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Gasoline is inherently unstable and turns into a gummy, plastic-like substance after only a few months. Although there are off-the-shelf fuel stabilizer additi
by GrumpyYoungMan 10y ago
Gasoline is inherently unstable and turns into a gummy, plastic-like substance after only a few months. Although there are off-the-shelf fuel stabilizer additives available, the max lifetime is only around 2 years.
Diesel fuel is subject to the same problems without special additives and precautions.
- prodmerc 10y agoSurprising how many people don't know this. All those "everyone will be killing for gas" posts are ridiculous since gasoline will expire a few months after a global catastrophe.
- cylinder 10y agoAre there viable fuels that don't degrade like this?
- detaro 10y agoEthanol (or Methanol) can be stored for a long time. (If you want to drink it, it even gets more expensive the older it is...)
- jcranmer 10y agoPropane and isobutane seem to last well over 5-7 years (particularly if in unopened canisters), and anecdote suggests they will keep for over a decade. The limiting factor is how leaky the canisters and particularly valves are, given that they're gaseous and not liquid.