Gas cans that expand like a balloon

[jmarkwolf]

I have several red poly gas cans (don't know where they're made) that will expand somewhat like balloons after agitation or temporarily leaving them in the daylight, sometimes excessively so, until I flip open the vent.

It's always given me the heebie jeebies.

Anybody had one burst?

 

[bassJAM]

Except for my 1 gal 50:1 can, everything else is metal now. Although I can't say that I've had any plastic gas cans balloon up.

 

[zendriver]

Completely full containers?

 

[Nofries]

I've got two older cans that do this. One 5 gal and one 2.5 gal.
Been using them for years never exploded. They just contain the vapors and expand. I keep them around because they have the orginal spout that you can pour without being proficient at Yoga.

I usually open the yellow vent first otherwise when you unscrew the cap to pull the plastic nozzle out gas tend to expel on your hand nothing concerning but your hand smells like gas afterwards.

We went out west from NC and the 5 gal can got named the Tick because it swelled up so much.
Picture is before it swelled up. Kitchen sink was on there because it was a three day drive and we had everything else.

 

[Steel_Rain]

I've got two older cans that do this. One 5 gal and one 2.5 gal.
Been using them for years never exploded. They just contain the vapors and expand. I keep them around because they have the orginal spout that you can pour without being proficient at Yoga.

I usually open the yellow vent first otherwise when you unscrew the cap to pull the plastic nozzle out gas tend to expel on your hand nothing concerning but your hand smells like gas afterwards.

We went out west from NC and the 5 gal can got named the Tick because it swelled up so much.
Picture is before it swelled up. Kitchen sink was on there because it was a three day drive and we had everything else.

You really have everything...AND the kitchen sink!

...............................................















I'll get my coat.

 

[Beerhippie]

Try driving over a mountain pass with a 5,000' climb and descent on a hot day!

You'll learn to stop every now and then and vent the gas cans. I've had plastic 5 gal cubies turn into medicine balls, and once took my float tube (for fishing) up into the mountains fully inflated. When the zipper on the tube blew open, it really got my attention. I learned after that to always carry the float tube half inflated 'til I got to my destination.

The most nervous man I ever met was a driver who had the route delivering Lay's chips from Phoenix, AZ (1090' ASL) to the South Rim of Grand Canyon (7,200' ASL). I guess driving a box truck full of randomly exploding bags of chips will set your nerves on edge! He claimed that his loss rate was about 25% during the drive, and the ones that survived looked like beach balls.

 

[CJM8515]

never had one burst, but did leave the cap slightly loose on the last one of these i have so it can vent properly.

 

[L.Cheapo]

Burst? No.

But I did have one inflate itself so much it was more round than square and tipped itself over. Didnt spill.

This was in a detached/uninsulated garage.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I keep 25 gallons in 5 gallon jugs for hurricane season, I’ve heard them hissing and thought it might be a snake.lol

 

[Jolomite]

That has made me curious as well. I assume a good seal is important because you don't want your gas evaporating over time. But, the swelling is concerning, like you say. I've had cans that evidently sealed well and some new that don't. I was disappointed with Bushman red poly cans I bought recently. They don't seal and consequently stank up wherever they are being stored. I think I'll probably sell them once they're empty and put the proceeds toward Wavian cans that do seal properly.

 

[dcg9381]

Try driving over a mountain pass with a 5,000' climb and descent on a hot day!

I had a "sketchy" uncle that owned a Cessna 172, he bought it with a STOL kit and it had at least one bullet hole in it, but that's a side story.
Anyway, he'd fly his kids around in it, they ranged from 4-8 years old. So kids that age, of course they can't accurately plan a bathroom break.

So he had a pee bottle. Plastic. Not constructed as well as these gas containers.

You an predict the outcome when he had to climb to 12,000 to get over a mountain pass...

 

[mikedodge]

I've only had the non vented ones do that, very rarely the vented kind.
I have had metal cans damaged from that, the kind where the bottom is attached like a tin can. Start leaking at that seal.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

All of mine do that. The old ones start leaking at the seams and get turfed. I don't bother venting them as they should be capable of taking the pressure... until they don't... Lol.

 

[cody1325]

Hot weather, and one of the "ventless" cans did that this summer. Most of the gas cans are racing fuel cans (diesel too); aside from one each that are Eagle Safety Cans. Those I haven't had an issue with at all.

 

[JradM]

I never really thought it was an issue. My cans do that - the vapor expands. I figure the caps/vents should leak before it reaches critical pressure. I can't recall ever experiencing a seam leak. It's probably good practice to seat the vents, on cans that have them, only lightly so that they are the failure point.

It's also a good way to make your cans hold more fuel!

Actually, we used to do that on dirt bikes years ago to make a poor-man's oversized tank. Well, it was done with boiling water and compressed air, but the principle is the same. It's all just HDPE.