I was going through my garage when I came across the mower my late grandfather used before he passed away. This mower was still fairly new but needed a little servicing because it was left untouched for a very long period. I decided to clean it up and carry out a few checks to ensure that everything is in good working condition.
I first opened the fuel tank, and I noticed it had old gasoline in it. There was no way I was going to make use of that, so I decided to drain the tank and put in fresh and high-octane gasoline. However, there was a minor problem; I did not know how I was going to drain the gas. I thought of different things before I finally came up with a method that worked perfectly well.
Here’s how I drained my lawnmower gas within a very short period.
- The first thing is to ensure that there is enough ventilation if you are draining the lawn mower gas indoors. It is also important to observe safety precautions like making use of a glove and safety glasses. You can now spread the tarp below the mower once everything is in place.
- Remove the gas cap and wipe the inside of the filter with a rag.
- Use a siphon hose to connect the tank to a gas can and compress the bulb to create a vacuum that would enhance drainage of the fuel in the tank to the gas can.
- Use the siphon hose to drain as much as you can from the fuel tank.
- Check the carburetor to confirm if it has a drainage bolt, which is usually below the float tank.
- Remove the drainage bolt if possible because this will allow the fuel to flow out from the float tank, after which you can proceed to remove the entire carburetor.
- Use an aerosol carburetor cleaner to spray the choke, the bore, and every other part of the carburetor that is accessible. Reinstall the carburetor to the engine after doing this.
- Couple all the parts together and start the engine. Spraying starting fluid directly into the carburetor's bores usually helps in getting the engine to start running.
I was able to drain the old gasoline from the mower, and I poured fresh and high-octane gasoline into the fuel tank. I also checked to ensure that every other part of the mower was good, and when I tried to turn on the mower, it worked just perfectly well. I have been using this mower for a while now, and I’m glad I did not have to purchase a new one.
One piece of advice to always follow, which would help in maintaining the lifespan of your mower, is to always remove the gas in the tank at the end of the mowing season. This is because you would not be using your lawnmower until after a very long period.
