imported post
I just read a great thread about good Samaritans helping a member with his bike after he tanked up with diesel due to a mislabeled pump. I know everyone knows this, but when we are broke down along side the road, sometimes we will take chances we shouldn't to get back underway.
In this case, the diesel had to be siphoned, and having only a hose, was done by mouth. I must admit, when I was younger, I have done the same thing. Diesel and gas are toxic enough in their own form, but there are so many additives in them these days, theytruly are poisonous and it is not worth the dangers associated with siphoning either by mouth.
Either carry some type of siphoning system that works by hand or pump, (here’s one example:
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/E-Fill-Siphon-p-0286.html
or use gravity and moving the tube up and down to get the fuel flowing, but not a good idea to use suction by mouth to start the fuel flow – it’s just too dangerous.
Gasoline has a lower viscosity than water meaning it is “thinner” or “slicker” than water and may surprise a siphoner by moving through the tube much faster than expected (but just the fumes are bad enough).
Somedangers from siphoning gas by mouth:[/b]
I just read a great thread about good Samaritans helping a member with his bike after he tanked up with diesel due to a mislabeled pump. I know everyone knows this, but when we are broke down along side the road, sometimes we will take chances we shouldn't to get back underway.
In this case, the diesel had to be siphoned, and having only a hose, was done by mouth. I must admit, when I was younger, I have done the same thing. Diesel and gas are toxic enough in their own form, but there are so many additives in them these days, theytruly are poisonous and it is not worth the dangers associated with siphoning either by mouth.
Either carry some type of siphoning system that works by hand or pump, (here’s one example:
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/E-Fill-Siphon-p-0286.html
or use gravity and moving the tube up and down to get the fuel flowing, but not a good idea to use suction by mouth to start the fuel flow – it’s just too dangerous.
Gasoline has a lower viscosity than water meaning it is “thinner” or “slicker” than water and may surprise a siphoner by moving through the tube much faster than expected (but just the fumes are bad enough).
Somedangers from siphoning gas by mouth:[/b]
- Swallowing gasoline may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
- Gasoline contact with the skin, mouth, or eyes may result in chemical burns.
- Inhaling high concentrations of gasoline fumes starves the body of oxygen and could result in losing consciousness, respiratory arrest, and death.
- Aspiratingliquid gasoline into the lungs may cause dizziness, headache, coughing and shortness of breath. Victims may develop fluid build-up in the lungs and airways followed by permanent lung damage, coma, or death.
- Because of the low viscosity of gas the main danger you worry about is gas being spread throughout the lungs and inducing a chemical pneumonia, causing acute lung damage.