so leaving a can outside isn't my fault!

I bought a B&Q metal can for the Morris and it seems well made and doesn't leak. The car needs one since the fuel gauge reads full on left hand corners and empty on right hand ones. On bumpy roads it acts like a metronome so isn't very useful for telling you how much is left in the 5 gallon tank.

 

[Cobbler]

I bought a B&Q metal can for the Morris and it seems well made and doesn't leak. The car needs one since the fuel gauge reads full on left hand corners and empty on right hand ones. On bumpy roads it acts like a metronome so isn't very useful for telling you how much is left in the 5 gallon tank.

Sounds like the series 2 Minor I had years ago, gauge only read about 3 gallons. When it read full you could get another gallon in it, & there was at least a gallon & a half in it when it read empty.

 

[rtbcomp]

I used to use the trip meter on my Riley, topped up every 100 miles.

 

[wookie]

plus an ex military full size jerry can someone gave me before they moved down south.

Can't beat the ex-mil jerry cans, I've a quite a few, mostly around 1970's vintage, but one is a genuine 1942 German one that is still serviceable.

 

[pedrobedro]

Can't beat the ex-mil jerry cans, I've a quite a few, mostly around 1970's vintage, but one is a genuine 1942 German one that is still serviceable.

You can't fill the proper jerry cans up with petrol at any garage round here though, I suppose diesel would be alright.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@pedrobedro
Why not?
They are approved fuel containers, if the garage challenges you.
You are with in your rights to asked to see their list of approved containers. They should have a copy, if not they are trading out side the regulations.

We had it here, when the 21yo manager was challenged he did not know what a jerry can was!!!!!!!

 

[Robotstar5]

You can't fill the proper jerry cans up with petrol at any garage round here though...

It's OK round here, I filled mine up this morning

 

[rtbcomp]

I think there's a limit to the amount of petrol you can store in cans. 5 litres IIRC

 

[Shox Dr]

Had the same problem at the local petrol station. Attendant wouldn't turn the pump on, when questioned she said it wasn't an approved container. I pointed out they have been and still are in constant use buy Governments throughout the world since WWII, she relented and turned them on.

Used have lots of hassle filling multiple cans for MX and Enduro bikes, even when they were on sat on the trailer

 

[Robotstar5]

Used have lots of hassle filling multiple cans for MX and Enduro bikes, even when they were on sat on the trailer

The local hooligans don't seem to have any problems, I saw a van with about 8-10 plastic cans in the back which they filled up to save them taking unregistered bikes to the petrol station.

This lot came past the end of my road, although one of them had a bad night, I passed him lying in the road where he had come off after hitting a car.