I spilled some gas on the pavement and alittle on the mower.How long should I wait before starting the mower up? The spill was maybe about 1 cup and its a dry, sunny, 65-80 degree day. The container had a leak and spilled while I was pouring it into the container. Also, where is the best place to store gas containers? Is it ok to store them in garages if they are closed properly? There are some gas spills in my garage. How long will it take to usually dry up and be safe to close the garage door? The spills are small, like a cup size. Sorry for the dumb question but my dad never taught me any of this stuff so I am trying to learn it on my own. Thanks for your advice!
2007-06-16 06:25:30 · 5 answers · asked by Sarah 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
There is a lot of misunderstanding about Gasoline.....
Gas engines run off of the fumes that come off of gas not the liquid ...It is vaporized before ignited...
Gas laying on a flat floor evaporates rather quickly usually a cup of gas will be gone within ten or fifteen minutes...
Store lawn mower gas in a container designed for that. It will have a screw cap (With a retractable pour spout.) on one end and a small pop up thingie on the other. This allows the container to "burb" while pouring, resulting in an even pour.
You can store the gas container in any out building or in your garage safely. Just be sure to close the container after each use.
If you believe the movies you can throw a lighted cigarette into a trail of gas and it will blow everything up....But in reality....If you pour a trail of gas and then throw a lighted cigarette into it two things are going to happen...1. the cigarette will just go out when it hits the gas (A cigarette doesn't reach the temp required to ignite the liquid unless the outside temp is really high...Say 115 degrees or so.) 2. The trail that you just poured will most likely have already evaporated....
Real Dangers:
Always store oil or gas soaked rags in sealed metal containers designed for that purpose..Spontaneous combustion..
When you go to a gas station and fill up..
A.....Touch something metal as soon as you get out of the car..
B....Stay at the pump while filling..DO NOT get back into the vehicle..
There is a slight chance thay by getting in and out of the vehicle you could discharge a static electric spark.....And although a cigarette might not start an explosion even a very slight spark DOES reach flame point...And it could cause an explosion....
2007-06-16 07:06:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
You're fine. A cup of gasoline isn't much so long as you're not smoking around it. If you'd feel better go ahead a wipe off the mower with a rag or some paper towels. As for the spills in the garage, so long as you're not closing yourself in there with gasoline fumes it's perfectly fine to shut the door. That's probably the best place to store your gas. Preferably away from the sun. Heat causes gasoline to expand and even evaporate in containers so it's best to keep it in a cool area out of the sun in your garage. If you'd like to get the gasoline up off of your garage floor you could put down some kitty litter and crush it into the pavement with some old shoes. Just stand on it and crunch it in real good. Wait a day or maybe a few hours and go ahead and sweep it up and throw it out. Most important thing is to not be near something else that could ignite the gas (like smoking or a BBQ) and to wash your hands when you get a chance.
2007-06-16 08:25:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you need a new approved storage container for your gas. If the gas is dried up it is ok. Gas should be stored in a cool place out of direct sun. Away for the house is best but in a lot of cases this is not an option. Gas can be stored safely in the garage. It needs to be in a sealed approved storage container away for heat sources. The amount should be kept to a minimum. When you spill gas you should put some kitty litter on it and than clean it up. Also you need to figure out why you keep spilling the gas and fix that problem. Move the mower away from the area of the spill to start it.
2007-06-16 06:47:10 · answer #3 · answered by renpen 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This shouldn't be a problem. Just check to make sure that it hasn't pooled in some low spot on the mower before you start it. If it has, wipe it up. However, the gas should be gone by now and there should be no real risk.
2016-03-14 00:03:53 · answer #4 · answered by Janice 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
gas spill filling lawn mower
2016-02-02 03:12:37 · answer #5 · answered by Dexter 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