# Draino + Gasoline= ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273 "2000-07-12T05:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/41 "2011-06-19T00:54:51Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Is there anybody who _doesn’t_ like to blow up stuff (especially in this crowd)? > > The way it was explained to me (by a nutcase) is this: you take an empty gelatin capsule and fill half of it with elemental sodium and the other half with a suitably-sized piece of lead. The lead just acts as weight. Then you throw it in the gent’s gas tank. No need to scurry away at this point. There’s water at the bottom of every gas tank. Needless to say, the capsule will dissolve. This is the Dope, so I don’t need to school anybody on the products of the reaction between sodium and water. Supposedly, the car won’t blow until the ignition is activated. I was also told that “this is how all professionals do it.” ( :dubious:. ) If there is water at the bottom of every gas tank, then there I’d your drain reaction too. The aluminum in Draino reacts with the sodium hydroxide and water to make hydrogen. Whether it actually makes enough to explode is a different question. It will generate plenty of heat though. I’m a bit skeptical that there is water at the bottom of every gas tank. The ethanol in gas may be enough to do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/42 "2011-06-19T14:52:59Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > The aluminum in Draino reacts with the sodium hydroxide and water to make hydrogen. Whether it actually makes enough to explode is a different question. It will generate plenty of heat though. It will make enough to inflate a condom. Said condom will have enough lift to support a lit cigarette. If you make the cigarette short enough, it will detonate the H before enough leaks out that condom-Hindenburg settles to ground. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/43 "2011-06-19T15:35:39Z")
> [@SqrlCub](#): > > I have done this. It just makes a green gas which I assume is chlorine. Zombies don’t have to worry about chlorine, but chlorine is an odorless, colorless gas. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/44 "2011-06-19T17:32:20Z")
So why did Sir Humphry Davy name it chlorine? cite [Chlorine Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chlorine) ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/45 "2011-06-19T18:22:33Z")
Chlorine is neither odorless nor colorless. It is green with a very pungent odor. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/46 "2011-06-20T15:56:08Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Zombies don’t have to worry about chlorine, but chlorine is an odorless, colorless gas. _points and laughs…_ ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/47 "2011-06-20T16:02:00Z")
Huh, what was I thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/48 "2011-06-20T18:55:58Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Huh, what was I thinking of? Hydrogen filled flaming condoms, probably. After a quick googling, it appears that aluminum and lye would work in a reasonable amount of time as follows: 2 Al + 6 H[sub]2[/sub]O ----\> 2 Al(OH)[sub]3[/sub] + 3 H[sub]2[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/49 "2011-06-21T17:37:28Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Huh, what was I thinking of? It sounds like methane or carbon monoxide. ---
**Author:** ![cdsilv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cdsilv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdsilv)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/50 "2011-06-21T20:30:39Z")
tablet chlorine (like for swimming pools) and brake fluid makes a nice green spontaneous flame (misspent youth around both) ---
**Author:** ![freddy\_is\_the\_devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@freddy\_is\_the\_devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freddy_is_the_devil)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/51 "2013-07-01T00:41:34Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > If there is water at the bottom of every gas tank, then there I’d your drain reaction too. The aluminum in Draino reacts with the sodium hydroxide and water to make hydrogen. Whether it actually makes enough to explode is a different question. It will generate plenty of heat though. > > I’m a bit skeptical that there is water at the bottom of every gas tank. The ethanol in gas may be enough to do the same thing. Wait a sec… “there is water at the bottom of every gas tank”??? If water floats on gas…Which it does because it is much lighter then gas…Then wouldn’t there be water at the TOP of every gas tank??? not at the bottom… Just saying…not trying to dis you at all…You’ve posted good stuff…But that one i had to correct,… ---
**Author:** ![freddy\_is\_the\_devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@freddy\_is\_the\_devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freddy_is_the_devil)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/52 "2013-07-01T00:44:33Z")
> [@Lestrade](#): > > Hydrogen filled flaming condoms, probably. After a quick googling, it appears that aluminum and lye would work in a reasonable amount of time as follows: > > 2 Al + 6 H[sub]2[/sub]O ----\> 2 Al(OH)[sub]3[/sub] + 3 H[sub]2[/sub] “Flaming condoms” Thats a great name for a Indy rock band…Thank-you.. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/53 "2013-07-01T00:51:29Z")
> [@freddy\_is\_the\_devil](#): > > Wait a sec… “there is water at the bottom of every gas tank”??? If water floats on gas…Which it does because it is much lighter then gas…Then wouldn’t there be water at the TOP of every gas tank??? not at the bottom… Just saying…not trying to dis you at all…You’ve posted good stuff…But that one i had to correct,… Gasoline floats on water. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/54 "2013-07-01T01:07:55Z")
What I learned from this thread: Water is at the bottom of every gas tank. Carburetors suck from the bottom of the gas tank. Therefore, cars run on water. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/55 "2013-07-01T06:53:24Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > What I learned from this thread: > > Water is at the bottom of every gas tank. > > Carburetors suck from the bottom of the gas tank. > > Therefore, cars run on water. First of all, if there is _ **any** _ water in the bottom of a gas tank, it’s a miniscule amount. Second, very few ‘cars’ _ **have** _ carburetors these days. Even the ones that _ **do** _ have carburetors, _ **do not** _ ‘suck from the bottom of the gas tank’. Third, ‘cars’ do NOT run on water. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/56 "2013-07-01T12:28:00Z")
If the Junior Woodchuck Guide is really silent on this matter (or so the zombies say), then maybe I should be the first to try it on the local woodchuck population, which seems to be exploding. During a rainstorm Saturday I saw five of the beasts lumbering and hopping across the yard, seeking shelter (or something appealing over at my next-door neighbor’s). Guess it’s time to mix up a cocktail and hurl it under the shed, where I suspect the den is. 😕:eek::smack: ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/57 "2013-07-01T19:51:16Z")
If your woodchucks are already exploding then you don’t need to do any of this! (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) But do you really want \*anything \*exploding under the shed? Won’t that cost you a shed? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/58 "2013-07-01T21:30:20Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > First of all, if there is _ **any** _ water in the bottom of a gas tank, it’s a miniscule amount. > > Second, very few ‘cars’ _ **have** _ carburetors these days. Even the ones that _ **do** _ have carburetors, _ **do not** _ ‘suck from the bottom of the gas tank’. > > Third, ‘cars’ do NOT run on water. > > :rolleyes: Do ‘carburetors’ make a ‘wooshing’ noise when they ‘suck’ the gas from the not-‘bottom’ of the gas tank? 😃 As to me, I shall be getting into my ‘motor carriage’ to head home from work soon. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273/59 "2013-07-02T15:11:36Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Do ‘carburetors’ make a ‘wooshing’ noise when they ‘suck’ the gas from the not-‘bottom’ of the gas tank? 😃 > > As to me, I shall be getting into my ‘motor carriage’ to head home from work soon. :smack: Shouldn’t that be ‘horseless carriage’? 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draino-gasoline/25273.md?page=2)