HELP Gas spill down drain

[RedBengal]

Looks like things are fine. I may have over reacted a bit with this post, but I wanted to err on the side of caution. Thanks for the advice. Cool website. I've got to remember this one.

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

Where does the drain go to...? I would probably just run a hose down it to dilute it.

 

[Ray-CA]

I'd run a hose to the drain and flush the line a long time.

Also, don't call the EPA or your City/County fire etc. Haz-Mat fines are HUGE.

Ray

 

[welder4956]

Some Dawn dishwashing detergent poured down the drain should help break it up along with flushing with a garden hose.

 

[RPH]

Keep the soap going while flushing. So make sure house drains get a shot of soap.

 

[welder4956]

Keep the soap going while flushing. So make sure house drains get a shot of soap.

Good point! The vapors will be in the piping back to the p-traps on the other drains also.

Perhaps you could drop a match down one of the plumbing vents and clear it out...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nice first post.


It's to small to be a reportable incident. Flush it with copious amounts of water.

I'd suggest you close the gas can or put a lid on it. The next it gets knocked over, there might be an ignition source nearby.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The question no one has asked, is the system a public sewer system? or is it your own septic tank system?

Charles

 

[1949 caddyman]

Good point! The vapors will be in the piping back to the p-traps on the other drains also.

Perhaps you could drop a match down one of the plumbing vents and clear it out...

Don't even kid about the match. I worked worked a guy that had yellow jackets around his block foundation. He poured gas down the hole & later put a match to it,blew in the wall in the laundry room in the basement.

 

[RedBengal]

Some of it never even got down the drain, so I'm pretty certain it was less than half a gallon. I'm flushing the garage drain, and every drain in my house right now. Hitting 'em with soap too.

 

[StevePgh]

DO NOT ADD DISHWASHING DETERGENT THINKING THIS WILL DO ANYTHING PERMANENT!!! Adding Dawn, while seemingly effective, is a bad idea. Even though it looks like is is breaking up the gasoline, those actions are temporary. The gasoline will reform on the surface later. So even though it may not smell fumy after stirring some Dawn into it, walk away and come back in a few hours and you have fumes because of what I just described.

Erring on the side of caution, I'd call the Fire Department. Enough fumes in a small area can cause an explosion, and it does not take much volume to accomplish that.

Full on disclaimer here. I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. There is no one alive that can claim he or she has ever followed my advice (coincidence?)

If you unwisely chose to ignore the above advice... Ventilation is the key. Don't let the air sit around. Open that garage door and have a box fan, sufficiently far away blowing across the trap and out the open door. Don't flush water into the trap, this will move your problem (gas/fumes) elsewhere outside the trap. Any sinks/tubs/etc. you haven't used in a while - fill em with water. You don't want dry traps elsewhere in the house. Get out that shop vac and **** the trap dry. If it makes you feel better add some Dawn to the trap and the shop vac canister (set it up for wet use and empty it). After turning off the vac, remove the power source, take the lid off (no fumes in confined spaces), move it outside and dispose of properly (whatever that may be). Refill the trap. Use water this time.

Edit: Just saw your last post - less than a half gallon means not much, if any, would have made it past the trap. I'd still **** that trap dry - if you are flushing with a garden hose there is not enough volume of water to force the gas that is laying on the top of the trap downstream.

 

[sharkytm]

Blow it out with a shopvac set as a blower... that should blow it out of the trap without the fumes getting to the shopvac (which will result in a big boom). Then refill the trap with water. If you had a compressor with a good sized tank, you could use that to blow it out too.

 

[dlenkewich]

DO NOT ADD DISHWASHING DETERGENT THINKING THIS WILL DO ANYTHING PERMANENT!!! Adding Dawn, while seemingly effective, is a bad idea. Even though it looks like is is breaking up the gasoline, those actions are temporary. The gasoline will reform on the surface later. So even though it may not smell fumy after stirring some Dawn into it, walk away and come back in a few hours and you have fumes because of what I just described.

Erring on the side of caution, I'd call the Fire Department. Enough fumes in a small area can cause an explosion, and it does not take much volume to accomplish that.

Full on disclaimer here. I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. There is no one alive that can claim he or she has ever followed my advice (coincidence?)

