ECN Forum Forums Off Topic Discussion Off Topic Discussion Gas Cans?

Anyone know what the reason was for the Gas Can reinvention? Or who was behind it?
(or is that just a local problem?)

I spill more gas now than I ever did with the old style. I'm sorry. I just don't get it...

California, need I say more? (CARB vapor control rules)

There was also the NPSC earlier who made them harder to throw gas on a fire with because some bozo did it once. (Google Blitz law suit)

The good news is Amazon will sell you an old style spout you can screw on the can.

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-...;hvtargid=pla-4584482468315187&psc=1

I just use a big funnel when I am fueling my boat. That goes real fast. 6-7 seconds a gallon, faster than a gas pump at the station.

I have one on order!

I tried screwing an old style spout I had on the new cans but they didn't match.

Thanks for the info!!

I use cans made by “No-Spill,” which is carried by Tractor supply.
These cans feature a push-button valve in the cap, giving great flow control and all but eliminating spills (and smelly fingers). A short piece of Tyson tubing can be attached, directing fuel into tight spots such as is often found on scissor lifts.
They’re comparatively expensive (about $30) but worth it.

Bill,
What is this about?
I've had steel Jerry cans for the last 15 years (although they carry diesel).
Is this some new law in the US?

Gas cans have been the focus of several very different regulatory attempts — but those aren’t what’s att work here.

Plastic gas cans became — by far — the most common style by 1980. By the mid-nineties the market was dominated by an Oklahoma-based manufacturer named Blitz.
Blitz was the target of endless litigation, generally focused on injuries caused by ID10T operations. At the same time, various environmental authorities, most notable being CARB, a California bureaucracy. The environmental concerns revolved over fumes released during the filling process.

Due to these actions, there were no “legal” metal cans made. At the same time, OSHA and other safety regulations mandated the use of Type 1 or Type 2 cans — which must be metal.

Blitz constantly redesigned their plastic cans in response to both regulation and lawsuit. Their final models had huge letters molded into plastic, warning against setting yourself afire — in multiple languages. When a lawsuit found even these warnings inadequate, the firm closed it’s doors. Enough!, they said.

After a few years of a real shortage of containers, new styles began to appear. Many have some features intended to make it harder to over-fill your mower. Today a basic can might cost $10; the one I use costs $30.

Mike,

For the last 10 years or so the only Gas Cans you could buy around here had a spout that you had to twist or press something and then push to get the gas out. It has never worked out well for me.

When filling my lawnmower or generator for instance, because I have to push down I'm covering the opening and can't see when it's full and always end up overflowing. Otherwise, I can pull the spout in and end up with gas on my hands.

Some of us scoured the garage sales and watched the side of the road to collect the old style spouts. (the can may have been run over but the spout was usually still OK)
I still have a bunch. For my boat where I will be adding gas 5 gallons at a time, I just use a big funnel tho and that was even before all of this gas can litigation. It just goes a lot faster. Farm stores usually have a 12" or larger funnel with a 1" tip. You can just dump the gas in there as fast as it will come out of the can.

Another complaint is they don't come with instructions. The first time I bought one I couldn't figure out how to get gas out of it easily. I ended up trying to 'Fix" it and it ended up in the trash as my other spouts wouldn't fit the new can.