Collapsing Gas Cans, EPA Regulations

dilbert firestorm's Avatar
https://www.surecanusa.com/post/2018...pa-regulations


Collapsing Gas Cans, EPA Regulations

Updated: May 28, 2019



Have you ever gone to use your gas can, only to find that it has collapsed in on itself like the picture above? For some of you, you may think this is a defect and that you got a bad can. You may have even contacted the manufacturer and asked for a replacement.

Did you know that this is not a defect at all and it is actually doing what the EPA requires a gas can to do? We will explain exactly what causes this collapse in just a minute. But First here is a little more information on EPA regulations.

In 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instated new regulations for portable fuel containers (AKA gas cans) and outlawing all those that have a vent hole in them. In these new regulations it states that a gas can cannot vent on its own while not in use. Here is a list of other regulations that the EPA requires.
  • A permeation-resistant container that permits no more than 0.3 grams per gallon per day of hydrocarbon emissions. This means while your gas can is not in use and sitting idol it cannot release that much vapor into the air per day.
  • Automatic closure, such as a nozzle that automatically springs to the closed position when the user is not pouring from the container.
  • Self-venting opening for dispensing fuel with no separate vents. This is the only time a gas can is allowed to vent.
  • Childproof features as outlined by the Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act
We fully support the EPA in their quest to protect the environment and that is one reason why we built the SureCan the way it is today. It not only meets these standards but it exceeds them! SureCan is built with 6 layers wall thickness to prevent vapors from escaping as well as to be the most durable gas can on the market. Not all other fuel can manufacturers can say this. The gas cans that allow vapor to escape into the air through the walls of the can release that vapor and it sits inside your garage or enclosed trailer.

Alright, so why exactly does my gas can bloat or expand in the sun and collapse in the cooler temperatures? This is due to what is called the Combined Gas Law which states that “the ratio of the product of pressure and volume and the absolute temperature of a gas is equal to a constant”. Thus, if the gas temperature inside the can increases so will the pressure and volume inside the can (Bloated Can). Likewise, if the gas temperature inside the can decreases so will the pressure and volume inside the can (Collapsed Can).

When fuel vapor is trapped inside a closed container without any way of escaping as it increases and decreases in volume and pressure, the laws of chemistry and physics tell us that it has to go somewhere.

Here are some examples of gas cans that have collapsed in due to the change in cooler temperatures.









Now, how do I get my collapsed gas can to go back to normal? Simply make sure the cap is off and the can has properly vented, then place the cap back on and seal it up tight. Next place the gas can in the sun for approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. The increased temperature will cause the can to swell pushing the walls back to the original shape.



How do I prevent this from happening again? Well, there really is not a sure way to prevent this from happening when your cap is sealed tight and vapor trapped inside. Unfortunately, due to the EPA regulations, fuel can manufactures are not able to place an automatic pressure release into the can design. So for now you will have to periodically open your cap and release the vapor before the temperature drops.

Ironically enough, OSHA on the other hand does require a fuel can to have an automatic pressure release feature incorporated into it for use on industrial jobsites and other construction sites. Why two government entities contradict each other in regards to venting is beyond us!

For more information on SureCan and our products please visit our website at www.SureCanUSA.com
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
those gas cans really do suck.
the_real_Barleycorn's Avatar
I didn't have time to read all that but I do have two five-gallon cans in my trunk. Both are kind of collapsed as it is colder then when they were filled. Big deal. Simple physics and thermal dynamics.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
I didn't have time to read all that but I do have two five-gallon cans in my trunk. Both are kind of collapsed as it is colder then when they were filled. Big deal. Simple physics and thermal dynamics. Originally Posted by the_real_Barleycorn

yeah.

cold = contract
heat = expand

I had a 5 gal can that I used to fill a generator after Hurricane Ida passed. I put the empty can in the garage. I went to get the can to drain the generator of gas. the gas can was collapsed, crushed. it was unreal. first time I saw it.

so left the can outside for a couple of days where it could get some south Louisiana sun. its back to its regular proper shape. unreal.

btw, the gas pump was a $10 piece of junk from Harbor Freight. it quit working just as it finished draining the gas from the generator.
... Uh.. Not sure WHY this long-winded piece is in
the political forum... Must be a conspiracy...

#### Salty
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
its not that long. what made it long is those pictures. lol.
Lucas McCain's Avatar
Dilbert, please tell me you have been drinking today and it brought out your inner oeb when it comes to starting threads.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
those gas cans really do suck. Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

Down with EPA regs!!!! they suck for gas can owners.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
... Uh.. Not sure WHY this long-winded piece is in
the political forum... Must be a conspiracy...

#### Salty Originally Posted by Salty Again
EPA made those regs and for the most its political. so they're on the stupid page.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
Dilbert, please tell me you have been drinking today and it brought out your inner oeb when it comes to starting threads. Originally Posted by Lucas McCain
sorry to bust your chops. eye wasn't drinking. i'm no OEB. i was doing this in spurts before OEB was doing it overtime.

i'm not a teetotaler. eye drink but not that often.
Dilbert, please tell me you have been drinking today and it brought out your inner oeb when it comes to starting threads. Originally Posted by Lucas McCain
... Ye Christ! ... Here we go again.

### Salty
eccieuser9500's Avatar
I didn't have time to read all that but I do have two five-gallon cans in my trunk. Both are kind of collapsed as it is colder then when they were filled. Big deal. Simple physics and thermal dynamics. Originally Posted by the_real_Barleycorn
It's Thermodynamics.


yeah.

cold = contract
heat = expand Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm
Torturing Barley word for word, right dilby? Thanks for opening the door here in this forum to add this:


Water expands when frozen. As you know, I like chemistry.





Does Water Expand or Contract When Heated?


https://sciencing.com/water-expand-c...d-5185456.html


Water responds like any other compound to changing temperatures, but an anomaly occurs in a narrow range around the melting point, and it's a change that makes a big difference. When you heat ice, the molecules gain kinetic energy, and the ice expands until it melts. But once all the ice has turned to water and the temperature starts rising again, expansion stops. Between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit (0 and 4 degrees Celsius), the melted water actually contracts as the temperature rises. Beyond 40 F (4 C), it starts to expand again. This phenomenon makes ice less dense than the water around it, which is the reason why ice floats.





















Fake nerd.
the_real_Barleycorn's Avatar
And by clicking that one space, it self corrected but it did not capitalize.

Also, water expands 1700 times when it flashes to vapor from a liquid state.
Ripmany's Avatar
I love EZ flow it unlegal to convert any tank after 2000. But you can buy the nozzles in just convert the can.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
I love EZ flow it unlegal to convert any tank after 2000. But you can buy the nozzles in just convert the can. Originally Posted by Ripmany
yeah. i partially fixed the gas can. Pulled out that child protection ring clip. also pulled out the plastic gas filter thats supposedly I think reduce spills and fires.

it needs a vent and a replacement nozzle..

i'll get a kit later off of amazon.