If you unwisely chose to ignore the above advice... Ventilation is the key. Don't let the air sit around. Open that garage door and have a box fan, sufficiently far away blowing across the trap and out the open door. Don't flush water into the trap, this will move your problem (gas/fumes) elsewhere outside the trap. Any sinks/tubs/etc. you haven't used in a while - fill em with water. You don't want dry traps elsewhere in the house. Get out that shop vac and **** the trap dry. If it makes you feel better add some Dawn to the trap and the shop vac canister (set it up for wet use and empty it). After turning off the vac, remove the power source, take the lid off (no fumes in confined spaces), move it outside and dispose of properly (whatever that may be). Refill the trap. Use water this time.

Relax man^^. It's silly that you're spazzing about the severity of this, yet you tell him to start a vaccuum motor around gasoline fumes.

Air it out, dillute the fuel. Don't listen to Steve. All will be fine.

 

[StevePgh]

Blow it out with a shopvac set as a blower... that should blow it out of the trap without the fumes getting to the shopvac (which will result in a big boom).

I'd say a boom here is pretty unlikely for many reasons - one of which is the airflow would make the fumes quite diffuse. I just wouldn't want the thing to set around with gas in it and the lid on.

 

[dumper]

Don't even kid about the match. I worked worked a guy that had yellow jackets around his block foundation. He poured gas down the hole & later put a match to it,blew in the wall in the laundry room in the basement.

Hahahaha. Too much Beavis and Butthead! I sure miss that show.

 

[koditten]

The gas will be sitting on top of the water in the trap. Its lighter than water, so it floats. Wick up the majority with a cotton towel. Then deal with flushing the drain.

 

[StevePgh]

It's silly that you're spazzing about the severity of this, yet you tell him to start a vaccuum motor around gasoline fumes.
Air it out, dillute the fuel. Don't listen to Steve. All will be fine.

I told him not to listen to me! The issue with fumes is in the trap itself and the pipes, not in the garage. It was also written when he said nearly a gallon and a very strong odor vs. half a gallon max.

The correct answer answer is to let the pros handle it as opposed to random folk on the internet. If you are dealing with your house and your family, you can take whatever risks you are comfortable with. Me, I'd do exactly what I suggested.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I told him not to listen to me! The issue with fumes is in the trap itself and the pipes, not in the garage. It was also written when he said nearly a gallon and a very strong odor vs. half a gallon max.

The correct answer answer is to let the pros handle it as opposed to random folk on the internet. If you are dealing with your house and your family, you can take whatever risks you are comfortable with. Me, I'd do exactly what I suggested.

In other words, you're giving advice but telling him not to listen to you ?


Flush it with plenty of water and be done with it.

 

[jhelrey]

All of you are over reacting. Go to bed! Tomorrow, everything will be fine.

 

[Sureshot]

The gas these days barely burns.

 

[ryaninmichigan]

All of you are over reacting. Go to bed! Tomorrow, everything will be fine.

Holy **** no! Just kidding it will be gone by morning

 

[Jarhead0408]

Sorry man, but I got a kick out of this.

I told him not to listen to me!........

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............. Me, I'd do exactly what I suggested.

Suggested? You mean not to listen to you? I'm still chuckling...

 

[slghmmr88]

Nice first post.


It's to small to be a reportable incident. Flush it with copious amounts of water.

I'd suggest you close the gas can or put a lid on it. The next it gets knocked over, there might be an ignition source nearby.

I'd say pay attention to the Fireman, case closed.

 

[darkk]

Light a match...

 

[SGKent]

that is about 5 - 8 sticks of dynamite you spilled. Ask any boater about the dangers of spilt gas in a confined aread. Were it me, I might be brave and call the local fire department and ask them their opinion. Keep in mind you may get billed if they come, flush out things and etc. A lot depends on if the system is open and the fumes can dissipate or if it is contained and they will sit there.

 

[dna9656]

The lesson I see here is plain: NO gas in the garage, keep it outside the garage in one of those plastic boxes used to store stuff in on a porch or like item. Ground the thing. OR get electric yard tools, the benefits are plain to see, no gas around, no seasonal headaches getting the engines to start, no maintenance on lelctric stuff like there is on engines.
At work only spills of 5 gallons + are reportable, anyhting less and we clean it up and move on. Have there been spills larger than 5 gallons? oh hell no!

