# Siphoning gas **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922 "2022-12-21T19:23:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/21 "2022-12-21T22:52:34Z")
> [@EdelweissPirate](#): > > I can’t quite parse “For someone **with a pickup truck** ”. Sorry, I was trying to find a way to do that without altering your quote. Let me do it without the (official) quote box. This was what you said: > But I agree with others: why not just buy more gas cans and ferry them in the bed of your truck? For someone not mechanically inclined, that seems like less fuss than Joey’s method I was suggesting this instead: > But I agree with others: why not just buy more gas cans and ferry them in the bed of your truck? _For someone with a pickup truck_, that seems like less fuss than Joey’s method I was just suggesting that, as long as he has the truck, it would be a lot easier to toss the gas cans back there than trying to defeat the anti-siphon device. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/22 "2022-12-21T23:58:57Z")
Buy one or more 5 gallon tanks. Put them in the bed of the pickup. Fill them at the gas station. Use the contraption of your choice to siphon the gas out of them and into the generator. Much better than trying to tap into your vehicle’s gas line, which will require more mechanical knowhow and could end up with damage to the vehicle due to mistakes (or lack of knowhow) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/23 "2022-12-22T00:35:31Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > Use the contraption of your choice to siphon the gas out of them and into the generator. Get one with a spigot (or install a spigot), then back the truck up to the generator and hang the containers off the edge of the bed. You can probably even find a way to attach a few feet of garden hose if you can’t get close enough. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/24 "2022-12-22T04:02:43Z")
Thanks for the clarification, Joey\_P. Your point makes total sense. (I had a nap—that always helps). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/25 "2022-12-22T17:42:26Z")
Keeping gas around means that I will have a lot of bad gas, giving that losing power is a rare event. The best option is to pour my stored gas into the family cars every three months and refill the stored gas cans at the station. I’ll jut have to regularly do that. Thanks, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/26 "2022-12-22T19:32:25Z")
Would Stabil help? It claims to extend gas life to 2 years but I’ve never pushed it past 1. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/27 "2022-12-22T20:21:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Keeping gas around means that I will have a lot of bad gas, giving that losing power is a rare event. People say that, but (knocks on wood) we have many gas powered devices and keep gas cans around all year long, rarely using gas in the winter. In the spring everything works. Never used Stabil. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/28 "2022-12-23T19:02:55Z")
I have a 4000 VA Honda generator that has a gasoline engine. In fact, I used it today to power our home when the electric went out. Which is really important, since (like the OP) I need to run the furnace. I also need to run the well pump. I have two, [five gallon safety cans](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQO15I/) that I keep gas in. I simply pour the gas into the generator. The generator runs fine with gas that is six months old. I am not sure why the OP is complicating things. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52582000519_407b212cd5_b.jpg "20221223\_104234") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/194366829@N05/52582000519/in/dateposted/) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52582001854_9b364417d8_b.jpg "20221223\_104225") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/194366829@N05/52582001854/in/dateposted/) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52581741791_e1c08439fa_b.jpg "20221223\_104317") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/194366829@N05/52581741791/in/dateposted/) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/29 "2022-12-23T19:43:02Z")
Several years ago when I lived out in the woods, the power was off for a week. I ran the furnace, the well and satellite TV off the generator. I don’t remember where I got all that gas. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/30 "2022-12-23T20:00:40Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I have a 4000 VA Honda generator that has a gasoline engine. A buddy of mine has a generator the size of two chest freezers. It’s impressive. He _hates_ power outages. I don’t know why. The “unit” is hard wired in. It sits near his AC unit on the side of his house. If his power goes out, it kicks on automatically. Ideally it is seamless, but the lights do flicker just a bit. Kinda like a computer uninterrupted power supply. Cracks me tf up. If our power goes out I build a fire in the fireplace and collect water from rain barrels or our pond to flush. Then on 1-4 hours it’s back on! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/31 "2022-12-25T02:52:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > He _hates_ power outages. I don’t know why. Perhaps his child has an iron lung. I hate power outages when it is 100 F. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/32 "2022-12-25T12:36:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I hate power outages when it is 100 F. Hah! That took me a minute. We don’t have air conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/33 "2022-12-25T15:16:41Z")
Filling gas cans in the bed of a pickup is dangerous. Fill them on the ground, and lift into the bed when full. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/34 "2022-12-26T17:07:38Z")
It is illegal in my country due to the risk of a static spark. All containers need to be filled off the vehicle and on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/35 "2022-12-28T12:06:50Z")
Also to the OP, many generators can be easily converted to natural gas. Basically remove the carb, install the NG ‘carb’ and run a line. They typically will produce slightly less power, perhaps 10-20%. But also don’t have the fouling issues of gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/36 "2023-05-29T14:13:15Z")
Twenty months later. I bought a transfer pump. There is a tube that fits in the car’s filler tube, and a thinner tube with a pointed end that you lubricate with WD10 and wiggle past the siphon trap on t he gas tank. Now I can fill the generator and lawn mower from my car and not worry about bad gas. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/37 "2023-05-29T15:38:10Z")
How much gasoline are you burning to keep a gas furnace running? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/38 "2023-05-29T17:33:28Z")
I’ve not had to run this generator. At my previous residence it was about a gallon a day for another gas generator to run the electronics of a gas furnace, some lights, a TV and a satellite receiver. This prevents me from relying on a couple of cans of gasoline that may be too old. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/39 "2023-05-29T18:09:01Z")
Too bad siphoning no longer works. > **[Siphon](https://xkcd.com/2775/)** > > ADDITIONAL NOTES: Fixed a bug that caused some rocks to generate virtually infinite heat while just sitting there. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922/40 "2023-05-29T18:49:58Z")
Fear not, this guy has a pump. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922.md?page=3)