Siphoning gas is absolutely illegal, which means you should not do it unless you’re in the most dire of circumstances. And dire circumstances doesn’t mean that you ran out of gas before payday. What it means is, this should be used only in a situation where there is no other way and no gas stations to get it from.
Gas Siphon Pumps
These are the best way that you can do this but it requires some extra tools. You’ll need what’s called a siphon pump. You’ll also need something that you can put the gas into once it comes out. You’ll put your gas can under the tank you’re going to siphon from and put the siphon pump into the tank and the can to start.
From there you’re going to pump the gas out using whatever method your siphon pump provides. They have all different types of pumps but in most cases you’re going to need to do a bit of manual labor in order to get the gas out. Just make sure you take only what you absolutely need, then drain the rest of the pump and go.
Air Pressure
This method is going to take a bit more work, including a long and short piece of 1-inch diameter tubing and a wet cloth to go along with your gas can. You’ll put the end of the longer tube into the tank and blow into it until you hear bubbles. That means you’re inserted into the gasoline. Then you put the small piece in and seal the two together with the cloth.
Put your gas can on the ground and direct the opposite end of the longer tube to it. This is where you need to be careful because you’re going to blow into the shorter tube to increase air pressure and force the gas up through the longer tube. Be very careful not to inhale the gasoline. When you’re done you can raise the end of the long tube to drain the gas back into the tank.
Mouth Siphoning
This is one method that you should absolutely not use unless absolutely necessary. In fact, you likely shouldn’t do it even then because it’s highly dangerous. You’re going to be using your mouth to pull the gasoline up and out of the tank and you need to avoid inhaling the fumes or the gasoline itself. You do this in a very precise way.
You’ll put one end of a 1-inch diameter tube into the gas tank and then suck on the other end. Make sure you’re watching for the gasoline and that you stop when the gasoline is approximately six inches from your mouth. Pinch the end of the tube and insert it into the gas can and then release it into the can. You can repeat this as necessary to get the gas you need but remember to be extremely careful.
Any of these methods should only be used when absolutely necessary and you should exercise care in the process.
