Author Topic: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent  (Read 7005 times)

Russ

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gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« on: October 21, 2013, 10:06:55 PM »
Today I came to own a 55 gallon drum with a gallon or two of gasoline in the bottom. The gasoline part was not on purpose and I need it empty ASAP. Urgent because I definitely can't keep it in my apartment, and the only other place I have for it is in the parking lot which is also not a good idea.

- I can't use it because I don't own anything that runs on gasoline.
- I'm having a hard time giving it away because it's not really enough to be worth anyone's time to pick it up
- I don't want to dump it because environment
- I will probably be able to take it to the local recycling center, but that is far away and might cost money which I feel like I shouldn't have to spend on this.

Any ideas? Ideally something that is free and requires minimal moving of things on my part. Basically I'm looking for someone I can contact who, if I show up with some gas, will be happy to take it off my hands and will be able to do it easily and quickly.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Russ

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2013, 10:09:00 PM »
I'm pretty sure it's clean and fresh FWIW. I just thought of renting a U-haul or similar and dumping it all in the gas tank. Not that that's super practical either, but it's an idea.

iamlindoro

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2013, 10:09:07 PM »
You say you live in an apartment, do you have landscapers?  All their stuff runs on gas and they'd surely take it off your hands.

iamlindoro

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2013, 10:10:41 PM »
(Or failing that, talk to your neighbors, see who has a gas can (as used when filling a car that has run out of gas) and fill that up for them, then transfer into an automobile.

Or just pour straight into a car, come to think of it.

chasesfish

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2013, 05:27:55 AM »
You just need a large funnel and a gas tank. 

Spork

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2013, 08:03:01 AM »
You just need a large funnel and a gas tank.

and probably minimally a strainer.  It'll have some amount of debris in it.  They always do.  But SOMEONE in that apartment has room in their gas tank for a gallon or two.


cbr shadow

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2013, 09:01:17 AM »
It's not free but it's cheap - get a 3 gallon gas container from a gas station ($5?) and put the gas from the barrel into it.   Peopel might not want to bother getting 2 gallons of gas from a stranger with a 55 gallon drum, but if you walk up to someone at the station with the container of gas and explain that you dont need it I'm sure they'll happily take it.

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2013, 09:47:08 AM »
How does one, just come into possesion of a 55 gallon drum with some fuel in it? lol.

Call your apt office and offer it to the their landscaping company.

Spork

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2013, 10:21:47 AM »
How does one, just come into possesion of a 55 gallon drum with some fuel in it? lol.

Call your apt office and offer it to the their landscaping company.

I'm going to wildly guess and go out on a limb here to say:  Don't talk to your apartment office unless you're pretty sure they're not going to freak out.  Different municipalities will have different rules about fuel storage... and I'm pretty sure 55 gallons in a multi-family dwelling is going to go over like a lead balloon (even if 52 of the gallons are empty... it's still a big bomb full of fumes.)  There may very well be EPA requirements on how to deal with the drum afterwards.  (A family acquaintance went to jail for dealing with paint drums incorrectly!)

That said: I keep a 55g drum of diesel, though it is in an out building away from the house.... and I don't live in the city.

Russ

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2013, 11:03:47 AM »
Thanks for the help guys. I didn't think of offering it to a professional gas-user... there's a roadside service company down the street and they're taking it for me.

I'm going to wildly guess and go out on a limb here to say:  Don't talk to your apartment office unless you're pretty sure they're not going to freak out.  Different municipalities will have different rules about fuel storage... and I'm pretty sure 55 gallons in a multi-family dwelling is going to go over like a lead balloon (even if 52 of the gallons are empty... it's still a big bomb full of fumes.)  There may very well be EPA requirements on how to deal with the drum afterwards.  (A family acquaintance went to jail for dealing with paint drums incorrectly!)

Yeah I know this is probably illegal, hence trying to get rid of it quickly and trying to keep the whole thing on the DL. Fortunately I live in the sticks so people are usually pretty lax about this kind of stuff. Definitely not telling the landlord though...

worms

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2013, 01:07:40 PM »
I'm sure I don't need to say this, but...

Remember that gasoline VAPOUR is highly flammable, the empty drum is dangerous until it has been left for a suitable period adequately vented, or the drum is washed out.  I once saw a youtube video where someone took an angle-grinder to an empty gas drum...luckily he survived!

Self-employed-swami

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2013, 01:10:54 PM »
Now I'm curious... What are you doing with the drum?

GuitarStv

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2013, 01:13:53 PM »
Open the drum in your parking garage, duck below the lip of the drum.  Light a match and casually lob it over the lip and into the container of gas.  Wait for the gas to burn off.  If anyone in your apartment looks at you funny, point at the drum and yell . . . "Plenty o'room for the body of a snitch in this here drum!" then strut away.

Russ

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2013, 01:42:04 PM »
I'm sure I don't need to say this, but...

Remember that gasoline VAPOUR is highly flammable, the empty drum is dangerous until it has been left for a suitable period adequately vented, or the drum is washed out.  I once saw a youtube video where someone took an angle-grinder to an empty gas drum...luckily he survived!

Thanks for the reminder. I planned on washing the drum out before bringing it inside.

Now I'm curious... What are you doing with the drum?

making one of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHDS0HcN6XI

Open the drum in your parking garage, duck below the lip of the drum.  Light a match and casually lob it over the lip and into the container of gas.  Wait for the gas to burn off.  If anyone in your apartment looks at you funny, point at the drum and yell . . . "Plenty o'room for the body of a snitch in this here drum!" then strut away.

No burning... I live across the street from the fire/police department and I think they'd have something to say about that. Also the lid isn't removable.

Self-employed-swami

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2013, 02:23:05 PM »
cool!

worms

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Re: gasoline disposal - kinda urgent
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2013, 03:18:09 PM »
... I live across the street from the fire/police department and I think they'd have something to say about that.
How about you go over, explain the situation and ask for their help?  The fire guys could use it as a training exercise and give you a safe drum back when they are done!  They win by not having to do the exercise for real in your house, you win because you live to drum another day!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!