 

[jimindm]

Sop it up with a towel. Vent it well. Gas does evaporate fairly quickly.

I would also like to know, septic system, or city sewer. Also I would be more worried about what damage is being done to the pipes because of the gas. Is it plastic, cast iron or what? Does the drain just go out in the yard some where?

 

[ydna]

I am quite blown away (pun intended) at the massive spazzing out and over reaction throughout this thread!

 

[slghmmr88]

I am quite blown away (pun intended) at the massive spazzing out and over reaction throughout this thread!

No kidding. I mean seriously. The fireman said what needs to be done.

 

[DIC]

I saw a guy at the car wash trying to clean some spilled tar out of the bed of his truck with gasoline and used the vacuum cleaner on it. The vacuum blowed up real good.....

 

[bams50]

that is about 5 - 8 sticks of dynamite you spilled. Ask any boater about the dangers of spilt gas in a confined aread.

Will those boaters know what 'spilt' means? LOL Just kidding, I know you meant either 'spilled' or 'spit'. Neither one's ideal to do with gas...

Really though, not worth overreacting. Clean it up as mentioned the best you can and move on. The smell will fade soon.

(5-8 sticks of dynamite.)

 

[abnorm]

Will those boaters know what 'spilt' means? LOL Just kidding, I know you meant either 'spilled' or 'spit'. Neither one's ideal to do with gas...


""Spilt...verb...a simple past tense and past participle of spill.""

 

[dirttracker18]

To the OP

FWIW Nuts is a firefighter ( in case you missed his avatar) and likely has both the expertise and experience you want.

His is the nearest to expertise you will find in this thread.

 

[PCO6]

^^^ Agree ... plus the "nice first post" comment was pretty good.

 

[NHBandit]

I'm way behind. I'm still shaking my head over this... "I've heard of people pouring gas down their sinks and the fumes blowing up the hot water heater." Unless your fresh water supply is somehow tied to your septic tank or your basement filled up with fumes how would this be possible ? This went down your shop drain ? Do you smell the gas inside your house or just in the shop ? I agree with the advice to simply flush the drains with alot of water and I'm betting the smell will be gone by tomorrow.

 

[ra42mario]

Its less then 100 gallons of gas right? It will be fine.

Working in the auto field, I've seen some big gas spills that get mopped right into the nearest drain.

I actually wonder if many of the forum posters have a clue with reality. This is a forum for tools, which generally means people who work with their hands, and I correlate that with common sense, but I see little of it.

 

[twiggles]

Another safe, non combustible way to soak up the gas and water from your p trap would be to use a couple of tampons tied to a string or dowel to absorb the gas and water. Those little things will hold A LOT!

 

[Falcon67]

Don't even kid about the match. I worked worked a guy that had yellow jackets around his block foundation. He poured gas down the hole & later put a match to it,blew in the wall in the laundry room in the basement.

My grandad used gas (the real stuff back then LOL) plus a match on red ant beds. Later, with the proper effort to build on the success of your elders, I continued the practice with the addition of a Black Cat or two down hole.

 

[rlitman]

To the OP

FWIW Nuts is a firefighter ( in case you missed his avatar) and likely has both the expertise and experience you want.

His is the nearest to expertise you will find in this thread.

No offence to Nuts (who's advice IMO was right on), but those credentials do not necessarily mean much:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/11...ing-cars-on-fire-while-trying-to-siphon-fuel/

Anyway, gas fumes are no more flammable or explosive than any other fumes in the sewer. So flushing it down the drain is indeed the best option.

With a hose, you will probably be able to flush down all but a little slick left behind on the surface. If it still smells, you can probably break that up with dawn.

Or, if you want a more "unconventional" solution, you can use something that soaks up gas/oil. Most things you dunk in the water will preferentially soak up water, and won't touch the gas (such as the tampons suggested).
One thing that does work is hair. You could get a fistful of hair, stuff it into a sock, and dunk that. But I suspect dawn will be the simpler answer.

 

[BD1]

I never heard of a trap in a garage drain. In the winter it would freeze. What state are you in ?? Some states, county only allow a garage drain to run outside to a dry well or just stub outside. I never heard of a garage drain in a residence being connect to home sanitary system or septic. do you know where the drain goes to ?
My gas cans are the SAFETY TYPE, spring loaded cap, might seem costly but this would not have happened.