Whether you have this gas container or similar gas cans on hand for day to day use--or you save some money by filling extra gas cans to maximize your monthly fuel point rewards at local gas stations--you hate to watch that liquid ($$) pour out onto your driveway or landscaping! So--after many trials/errors/successes and failures--we have some advice for those with gas can spouts leaking when poured--and we have a quick fix or hack to remedy that new, environmentally friendly, gas can spout's leaking by using a simple safety siphon.
Before I give you my personal solution--let me tell you what we've tried to do to fix our new, leaking gas cans. We have replaced the leaking cans with new cans. The new ones still leaked. We have replaced the spouts and nozzles on the new gas containers with new, replacement spouts and nozzles. They actually leaked worse because the "new" gear didn't seem to tighten well onto the "old" gas containers--although the new nozzles were designed as replacements for those containers. We have tried the "leak-proof" brands of the replacement spouts. Um. They leaked. We have changed o-rings on the nozzles (new, old and leak-proof nozzles). We have tried doubling the o-rings on the nozzles. We've tightened the nozzles down harder. We have loosened the nozzles. We have added teflon tape to the containers. The gas cans just leak. And they seem to leak even worse over time.
Now what do you do with a leaking gas can spout? Some of us rely on gas cans--whether for emergency preparation or realistic money saving efforts. (My gas cans save us as much as $20 a week sometimes with fuel perks and bonus points from our local supermarket gas rewards programs!) The containers should serve our needs--but, if they aren't working--what can we do to remedy those leaky gas can spouts?
Then. We realized.
We remembered our parents/grandparents siphoning gas to and from pieces of equipment around the home. Back then--in the 70's--that siphoning involved a simple hose...and probably led to those locked gas caps so popular in the 80's. But--What if there was a siphon pump that didn't require old-school, personal contact with either end of the siphon tube--(no more sucking the end of a tube to get the the siphon process started) and it didn't leak that valuable gasoline everywhere.
Oh.
There is such a thing.
We found a YouTube Video.
And. We tried a couple of siphon devices--and discovered a gas siphon hose/pump and it actually works. Without leaking--and it works faster than pouring by hand through a leaking gas can spout. (And it is a lot easier than holding a 5 gallon gas can in a rain/sleet storm with gasoline leaking here, there and everwhere!)
Buy the Wadoy Gas Siphon Pump on Amazon.
Some tips if you use the Wadoy Gas Siphon or a similar siphon pump...
You may need to get creative in placing your gas can higher than the gas tank--or vice versa--depending on the type of transfer you are doing. Many modern vehicle designs leave little "trunk" space. Minivans and SUV owners find that the top of the vehicle is too high for the length of a siphon hose when it's placed adequately into the gas tank. Okay. Simply create a stack of something next to the vehicle or equipment being filled. We use three empty Tidy Cat cat liter pails for stacking--and that places the gas can appropriately to fill the tank of the minivan and of our smaller Mitsubishi Outlander.
Put the hose deep within the tank and the can. If the siphon pump mechanism isn't working--push the hose a little deeper into the tank to be filled. We seem to need zero effort to transfer gas from a gas can into the minivan--but, if we don't feed the hose as deeply as possible into the Mitsubishi's gas tank--science doesn't kick in and do its thing. The process may require some trial and error the first few times.
Siphon hoses siphon from open containers...But.. There will be gas vapors emitted from a semi-open source. That's a risk--to breathers and to the environment--however; if your "environmentally friendly" gas can spewed gas (and vapors) all around while it was in use--that was a risk as well. Use common sense and proper safety precautions--and use the safety siphon only according to manufacturer's instructions for your usage.
Keep the safety siphon clean. You don't want to introduce dirt into your gas tanks unnecessarily--so be sure to store your siphon in a clean, dry location. Take care during use to avoid dragging it on the ground, etc., during use.
Dedicate the safety siphon to a purpose. If you plan to use the siphon for gas--use it for gas only. If you are going to use it to drain backed up plumbing--which is possible too--use it for that purpose. I don't see the need for contamination risk when using a fairly inexpensive product! I bought a Wadoy gas siphon pump to pump gasoline.
Siphoning from a vehicle may cause damage. Most siphons pose a risk of gas tank damage if used to siphon from a vehicle to a gas storing container. Read and research carefully before inserting a siphon pump into your vehicle's gas tank.
Obviously--I'm not trying to teach readers to steal or teach methods for stealing gasoline from vehicles, equipment, etc. Siphon hoses have been around since the beginning of gasoline powered devices. I am simply offering readers a way to move gasoline from a leaky gas container.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post--but may be compensated for the product used or recommended via affiliate links.
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