Can you store gas in a plastic water bottle?
Petroleum and 2-cycle oil break down certain plastics like PET, turning the container to mush and eventually causing it to burst or leak. Storing fuel in non-approved bottles risks chemical degradation and sudden structural failure within days or weeks.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Getting a proper gas can or gas jug
- 2Using an HDPE container (recycling symbol 2)
- 3Using an old windshield washer fluid container
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The gas will eat through that plastic. Get a gas can.”source ↗
“No. That bottle will be mush in a month”source ↗
“Looks like PET, PET is broken down by petroleum like gas and 2 cycle oil. So you are mixing the broken down PET and eventually it will burst.”source ↗
“Surprised it’s not deformed after a few days.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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