When I pulled into my garage one morning, I almost poured gasoline into the drain.
Fortunately, I rescued the gasoline before the damage was done. I spilled it from the nozzle on my car.
So, what happens if you have accidentally poured gasoline down the drain? Gasoline is highly flammable and therefore very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Unfortunately, accidents happen and people sometimes pour gasoline down the drain. If this happens to you, do not panic!
It’s usually not a problem. However, the larger the amount of gasoline you poured down the drain, the more dangerous it will be.
First, you should check the drain to make sure it is empty by pouring some water down the drain to see if any bubbles appear. If no bubbles appear, your drain is clear and you can continue with your day.
To get rid of the gasoline smell, add baking soda to the drain and let it sit for a few minutes. Baking soda neutralizes the odor of gasoline, so the smell should disappear after a few minutes.
If none of this works, call a plumber since they know how to get rid of gasoline smell. But be careful to never pour gasoline down the drain again.
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What Happen If You Have Accidentally Poured Gasoline Down The Drain?
Gas is a volatile substance and can explode easily when exposed to air.
If gasoline is poured down the drain, it can ignite and cause an explosion. Therefore, it’s important to keep gasoline away from drain.
In some countries, such as Germany, it’s against the law to put any gasoline down the drain.
In the US, however, it’s legal to dispose of gasoline down the drain.
However, it’s recommended that you dispose of your gasoline properly, either by recycling it or taking it to a hazardous waste facility.
What Should You Do If You Accidentally Poured Gasoline Down The Drain?
For 2-3 Minutes, Run the Water.
It is not a good habit to pour gas down the sink or toilet because it will contaminate the soil and water systems and ultimately pollute the environment.
Depending on how much you pour down your sink or toilet will determine how much damage it can cause to the water systems.
This is why you should take the necessary precautions and avoid dumping gas down the sink or toilet in the first place.
The quicker you respond, the simpler it will be to deal with the problem at hand.
The first thing you should have done when you noticed you’ve accidentally spilled gas is to turn off the gas supply immediately to prevent further spillage of gas from the nozzle or tank.
Allow the water to flush out most of the fumes by running the water for 2-3 minutes before you start cleaning up the spill.
This will allow some of the fumes to escape through the water and reduce the amount of fumes you have to clean up after the gas has been cleaned up.
Please keep in mind that this is not enough to completely get rid of the fumes in the pipes or the drains because there will still be some left in there even after running the tap for 2-3 minutes.
Pour Dishwashing Liquid Into The Drain
Take the time to pour some dishwashing liquid into the affected drain before flushing it with plenty of water to dilute the chemicals.
The idea is to ensure that it is liquid enough to go down the pipes and dissolve all the chemicals that are causing the odour and blockage of the pipes.
When pouring dishwashing liquid, ensure that it is diluted with enough water to make it thinner so that it can go down the pipes.
Wait Around 2-3 Minutes.
There will be a lot of bubbles in the water due to the chemical reaction between the dishwashing liquid and the chemicals in the gas.
You should plan on waiting around 2-3 minutes before you flush the drain with water to allow the bubbles to disperse throughout the water before you flush it down the toilet.
This will enable the dishwashing liquid to settle, absorb the chemicals and dissolve them, effectively removing the blockage in the pipe caused by these chemicals.
The gasoline will get broken down into smaller particles and will go down the drain instead of building up into a bigger clog further down in the pipe.
This is what you should aim to do if you accidentally poured gasoline down the drains in your home to prevent future problems and hazards in your home.
Allow the dishwashing solutions to break down and remove the chemicals that are causing the smell and the blockage of the pipe for about 30 minutes before you continue using the sinks and toilets again.
Using a Garden Hose, Flush the Drain.
The drain should be flushed using a powerful garden hose to get rid of any remaining chemicals that may still remain within the pipes or drains after you have run the taps for about 30 minutes.
During this phase, you may be tempted to turn on your shower but you should avoid doing so because the steam can condense the chemicals and cause them to stick to the walls and other surfaces, causing more problems for you to deal with later on.
If you don’t have any other options, you can use a powerful hose to flush out the drain.
This is significantly more direct than using water to flush out the chemical mixture that you have accumulated in your pipes.
In a circumstance like this, you will need to use the water pressure from the hose to dislodge the chemicals that are stuck in the pipes or drains so that they will be flushed out along with the water itself.
You’ll want to pour in as much water as you can so that the chemicals that have been absorbed into the walls of the pipes can be flushed out with the water from the garden hose.
This will force the gasoline to be broken down further into smaller particles that can easily pass through the piping system of your home without getting stuck anywhere along the way and causing a problem later on.
Also Read: How To Add Overflow Drain To Sink
Final Words
If you have accidently spilled gasoline in your house, you can follow the steps in this article to safely get rid of the chemicals that are causing the bad smell and blocking the drains in your sinks and toilets.
Start by running the water for 2-3 minutes to allow the solution to breakdown and drain away into the sewage system before flushing out the system with more water and a garden hose to get rid of the leftover residue of gasoline that is clogging up your plumbing.
Pour dishwashing liquid down the drain, wait for about 30 minutes and then flush it out with hot water from a garden hose so that all the leftover chemicals can be washed out along with the rest of the water in your system.
This will assist in clearing your drains of chemicals that may cause them to become clogged up in the future which will require professional assistance to repair and restore normal drainage flow in your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry rooms.
Dishwashing liquid is an excellent technique to clear out clogged pipes and septic systems because the soap molecules will attach to the grease and oil that are stuck within the plumbing system and break it down into smaller pieces that can be washed away with water.
It will also be safe for your septic tank because it will not damage it the way that stronger cleaning products such as bleach can over time.
