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Canadian Gasoline Cans?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Sep 11, 2019.

  1. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    Yeah, I got a similar 5 gallon plastic can I use often. It's sure not as easy to use as old cans. You can "eventually" fill a machine's gas tank. I also have older 2.5 gal. & 2gal.8 ounce plastic cans that are nice to use.
     
  2. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    Yes, the replacement spouts work well. Tried to get old cans & spouts at garage sales. But always, something was wrong with them, often missing or broken gaskets. If you find intact gaskets on used cans & spouts, they have to be aligned & correct on the spouts. If they get twisted, even a little bit, leaking will occur. I've gotten great deals at garage sales, but never good gas cans.
     
    #22 litesong, Sep 12, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2019
  3. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    That is the same plastic can as I have, the spout is different than mine though. One issue with these containers is that the vent is in the spout, ( same as my trigger spout). The vent in the spout can be problematic or a feature depending on point of view. The price is right though, unless shipping spoils that.
     
  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Yeah.
    Ironically I had to replace the spout on a CARB compliant can because it would NOT maintain a vapor-tight seal.

    Menards has real brick and mortar stores.
    (for now)
     
  5. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    I ordered a drip tube and anode rod for my now 20 year old water heater. The price was right and they were the right parts. Shipping was insignificant as comparable parts were a lot more from other vendors.
    The drip tube was an easy replacement. On the other hand the anode rod is still waiting to be replaced.
    The factory adds some type of glue to the anode rod fitting and even with a breaker bar and 3ft cheater it still wouldn't budge. I even tried heating lightly with a propane torch. I don't want to go hog wild on it and possibly break the glass liner inside. I know that anode rod is mostly gone now with chunks of it littering the bottom of the tank. So I have to periodically shut down the appliance and drain it completely while poking the chunks that block it from draining normally.
    I wish there was a Menards brick/mortar locally.
     
  6. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    The fitting for the anode rod is not glued on. It's corroded in place. After 20 years, the porcelain lined steel tank will likely be likely nearly corroded through in places. Time to replace the entire water heater.
     
  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    No worries, there will be a fresh anode in place to protect the now exposed metal:D
     
  8. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Got proof? seen any anode rod youtubes?

    Not that this has anything to do with gas cans, but I had a good experience ordering those parts from menards.
    When I installed the water heater in 2000 I had to add an expansion tank to the supply line and replace the temp/pressure safety on the new unit. I have to replace the safety again since it's behaving strange again.
    Yeah, when I definitely need to replace it, I'm confident it will be one of those in and out chores.
    The price for the new one on the other hand wouldn't be. check your sticker..
     
    #28 vvillovv, Sep 13, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2019
  9. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Nope but anodes are made of a zinc alloy that corrodes and transfers and "welds" to steel. That's how a battery or electrolytic transfer works.
     
  10. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    An impact wrench will take this right off. I've tried both methods and the impact has never failed me.
     
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  11. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Yep. I've thought of that too, but have not tried it yet. Just curious how long the water heater(s) last after replacing the rod, if you keep track..
     
  12. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    As long as you keep a good anode rod in there, there will be very minimal corrosion on the tank. Factory anodes tend to be pretty thin, and some of the aftermarkets are aluminum rather than zinc. I put a fresh zinc anode ($40-ish from Home Depot) in every 5 years. There is always remaining zinc on the removed rod. Your corrosion rates may vary.

    We are way off topic here.
     
  13. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    Yes, like I said above, "intact gaskets on used cans & spouts, have to be aligned & correct on the spouts. If they get twisted, even a little bit, leaking (a lot) will occur".
     
  14. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    Yes, like I said above, "... intact gaskets on cans & spouts have to be aligned & correct on the spouts. If they get twisted, even a little bit, leaking(both liquid & vapor) will occur. Gaskets, as the spouts are screwed on & off cans, can easily mis-align & twist. Concentrate on the gaskets, as the spouts are screw-mounted.
     
  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    So, what is the current status of the CARB/EPA vs OSHA/DOT gas can conflict? Are business and commercial users still required to use OSHA/DOT-certified cans, thus forbidden to use CARB/EPA cans?

    Maybe readers can head to a nearby commercial or agricultural supply house for a different selection of fuel cans. Some samples, from a known-to-be-expensive outlet:
    OSHA-DOT: WAVIAN Gas Can, 5 gal., Red, Include Spout - 33UZ30|2238C - Grainger
    CARB-EPA: MIDWEST CAN Military Style Gas Can, 5 gal. Cap., Red - 469C35|5800 - Grainger
    (more at: Fuel and Gas Cans - Safety Cans and Accessories - Grainger Industrial Supply )
     
  16. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Isn't heating the wrong direction for loosening a small item inside a larger item? Heating would expand it, making for an even tighter fit. If you can't heat the outer component, then try to chill the inner component.

    The one time I tried and eventually succeeded in freeing a corroded anode rod fitting, I repeatedly sprayed it with a penetrating oil and tapped / hammered it around in various directions to loosen up the corrosion. After several rounds of that, the breaker bar was finally able to turn it. Unfortunately the remnants of the rod inside had swelled too much to be pulled out the hole, so I would have needed to break it off, drop it inside, and hope that it didn't contact and damage the lower electric heating element.

    So I gave up, reassembled it, and made plans for tank replacement once the inevitable leak soon appeared. Maybe it would have been worthwhile to risk that lower heating element, or simply replace it too, making sure the dead rod remnants fell below it.
     
  17. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Concur, but the leak that I was referring to in that post was in a CARB can’s spout vent.

    I GET what they’re after.
    It’s a storage thing.
    I would happily accept a nanny-state mandated solution for a real problem that was really effective,
    But it seems that they’re 0-for-2.
    It is as if somebody who has never owned a gas can were called upon to solve a problem theorized by somebody who has never owned a gas can.
    My lamentation is that they did it stupidly, since most people do not have three hands, and many times they have to remove the spout altogether and just use a funnel....AND the spring-and-gasket spout vent is much more apt to fail than just a plastic cap.

    I was at an Air Force Base recently and they were selling a butt-ton of 5-gallon cans for something like $17, which is still about $5 more than I like to pay for a plastic gas can.
    They weren’t exactly selling like hot cakes, and I made a mental note to check back the next time I’m in the area.
    Hurricane season will be ending in a little over a month, and Mother Nature will push the pause button until we’re into ice storm season.
    Santa is coming to town - or at least to the big box stores., and a pallet full of 5-gallon fuel containers takes up valuable floor space.

    Those who buy at the right time are usually rewarded.... :)
     
    #37 ETC(SS), Sep 22, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2019
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Going back to off-topic, I find an important part of the tool kit for this job is a Sharpie.

    I use the Sharpie to make a matchmark at the edge of the anode rod head where it screws into the heater.

    Then I apply the impact wrench until the air pressure's about gone and I have to stop and wait for the compressor to recover.

    While waiting, I lift the socket off the rod head and look at the match mark again.

    When the compressor shuts off, I give it another blast with the impact wrench.

    Depending on the size of the compressor tank, I may go through that half a dozen times before the Sharpie mark even visibly moves.

    Once that mark moves even a hair, you know you're winning, and probably the next blast will visibly turn it.

    Without the Sharpie, it can seem hopeless and you give up.

    I've never seen any sign of any kind of glue though, nor used any when I put a new one in. I think that's just the way they get.
     
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  19. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I've used canned duster air, with the can turned upside down, successfully for this.

    Sometimes, it doesn't matter if the right piece is shrunk or expanded. The expansion-contraction process alone may be enough to loosen whatever has frozen the piece.
     
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