Does Coleman fuel ever go bad?
Coleman recommends a shelf life of 5 – 7 years for liquid camp fuel if the container is unopened and full. If the vintage Coleman Fuel has been opened then its shelf life is reduced to around 24 months.
Yes. Every Coleman propane tank has an expiry date written on it. If unopened, the tank can have a shelf life of up to 7 years. After you open it, the gas should be used within 2 years before you need to vent and refill it.
If you're talking about sealed butane-mix canisters, no, they won't go bad. But if you're talking about a jug of white gas, that's another story. Once opened, white gas should generally be used within a few months.
Used and outdated white gas or Coleman fuel is considered a household hazardous waste. That means we can't keep it, pour it out on the ground, toss it in the trash, or burn it in a brush pile.
Propane will never go bad. It has an indefinite shelf life and will not degrade through any natural process.
The Shelf Life of Fuel
Regular gasoline has a shelf life of three to six months, while diesel can last up to a year before it begins to degrade. On the other hand, organic-based Ethanol can lose its combustibility in just one to three months due to oxidation and evaporation.
Storage. Keep propane cylinders outside. Never keep them indoors or in an enclosed area, such as a garage, shed or basement. Keep them in a cool place.
Coleman fuel should be stored similar to unleaded gasoline, except it should be stored in the original container it was purchased in. Store the original containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, open flame, or oxidizing materials.
- Keep the container sealed as tightly as possible. ...
- If you aren't storing the white gas in the original container, make sure to label it so that you can easily tell what it is and when it's likely to expire.
- For backpacking, single liter amounts of white gas or Coleman Fuel are a great choice.
Typically speaking, Coleman Propane Cylinders can be stored indefinitely in a cool, dry, dark place like a garage or basement. You can safely store the trademarked white gas called Coleman Fuel for five to seven years if it is sealed or two to three years after you have opened it.
Do Coleman propane canisters expire?
The short answer would be that unused and unopened camping propane tanks do not expire, so that is not something that you should worry about!
Degradation occurs from the get-go but most gas stays fresh for a month or two without issue. However, gas that is more than two month old is generally OK to use with only minor decreases in performance. Gas that is older than a year can cause issues, like engine knocking, sputtering and clogged injectors.

Coleman fuel is most likely propane. Yes, you can run a car on propane.
Though Coleman fuel has an octane rating of 50 to 55 and a flammability similar to gasoline, it has none of the additives found in modern gasoline. Most burners will readily burn unleaded gasoline (or white gas), however.
ANSWER: Burning any fossil fuel indoors is potentially dangerous. Coleman lanterns burn fossil fuel and if used indoors create the potential for a fatal buildup of carbon monoxide. For this reason, Coleman strongly urges consumers to use its lanterns only outdoors.
It's generally accepted that stored fuel should be used within six months to a year. You can extend that a bit with additives, but it's a good rule of thumb to cycle through your fuel at least every six months for maximum quality.
Store gasoline in a room not attached to the home, such as a shed. Keep the gasoline away from all heat sources, including direct sunlight, heaters, and hot water heaters. Remember that gasoline vapors are heavy and can travel to ignition sources! Keep the gas at least 50 feet away from pilot lights.
Old fuel can be rejuvenated by diluting it with new gasoline in a mix that is one to four, then adding an octane booster. Older gasoline can be diluted in a mix of one part old gasoline and four parts new gasoline.
They are all adamant that no additive will restore old gasoline. The best you can hope for is that adding a stabilizer to old gas will stop any further degradation. The Sta-Bill MSDS lists Petroleum Distillates as the primary ingredient. Gasoline is considered a petroleum distillate, as is kerosene.
Old and new gas should not be mixed for a variety of reasons, the major ones are; The old gas degrades over time it should not be added because it has already lost it's combustibility. It can cause sputtering. It might fail to fire it up.
How do I know if gas is bad?
- Difficulty starting up.
