How to drain gas from lawn mower without siphon is an invaluable skill. It is especially useful when the seasons turn colder and the lawn mower needs to be stored for the winter.
Lawn mowers need to undergo this process as it prevents major issues that can cause leaking or damage. Simply continue reading for the most comprehensive article on draining gas from your garden mower.
Contents
How to Drain the Gas from Your Lawn Mower Without Using a Siphon
To drain the gas from your lawn mower without using a siphon there are six steps to follow. Your mower’s gas tank can build up sediment and clogging, especially when it’s not in use and the fuel tank is not empty so this is an important task.
1. Prepare Your Tools
Tools are important when it comes to draining gas away from the tank of your garden mower. For this stage, you’ll need the following tools:
- Gas-resistant container
- Two pieces of drain tubes or hoses
- Rag, towel, or cloth
A container that does not react with gas should be used. To be safe, all tools for this activity should not react with gas. Also, the container should be large enough to store the gas inside the tank of your mower.
You can use metal containers without fear of causing chemical reactions. However, if the metal is rusty, avoid using it.
Another material to avoid using is plastic unless it is made out of high-density polyethylene (HPDE). HPDE containers can safely store gas since it insulates and protects the gas without causing unwanted chemical reactions.
The drain tube will help you transfer the gas from the tank to the container safely. It is best to use one that is made up of HPDE or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
It is best to use at least two drain tubes. You can easily find these at many garden stores and establishments that offer lawn mower supplies. Keep a few rags or towels around for the draining, as well as for wiping away gasoline and dirt.
2. Park the Garden Mower and Disconnect the Spark Plug
Find an area where the ground has a flat surface. The even level of the ground ensures that your garden mower does not tilt or move from uneven surfaces. Use the mower’s built-in brakes to keep it in place. To keep things safe, disconnect the cables attached to the spark plugs. Doing so will keep the engine from accidentally turning on.
Now, turn off the ignition and remove the fuel cap of the tank.
3. Set the Drain Tubes or Hoses Properly
Since we will be draining the gas without a siphon, we will need two pieces of tubes or hoses as one of our gas-draining tools. Ideally, the tubes or hoses should be transparent or clear enough to indicate the presence of the gas passing through.
The length of one tube or hose should be long enough to connect the container to the tank where the gas is held. The other one can be shorter. Next, place the empty gas container on the ground near the tank of your garden mower. Ideally, the empty gas container should be lower than the bottom of the tank.
Insert the longer tube or hose into the tank of your garden mower. Make sure that the end inside the tank is fully submerged in gas. Adjust the tube or hose until it has reached the lowest recess of the tank. You will know by its resistance to further insertion of the tube or hose.
Place the opposite end of the longer tube or hose inside the empty gas container. Next, take out the tube or hose that is shorter than the one you just used. Insert the shorter tube or hose a few inches into the tank. The two tubes should be laying side by side.
The purpose of the shorter tube is to allow air inside the tank. To ensure that air can flow inside, do not let the end of the shorter tube or hose touch the gas inside the tank.
Once the two tubes or hoses are in place, close the fuel cap where the tubes or hoses were inserted. Use your rag or towel to seal the opening. A wet rag or towel is best since it will ensure a better seal.
Sealing off the fuel cap ensures that only the shorter tube will allow airflow inside the tank. The airflow will then create air pressure that pushes gas out through the longer tube or hose. This setup is similar to a siphon pump, although it is more of a DIY version.
4. Start Draining the Tank
To drain gas properly, you will need to ensure that a propulsive force is present to force the gas out. Before doing anything else, double-check that the opening of the tank is fully covered and sealed.
Blow hard on the exterior end of the shorter tube. This will push air into the tank of your garden mower. You can blow air manually, or you can use an air pump or an air compressor to do this job. Using an air pump or air compressor will make this part easier for you. When blowing air manually, avoid inhaling gas fumes
Once the air starts coming inside the tank of your garden mower, you will see the gas coming out of the longer tube or hose. It may be intermittent at first. If it is not continuously flowing, continue blowing air into the tank until the flow is stronger. Once the gas flow is more continuous, you can stop blowing air into the tank.
Air pressure and gravity will be the ones to push the remaining gas out of the tank. This method is the easiest way to siphon gas without using an actual siphon. If at any time you wish to stop the draining process, simply lift up the end of the longer tube or hose higher than the gas level of the mower’s tank. This will stop the flow immediately.
To resume, simply place the end of the longer tube or hose back into the gas container again.
5. Disconnect the Carburetor and Open Any Drain Tubes
It is very likely that some fuel is still inside the tank of your garden mower. To fully deplete any remaining gasoline, you can either drain the carburetor or turn on your mower.
If you want to drain the carburetor, simply detach any fuel lines that connect the carburetor to the tank. You will find that some gas will still be inside. Allow this to drain out on a plate or pan under the tank.
Some garden mowers have models with drain tubes inside. Others have plastic tubes that connect with the carburetor as drain plugs. If this is the case for your mower, you can simply open these tubes and allow the gas to drain out. Use a plate or a pan to catch the drips from the tubes.
6. Turn on Your Lawn Mower
Before turning on the garden mower, take out the tubes and the sealing cloth from the tank opening. Close the tank’s opening properly.
Close the gas container properly to avoid leakage or spillage. Plus, you should know that gasoline is highly volatile and may cause accidents if left improperly closed or stored. Store the drained gasoline in a safe area, preferably away from heat or electrical sources.
Now you are ready to fully drain the remaining gas inside the mower’s tank. Simply reattach the spark plugs that you disconnected from the beginning. Once the spark plugs have been reattached, take your garden mower outside. Turn on the ignition and run the mower through the garden until it dies out. This means that the gas inside the tank has been fully used and depleted.
Now that you have fully drained the gas inside the tank of your garden mower, you can now store it inside safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
– What Are Tips and Techniques for Draining Gas Without a Siphon?
Some important reminders:
- Always work in well-ventilated areas.
- Keep away from sources of heat and electricity.
- Most homeowners drain their lawn mowers for the winter. This is also the perfect time to do maintenance checks on your mower’s air filter and fuel filter.
– Why Do I Need To Drain the Gas From My Lawn Mower?
You need to drain the gas from your lawn mower in order to lessen the risks of sediments and particles from settling inside. Left inside for too long and unused, you could end up with bad gas. This can damage your machine and is also dangerous.
– How Frequently Do I Need To Drain My Lawn Mower’s Gas?
The gas inside your lawn mower should always be drained whenever you plan to stop using it for two months or more. Generally, homeowners drain the gas during the start of the winter season. However, fuel stabilizer has made it possible to keep the gas inside the tank for long periods.
– Can I Reuse the Drained Gas?
You can reuse the drained gas. However, keep in mind that the gas may have been stored for some time and may have become bad. To counteract this, add fresh gas or use gas stabilizers to keep the engine running smoothly.
Conclusion
Whenever you think of questions such as, “How to drain gas from zero turn mower?” or “How to drain gas from a riding lawn mower?”, you’ll never need to worry anymore.
Our article has answered all your questions. To recap, here are the steps you need to take in order to drain the gas from your garden mower’s tank:
- Prepare all your tools for draining the gas
- Position your lawn mower correctly and disconnect the spark plugs
- Ensure that the draining tubes or hoses are properly placed and sealed
- Blow air into the shorter tube or hose to force the gas out of the longer tube or hose
- Disconnect the carburetor and drain all remaining gas by safely turning on your mower
Draining the gas from your lawn mower without using a siphon can be easy and simple. Use these steps the next time you plan to do so!
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