Pennzoil Platinum Jug Failures *pics*

[OilNerd]

Something happened today that is making me rethink oil stashing/hoarding. I went to pull a jug from the stash, in my basement, and saw about an inch of oil in the plastic storage tub. Thankfully, the plastic tub kept all the oil from going everywhere, but there were several jugs in the tub and it was a royal mess to clean up. (Time to buy Mrs. OilNerd some flowers)

It was a double jug failure. Both jugs were the newer style Pennzoil Platinum jugs. Both jugs were from 04/29/10. Both failed on the corner seams: one jug with a substantial tear; the other with a small hole on the corner. I lost almost two quarts exactly.

Both jugs were somewhat collapsed in on themselves before I opened them, upside down, to drain the remaining oil. I believe that thermal expansion and contraction accelerated the corner failures. My basement temps varied from 45 - 75 °F, over the time the oil was stored there. The older-style jugs of PP, from mid-2009, stored in the same tub, all held.

This incident prompted me to examine a third jug of PP, also from 04/29/10, and I noticed plastic weakening in the handle area.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of the new jug.

Sorry for the focus on some of the shots, but my camera stinks at macro shooting and doesn't have a manual focus.

Jug 1 Pics:

Jug 2 Pics:

Jug 3 Pic:

 

[Quattro Pete]

Whoa! I'd be sending these photos to SOPUS asking for explanation.

 

[river_rat]

Weird. Are they super thin?
I wonder if quarts will hold up better.

 

[chubbs1]

That really stinks, will Mrs. Oil Nerd let you keep your stash in the house? I can't bear to keep anything stashed in the garage. Still, this is inexcusable.

 

[urchin]

Those plastic jugs SHOULD hold up for many, many years. I'd send Pennzoil an e mail about it. Sounds like a faulty run of jugs if you ask me.

 

[daves87rs]

Bad run of plastic jugs, I think...

 

[mercuryblues]

Yikes! That also happened to me recently with a bottle of Shell V-Power Fuel System Cleaner that I bought at Big Lots. The funny thing is that it didn't start leaking until I opened the cap which probably released vacuum from the container. So two SOPUS products that this has happened to. Hmmmmmm.....

 

[BobFout]

I've had more than one container of Rotella T and T6 (quarts and gallons) seep oil. Leaks at the seams.

 

[OilNerd]

The third jug feels thin in the handle area. The failed corners don't feel weak on jugs 1 & 2.

Jugs 1 & 2 were from Wally's, jug 3 from Autozone. All three were from 04/29/10.

Yes, Mrs. OilNerd lets me keep oil in the basement. (The future of this practice is now uncertain)

 

[urchin]

Originally Posted By: OilNerd
.

Yes, Mrs. OilNerd lets me keep oil in the basement. (The future of this practice is now uncertain)


You took the correct precautions, using a plastic tub as a safety back up. I think Mrs OilNerd is being unreasonable if she doesn't allow you to continue to do so.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: urchin
Originally Posted By: OilNerd
Yes, Mrs. OilNerd lets me keep oil in the basement. (The future of this practice is now uncertain)


You took the correct precautions, using a plastic tub as a safety back up. I think Mrs OilNerd is being unreasonable if she doesn't allow you to continue to do so.


Well, the area in front of the tub was a bit of a mess, when I had to pull the other jugs out, dripping oil, wipe them down, and drain and wipe the tub. She walked in on the whole thing, in the midst of everything, and wasn't too pleased.

 

[Donald]

My 5 QT jug of PP is on the kitchen counter. Yikes if it leaks. But I should be at 6K miles on the reman engine by noon tomorrow, thus going to PP by dinner time.

 

[odie]

Geesh , that stinks . Glad you posted this . We have the same jug of 10w30 from Walmart in the house . Just went and put it in a pan and placed paper towels under the jug to soak it up if it decides to leak . This was opened for the riding mower and the generator . I always place paper towels under new and open quart bottles in a plastic storage bin . The SOPUS bottles are notorious for leaking from the caps of new bottles . Especially PENNZOIL conventional , synblends , and synthetics . The SHELL do the same , but not as common . Thanks .

 

[Donald]

Another answer would be to move up to 55 gallon drums for your stash. They should not leak.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Another answer would be to move up to 55 gallon drums for your stash. They should not leak.


Now there's an idea! Don't think I could sell Mrs. OilNerd on it, though.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: OilNerd
The third jug feels thin in the handle area. The failed corners don't feel weak on jugs 1 & 2.

Jugs 1 & 2 were from Wally's, jug 3 from Autozone. All three were from 04/29/10.

Yes, Mrs. OilNerd lets me keep oil in the basement. (The future of this practice is now uncertain)


I assume nothing is sitting on top? I found out that if you stack oil too high, the seams on the bottom bottles tend to blow out.

John

 

[Chris142]

Are you sure that nothing stabbed the jug? Looks like a stab and not a simple leak.

 

[urchin]

I don't think that is a slash mark, more likely the deformed corners split at the creases.

That is very thin plastic. I wonder what grade of plastic it is look for the recycle triangle with the number and post it.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: John_K
I assume nothing is sitting on top? I found out that if you stack oil too high, the seams on the bottom bottles tend to blow out. John


On top of the tub, I did have a box of oil filters, and a case of Auto-RX. The tub was deeper than the jug, with a lid that fit fine, so there should have been no stress there.

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Are you sure that nothing stabbed the jug? Looks like a stab and not a simple leak.


I don't think it was a simple leak, as the failed corners don't feel weak. Not a stab, though, more likely from creasing action (I can feel sharp edges, on the outside). I discovered another tear on the corner of Jug 1, that you can't see from the picture. The corner of Jug 1 is creased pretty badly.

I'm thinking it was a lot of expanding and contracting from the temperature swings when the basement was heated up in the winter. Somehow a vacuum formed, as I heard one of the jugs sucking air when I pulled it up from the pool of oil and turned it upside down. One of the jugs was collapsed in pretty good and regained some shape when emptied.

I'll take the blame for the storage in area with wild temperature swings, but the weak plastic handle area of Jug 3 is on SOPUS. The thing I can't figure out is why the other (older-style) jugs were unaffected.

I don't like the corner design of the new jug.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: urchin
I don't think that is a slash mark, more likely the deformed corners split at the creases.

That is very thin plastic. I wonder what grade of plastic it is look for the recycle triangle with the number and post it.


Spot on on the creases. It's HDPE 2, but it's pretty thin, IMO.