Draining fuel tanks
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Almas Only
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Delta Belle, you’re right on – PTL. I second Dr. Bob’s implicit rejection of the Myth Busters conclusion, and will pass along my observations and opinions on the subject of getting gasoline out of tanks.
It is my strongest recommendation that you never, under any circumstances, use mechanical or electric powered pumps, or oil extractors, to get gasoline out of tanks, unless you REALLY know what you’re doing and are using an explosion-protected system. I know that establishing and maintaining a simple syphon can be a pain in the butt, and is slow going, but consider a couple of things about gasoline before you get too bold.
First, gas doesn’t burn, but it’s vapors do so with explosive force.
Second, gas vapors are heavier than air, which means that they don’t just go away into the atmosphere. Instead, they accumulate on the ground, around your feet, or in the oil extractor container, just waiting to be ignited.
Third, gas vapors in the right mixture with air are very easy to ignite, and just about any spark, even one generated by static electricity, will do the trick.
Fourth, when the vapors ignite, they will do so with sufficient force to vaporize gas that is still liquid, and make your problem even bigger.
Perhaps an example would help bring this home, and here’s one that I mentioned in posts some time back, and relate again from personal experience, not merely an unproven urban legend. A fellow working in an autobody repair shop wanted to cut apart a 55 gallon drum so it could be used on-site. He first confirmed that it was empty, with the top plug off, and then put a cutting torch to the side. The explosion of the residual gasoline vapors blew him across the room, and up against a concrete wall. He collapsed to the floor, stood up, said something to the effect of “I’m o.k.”, then collapsed again with brain damage sufficient to put him in a nursing home, where he spent the rest of his life sitting in a wheelchair, drooling on himself. Again, this incident, and its aftermath, are for real.
I think of this guy every time I want to take gasoline out of a tank, which is why I usually leave it right where it is, and just stabilize the snot out of it. That’s worked well over the winter. If I have to move it, it’s with a syphon, which probably isn’t risk free, but about the best I can do.
Good luck.
It is my strongest recommendation that you never, under any circumstances, use mechanical or electric powered pumps, or oil extractors, to get gasoline out of tanks, unless you REALLY know what you’re doing and are using an explosion-protected system. I know that establishing and maintaining a simple syphon can be a pain in the butt, and is slow going, but consider a couple of things about gasoline before you get too bold.
First, gas doesn’t burn, but it’s vapors do so with explosive force.
Second, gas vapors are heavier than air, which means that they don’t just go away into the atmosphere. Instead, they accumulate on the ground, around your feet, or in the oil extractor container, just waiting to be ignited.
Third, gas vapors in the right mixture with air are very easy to ignite, and just about any spark, even one generated by static electricity, will do the trick.
Fourth, when the vapors ignite, they will do so with sufficient force to vaporize gas that is still liquid, and make your problem even bigger.
Perhaps an example would help bring this home, and here’s one that I mentioned in posts some time back, and relate again from personal experience, not merely an unproven urban legend. A fellow working in an autobody repair shop wanted to cut apart a 55 gallon drum so it could be used on-site. He first confirmed that it was empty, with the top plug off, and then put a cutting torch to the side. The explosion of the residual gasoline vapors blew him across the room, and up against a concrete wall. He collapsed to the floor, stood up, said something to the effect of “I’m o.k.”, then collapsed again with brain damage sufficient to put him in a nursing home, where he spent the rest of his life sitting in a wheelchair, drooling on himself. Again, this incident, and its aftermath, are for real.
I think of this guy every time I want to take gasoline out of a tank, which is why I usually leave it right where it is, and just stabilize the snot out of it. That’s worked well over the winter. If I have to move it, it’s with a syphon, which probably isn’t risk free, but about the best I can do.
Good luck.
jimcinfra":9love4qu said:
Jim, I certainly hope that you don't feel that anyone is chastising you for the methods you utilized. Most certainly my comments (and I'm certain the comments of others) are meant to be only cautionary and an educational contribution as a reminder to ALL of us of the volatility of gasoline. Almas Only in the posting prior to this one mentions the occurrence of static electricity. That is why there are frequent reminders about folks filling fuel containers at gas stations while the containers are still in their vehicles. (Containers should be placed on the ground before filling). Fuel tank filler hoses at the gas pump are manufactured specifically to properly ground the hose to the vehicle as a prevention of catastrophic accidents.
On a similar note relating to static electricity, fuel pumps at airports have a grounding cable that should be connected to the plane to discharge static electricity prior to fueling. Some planes even have small brushes that touch the ground on the taxi way to accomplish the discharge. Planes can build up a fairly high charge depending on air conditions. Gas cans on carpet in the car can also build static, especially the plastic ones. As Dave mentions above, placing them on the ground prior to filling discharges them.
I replied to this thread but it went into never never land, but my comment was that the neighbor kid used a shop vac to "borrow" fuel from his moms' car. It cost him his hair, his dirt bike, his moms' car, and their garage. Why Mythbusters couldn't start a fire with gas and a shop vac is truly a mystery.
I have siphoned manually in the past but got sick of inhaling fumes even when being careful to have a dip to avoid the gas directly. I got a simple hand pump from harbor freight that worked out nicely and it was inexpensive. Here's a link to what I got:
http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use- ... 66418.html
regards,
Karl
http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use- ... 66418.html
regards,
Karl
If time is not a consideration, a siphon is the safest and easiest solution, providing you don't have to go uphill!
I've made my own out of a marine fuel squeeze bulb (tasteless prime) and a couple of sections of tubing for years. (Plus the hose clamps!)
Tygon tubing, which is clear, seems to work just fine, and seems to be gas and ethanol tolerant.
It really helps to be able to see what's happening through the clear tubing.
I've thought of adding some copper, steel, or aluminum tubing at the ends for weight, but never done it.
Air it out to dry before you store it below decks!
Why complicate it any more?
Joe. :teeth :thup
I've made my own out of a marine fuel squeeze bulb (tasteless prime) and a couple of sections of tubing for years. (Plus the hose clamps!)
Tygon tubing, which is clear, seems to work just fine, and seems to be gas and ethanol tolerant.
It really helps to be able to see what's happening through the clear tubing.
I've thought of adding some copper, steel, or aluminum tubing at the ends for weight, but never done it.
Air it out to dry before you store it below decks!
Why complicate it any more?
Joe. :teeth :thup
Almas Only":5i3wb2se said:
I cut a lot of your post because I want to deal with just this part, not the rest because this is how I had planned on getting un-used gas out of my tanks.
You have a plastic oil extractor designed for petroleum products.
You pump it to create a vacuum then place a plastic hose in the fuel tank, open a plastic valve and the fuel is sucked out.
It is a closed system, no vapors.
How is that more dangerous than placing a plastic container designed for petroleum products on the ground and pumping gas into it from a pump?
Am I missing something here?
I agree you have to be careful with gas but if we were to avoid everything with some risk we would not be boating.
Joe – I agree with you a little common sense and caution and you can extract old gas when necessary. Unless someone can explain why it is more dangerous than filling a gas can, I will use the oil extractor.
Dave
www.tolandmarine.com