- Rough idling.
- Pinging sounds.
- Stalling.
- Check engine light illumination.
- Reduced fuel economy.
- Higher emissions.
Unlike diesel's one-year shelf life and gasoline's three- to six-month shelf life, propane can be stored indefinitely so it is highly effective and convenient for both residential and commercial sectors, and the ideal partner in emergency preparedness plans.
Storing Propane Outdoors
When storing your propane tanks in the winter, it's important to know that freezing temperatures aren't a problem for propane—in fact, you don't even need to cover your tank when storing it outdoors in the winter.
DON'T store propane tanks indoors or in a garage, basement, carport, shed, sunporch, or carport. DO keep propane tanks away from flames and spark-producing tools. DON'T store your backup grill tank near the grill.
Storing one with fuel in it is often times a good idea. Use caution in where you store it, and don't leave it pressurized. When you put it away for just-in-case storage, de-pressurize and snug down the filler cap just enough to keep the fuel inside should it get knocked over.
Keep your fuel tanks stored in a garage or shed, in a well-ventilated area. Be sure your tanks are not in direct sunlight, and keep them away from any other sources of heat, such as space heaters and your vehicles' exhaust pipes. Periodically, inspect your storage tanks for pressurization.
If you store any fuel in the garage, do so only in dedicated, leak-proof containers out of the reach of children and out of the paws of pets and away from potential sources of fire ignition such as water heaters or power tools. A shed away from your home is a better storage spot.
Yes, but you have to be very, very careful. If you don't do it right, your stash of gasoline might spoil or blow up. For safety reasons, the EPA discourages consumers from storing more than 1 to 5 gallons, and the National Fire Protection Association proposes a limit of 25 gallons.
White gas (aka “naphtha,” “100% light hydro treated distillate,” or “Coleman Fuel”) is the first choice for most people in North America whether they're headed out for a summer weekend or for a month-long winter expedition in the Alaska Range. Almost any pressurized-type liquid fuel stove will run well on white gas.
After burning pure gasoline in a dual fuel appliance, you'll want burn only Coleman Fuel. Coleman Fuel burns hotter, and generally better. It does not plug the “generator” tube, it does not nearly smell as bad.
Do small propane canisters expire?
How Long Are Small Propane Tanks Good For? Propane tanks of 100 pounds capacity or less have an expiration date of 12 years from the date of manufacture. Once those 12 years are up, you can either exchange the tank for a replacement, or have it inspected for requalification for an additional five years of use.
How long are propane tanks good for? In the United States, a bottle is qualified for 12 years from the date of manufacture, while in Canada it's good for 10 years. A recertified tank is good for 5, 7, or 12 years, depending on the method and type of recertification.
A standard 1-lb propane tank will typically provide approximately 1½ hours of cooking time on high heat.
However, a propane tank's date of manufacture or requalification date can be found stamped onto its collar. It will be in a month-year format — for instance, 06-22 for June 2022. Using that information, simply add twelve years to determine when your tank expires.
Engine wont start/not Running Correctly - Stale Gasoline Fuel
It works through fuel injectors and carburetors to remove harmful residues and deposits from fuel passageways, intake valves, pistons, and chamber areas. Made from petroleum ingredients, Sea Foam is safe and effective when used in all types of gasoline or diesel fuels and fuel blends.
Filling up a tank halfway compared to a full tank of fuel only reduces the weight by 2.5%. At this level it is likely to make very little difference on the vehicle fuel economy. We suggest if your drivers are regularly driving to advise them to fill the tank all the way to the top when they visit a petrol station.
NO! In the US, white gas is the same as Colemans Fuel. Lighter fluid (either for cigarette lighters or the other type used for BBQ grills) are a "flashier" fluid. Use only what your stove suggests and use the correct fitting if you are using an MSR stove.
Re: Difference between Coleman brand fuel and kerosene
Brand makes no difference.
