To drain gas from a lawn mower without a siphon pump is a skill, especially when preparing your mower for winter storage. This method requires careful handling and a good understanding of the mower’s fuel system to avoid spills and ensure safety.
The process involves manually tilting the mower to access the fuel tank and using a container to catch the fuel. Perform this task in a well-ventilated area, away from any ignition sources, to prevent fumes from accumulating and posing a fire risk. Wearing gloves and eye protection is advised to protect against accidental splashes. This task helps in preventing fuel from degrading and damaging the engine’s internal components during the off-season and in maintaining the mower’s efficiency for the next use. By following these steps, you can ensure the longevity of your mower and prevent potential damage caused by stale gas.
Before you can drain gas from a lawn mower, you need to gather the necessary tools.
Gather Essential Tools
Before starting, you must have the right tools on hand. A gas-resistant container is crucial to store the drained gasoline safely. Drain tubes or hoses, preferably HDPE or PVC, are needed to transfer gas from the mower’s tank to the container. Lastly, a rag or towel is essential to seal the tank’s opening, ensuring an efficient and clean draining process.
Park and Safety First
Choose a flat surface to stabilize your mower. For safety precautions, always disconnect the spark plug cables. This step ensures that there’s no accidental ignition during the process. After this, turn off the mower’s ignition and open the fuel cap.
Tube Placement
The longer drain tube should be deeply inserted into the mower’s tank, ensuring it’s submerged in gas, with its other end placed in your gas container. The shorter tube, on the other hand, should be slightly inserted into the tank. This setup allows air to flow into the tank, facilitating the draining process. To prevent gas fumes from escaping and to create the necessary pressure for draining, seal the tank’s opening with a wet rag.
Initiate Draining
By blowing air into the shorter tube, you create pressure inside the tank. This pressure pushes the gas out through the longer tube, draining it into the container. Once the gas starts flowing, the combination of air pressure and gravity will continue the draining process until the tank is empty.
Final Steps
After most of the gas has been drained, there might still be remnants. To ensure complete drainage, disconnect any fuel lines connecting the carburetor to the tank.
Some mowers might also have additional drain tubes or plugs; if yours does, open these to let out any remaining gas. Finally, run your mower outside until it stops, indicating all the gas has been used.
Drain gas from your lawn mower without a siphon is a straightforward and essential process, but it does need some caution and skill.
