On Dec 3, 3:38*am, worker bee wrote:
On Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:45:40 -0700, Tony Hwang wrote:
60 gal. of gas is more tan a big drumful. How come so much gas. in the
yard? Gas blend changes from season to season.

Actually, it's a 55 gallon drum and I don't seem to get even 50 gallons
into it, strangely enough. But I generally fill it before it goes empty
so I haven't filled it from empty since it was new a few years ago.

I use the gas up within two months (generally a month to a month and a
half is when I refill) so I really doubt the seasons matter all that much
- especially in California where there is really only one, maybe two at
most, seasons anyway. There is a cool dry summer and a slightly cooler
wetter winter - neither of which has a temperature swing you can't get in
a single day in most other northern parts of the country.

My gas tank is about 20 gallons. The wife's tank is about 20 gallons. The
bike is about 5 gallons. And the lawn mower and a half dozen other
engines around the yard takes another 5 gallons.

So, a single fillup (which in practice rarely happens) will empty out the
55-gallon drum. I don't see how this amount is any different than most of
you out there.

Don't you guys have a car for you, and one for the wife, and maybe a
secondary vehicle? Don't you have lawn mowers? Don't you have other yard
equipment? I would think 55 gallons is the bare minimum since all it does
is fill the tanks just once.

What I 'really' want is TWO 55 gallon drums. Actually, I'd love a 200
gallon tank - but once you get over 60 gallons, you start getting into
fire marshall permits & transportation permits and anything over 260
gallons for delivered fuel gets you into air resource board requirements.

So, 55 gallons seems a bare minimum, at least to me. Maybe you guys go to
the gas station a lot more than I do? Or you and your wife drive the same
car?

I suspect that with someone who is doing what you say
you're doing there is probably plenty more you're doing to **** off
your neighbor. I've known a lot of people and seen a lot of things,
but I never saw anyone trucking gasoline home in 5 gallon cans
and maintaining a 55 gallon drum in their backyard to routinely
fill their autos.

As for being the same as using a gas station, it's not. Gas stations
have been required to have vapor recovery systems for years now.
That's why the nozzles now have a rubber covering that must be
pressed against the tank for the fuel to flow. As the fuel flows in
the system sucks up the vapors that come out as the air is displaced.
It prevents those vapors from getting into the air. Is what you're
doing a major environmental deal? No, but is sure doesn't help
and it sounds pretty loony to me.

You also don't say exactly how close the neighbor's house is to
where you're storing and pumping this gasoline. He sees you
screwing around with at least a 55 gallon drum of gasoline,
filling it, pumping it, etc. He doesn't know exactly how much
you have or what you are doing. He does know that it sure
is strange and I think he had every right to call authorities to
make sure it complies with safety regulations.

I also suspect there is more to this story than that you use
the gasoline to fill your personal automobiles. More likely
it's being used for some business, which of course would
be a zoning violation.