How To Drain Gas From Snowblower In 2022

Here’s how to drain gas from snowblower with a siphon pump.

1. Pick A Safe Space For Draining Gas 
   

   The first thing you need to do is decide where you want to siphon the gas. You surely don’t want to change your gas near a heating unit or an open flame. We all know that gasoline and fire don’t go together!

   Don’t do it in your garage either! Running a snow blower in an enclosed space can expose you to carbon monoxide. 

   Pick a flat-level service that is out in the open. From my personal experience, it is better to do it on a lawn or gravel to avoid staining and damaging your driveway.

2. Protect Yourself
   

   
   Make sure you protect yourself whenever operating or working on a snowblower. This includes wearing work gloves, earplugs, and safety goggles. I also recommend you avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes that can get caught up in the auger and pull you in towards the blower.

   Before you start draining the fuel, make sure the snow blower is turned off. If you have just used your blower, I recommend letting the engine cool off for about half an hour, so you don’t burn yourself.

3. Set Up A Drain Pan 
   

   The next thing you need to do is set the drain pan on the ground close to the tank. It is important that the pan lays lower than the gas tank to allow the force of gravity to pull the liquid through the siphon.

4. Open The Fuel Tank
   

   Locate the fuel cap on the snowblower where the gasoline goes in. Remove it and place it in a safe place, so you don’t lose it.

5. Use Siphon Pump

   If you have never used a siphon pump before, you will first have to familiarize yourself with this ingenious device. Luckily, it is easy to use, so you don’t have to worry like I did the first time using it.

   A siphon pump is basically made of two tubes that are connected together with a small manual pump. To use it, you need to place one tube end in the gas tank and the other end in the drain pan. Squeeze or pull on the pump that’s in the middle to create suction. You will see gasoline slowly coming through the tube. Let the fuel drain out of the tank completely. 

   For the best results, I recommend you keep the end of the tube at the very bottom of the fuel tank to get as much gasoline out as possible.

   If you are still confused about how your siphon pump works, read the owner’s manual that came with the product, or watch the videos I have picked for you. 

6. Run The Engine Dry
   

   When there is no more gas coming out of the siphon, you can carefully remove it and set it aside for the next use. 

   Don’t pack up your snowblower just yet! There is still some gas left in the fuel system! 

   Put the tank cap back on a snowblower and start the engine. Let the machine run until it burns all of the residual fuel in the system. Some people skip this last step, thinking that the siphon pump alone has removed all the gas. That is not the case. 

   Ethanol fuel sold at every and any gas station today becomes a highly corrosive substance when it binds with moisture. Leaving even a small amount of fuel sitting in the system will lead to irreversible damage unless you use the fuel stabilizer Star Tron or Sta-Bil before winterizing your snowblower.