The Coleman Company, Inc. is an American brand of outdoor recreation products, especially camping gear, now owned by Newell Brands. The company's new headquarters are in Chicago, and it has facilities in Wichita, Kansas, and in Texas. There are approximately 4,000 employees.
What is the best gas to run in small engines?
It's best to use ethanol-free gas in small engines. If you do decide to use ethanol, don't use a fuel that is more than 10% ethanol (E10), and be sure to add fuel treatment to prevent the fuel from separating.
- Hydrogen. Hydrogen is a potentially emissions- free alternative fuel that can be produced from domestic resources for use in fuel cell vehicles.
- Natural Gas. Natural gas is a domestically abundant gaseous fuel that can have significant fuel cost advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel.
- Propane.
If two stoves burn the same amount of volume of fuel (white gas or propane), per minute, than white gas will burn hotter at any given moment.
Yes, it is safe to use a propane stove indoors. However, there are a few safety precautions to take if you have an indoor propane stove. Like any cooking appliance, the key element in successfully using a propane stove is ventilation. Any stove that relies on an open flame releases exhaust into the indoor air.
Kerosene will burn a lot dirtier than white fuel, since white fuel is pretty much ultra purified gasoline. You may experience more clogs and more soot. Also kerosene has less heat output than white fuel so you'll be cooking longer with it (that might outweigh the benefit of a longer burn time).
A standard 16.4 oz or 1 lb propane cylinder will last for two hours if used with a 7,500 BTU stove on full flame.
Yes, premix gas can go bad. A homemade premix will only keep for up to two months at most. This is due to the oxidation and degradation of the gas. Commercial premixed fuels have unopened shelf lives up to 10 years and opened shelf lives of 2 years.
Coleman fuel should be stored similar to unleaded gasoline, except it should be stored in the original container it was purchased in. Store the original containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, open flame, or oxidizing materials.
- Keep the container sealed as tightly as possible. ...
- If you aren't storing the white gas in the original container, make sure to label it so that you can easily tell what it is and when it's likely to expire.
- For backpacking, single liter amounts of white gas or Coleman Fuel are a great choice.
Bad 2 stroke mixed gas can severely damage an engine. How can you tell if two-stroke mixed gas is bad? Two-stroke mixed gas is bad if the fuel has a spoiled varnish-like odor, has a murky darker appearance not indicative of oil mix color, or has been in storage for more than a month.
Can you mix a little old gas with new?
Old and new gas should not be mixed for a variety of reasons, the major ones are; The old gas degrades over time it should not be added because it has already lost it's combustibility. It can cause sputtering. It might fail to fire it up.
The Dangers of Using Old Gas
When you use gasoline that's too old, it can damage internal engine components. It may also start to form a gum residue that could cause blockages. If there's ethanol in the fuel, it may draw water vapor into your fuel line, which could result in internal corrosion.
Storing one with fuel in it is often times a good idea. Use caution in where you store it, and don't leave it pressurized. When you put it away for just-in-case storage, de-pressurize and snug down the filler cap just enough to keep the fuel inside should it get knocked over.
Storage. Keep propane cylinders outside. Never keep them indoors or in an enclosed area, such as a garage, shed or basement. Keep them in a cool place.
How Much Gasoline to Store? Since gasoline is perishable and needs to be rotated, never stockpile more than you can rotate in a 1-year period. So, that 10,000 gallon gasoline stockpile probably isn't a good idea!
Keep your fuel tanks stored in a garage or shed, in a well-ventilated area. Be sure your tanks are not in direct sunlight, and keep them away from any other sources of heat, such as space heaters and your vehicles' exhaust pipes.
Coleman fuel is most likely propane. Yes, you can run a car on propane.
If you bought one but did not get to use it, you might be wondering what its expiration date is and if it will go to waste. The short answer would be that unused and unopened camping propane tanks do not expire, so that is not something that you should worry about!