Water in gasoline

[Hound Dog]

I have apparently got several cans of gasoline that have been saturated with water.

This gas works GOOD in my car, but will not work at all in my lawnmower.

Have any of you had such an experience?

[HeyBub]

Saturation can't happen. Gasoline is insoluable in water. Gas floats.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by saturated. Can you see the water on the bottom? Pour off the gas and add alcohol to mix with any remaining water. You may be able to siphon the water from the bottom also.

[Pop]

If there's water in the gas, then it works because it's laying in the very lowest part of the gas tank and you haven't sucked any of it up (yet). Water sinks in gas; it does not mix with it.

You can either filter the gas thru a copper fine mesh screen, after pouring out about 3/4 of it gently, so the water stays behind. The screen won't let the water thru after it's had gasonline thru it. Sometimes a not very stretched panty hose will work too.

[Mikepier]

Why would you put that kind of gas in your car? It will cause problems with the fuel system.

[Ron in NY]

=============================================================== That's because in your car, the fuel pump siphons gas from about 1 or 2 inches from the bottom--no water there. Your mower, on the other hand, feeds gas from the very bottom of the tank exactly where the water is. Today's ethanol blended gasolines are different from older gas in that water does not necessarily fall to the bottom. It will float around in the gas in "slugs" until the gas gets about 10% saturated. Then it will start to separate out and fall to the bottom unless it gets disturbed. Then it will start floating again.

RON

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[William W. Plummer]

Airplanes have "quick drains" at all the low points in the fuel system. Part of every preflight inspection is to drain any water out of all of these.

[Stormin Mormon]

I've had a case where one brand of gasoline didn't start a mower, but another brand worked. Both gasolines purchased within the last couple days. Saving 5 cents a galon is very expensive some times.

So, it's very possible you got some really awful gasoline.

If it's got a load of water, there might be water settled out of the gasoline (hard to tell, most gas containers you can't see in).

[ds549]

i havent had this experience because i keep my fuel cans out of the rain,and i dont put old gas in my car..... but my neighbor and several other people i know have had this experience, they poured old gas with water in it in their cars and the cars died and wouldnt start again,, lucas

[Tony Hwang]

Hey, What do you mean saturation? Water does not mix with gas. It settles at the bottom. Gas at the top. Now your car fuel tank has some water. Don't let the tank go too low in gas. You maybe sucking up the water killing the engine. Tony

[Pop]

... Actually, it's pretty easy to tell sometimes: Like, when the mower stops running, you'll find the fuel filter full of water; often just drainng the fuel line and filter are enough to get the engine going again; don't pull the carb unless you really have to. Oh, and while you have the hose off, drain a little extra gas into a clear glass container; when you can't see water in the gas anymore, you're usually good to go.

Pop

[Pop]

It's not rain that gets into the gas. As a rule, water comes from the gas station, or, more likely, from gas sitting in a partially filled metal can and forms moisture as the air heats and cools with the daily temps. I always use a filter when I put fuel i the mowers; they catch the water if there is any and you know to stop. Also saves other debris that gets into the cans, form going into the tank. Plastic gas cans in particular always seem to have bits of plastic inside them.

Pop

[George E. Cawthon]

Or use a chamois or other ways but why not just poor the gas off the top, leaving the last part with the water and put that into a smaller container, poor off the top, etc. At the end you will lose only a tiny amount of gas..

[Pop]

That'd work. But it requires the person to keep the containers still and watch what they're doing, so I stuck with some method to filter it. Even with a strainer, you're going to lose some gas, because once it plugs up with water, the rest of the gas won't go thru until you remove the water.

Myself, I'd do as you suggest though. I just got upset at these people saying to pour it into their gas tanks; silly, but it seems logical until the level get high enough, or the road bumpy or tilted enough... .

Pop

[George E. Cawthon]

I understand you getting upset, the comments are simply amazing. I have only recently and just once seen any indication of water in my lawnmower gas tank. And it has been at least 30 years since I had any indication of water in the gas tank of a vehicle. It just isn't a normal problem. And, throwing a can of gas-dry (or a similar amount of denatured alcohol from the paint store) into the gas tank will solve most any water in the gas problem for a vehicle. In fact, just adding it to a container is probably the easiest (not the best) way of handling any water in gas problem.

I had to laugh at the suggestion that water floated around in blobs in gasohol (gas with 10-15 percent alcohol). That simply is not true. In fact, it is highly unlikely that one would ever have a water problem if they were getting gasohol from the pump.

[Vic Dura]

How about mixing gasohol with the contaminated gas? The gasohol is 10% alcohol which should easily absorb the water. Mix it 50/50.