Here in this topic, I will also expand this to include any other flammable liquid, including but not limited to: Solvents (Alcohol, paint thinner, mineral spirits, Etc...), Charcoal Lighter Fluid, Dry Cleaning Solvent, certain "Oil Based Paints", and anything with a low "Flashpoint" (Fluid or Vaporous Materials or substances that can burn due to a spark even though not under compression and/or at room temperature)


[font color="red"]~I just saw a post about using a shop vac to remove rust from a fuel tank, and I tell ya what - it scared the daylights out of me to think someone might really do something like that...
But I know that otherwise intelligent people have done similar things in the past, so here I'm going to give out some free advice that may save your life and home some day.


(Igniter/Detonator!)

All of the air (and fumes) that are drawn into a vaccuum cleaner flow across the electric motor inside it to cool the machine down.
Electric motors (especially the ones in shop vac's) produce lots of sparks around the armature contacts.


(Casing!)

The body of the vac itself is usually heavy duty steel or plastic, and will allow lots of pressure to build up inside before it ruptures...


(High Explosive!)

Gasoline drawn into a vaccuum cleaner, along with air (no matter if it's from a "thought to be empty" gas tank, or a spill on the garage floor) will mix into a healthy combustible mixture just as surely as it would in any good intake manifold...

The results are quite spectacular!

DO NOT use a shop vac on ANYTHING that may be saturated with gas, or any OTHER potentially flammable liquid - else it will instantly become the equivalent of a fuel-air explosive device (FAE).


In other words - A BOMB!!!
Cut and dried, avoid this trip. It is much too dangerous to risk.[/font]


Let's be safe out there, okay?

~Greywolf sends

 

Good reminder -- you have no idea of how many times I have thought of vacuuming stuff from gas tanks, or around the carburator to keep stuff from falling in. Then I think -- wait a minute -- I can't do that!

I'm sure it has crossed others' minds -- and they too stopped themselves. And maybe some didn't.

Thanks for the reminder.

Raul

 

I know for a fact that at least one NAVY Lieutenant never considered the possibility.

I saw the safety message on it, concerning the damage to HIM, His GARAGE, and the parts of his new house that did not burn down...

The project he was working on was a total loss, needless to say.

It takes many thousands of nuts, bolts, washers, seals, lines and wires to put together a truck.

And just one screwy idea to make them all useless...

 

We had one poor guy in the local news about a year back. Seems he tried to siphon gas out of his car using a shop vac. He didn't get much out needless to say. The fire dept. was able to put out the garage before the house caught fire. He had some serious burns but I think he made it. The local t.v. news brodcasters had the look and tone of unbelief that someone would try to attempt such a thing. Sometimes our brains can take a vacation from common sense. But I think this guy was on another planet.

 

Roger that.

And with "Cloning" on the horizon - such folks may actually BE "hatched"...

*LOL*

 

This sounds like something you'd see in the Darwin Awards.
www.DarwinAwards.com

 

I just *had* to get one of those Carbide Cannons that I always saw in the back of comic books as a kid (they still make them, try http://www.bigbangcannons.com ) but I noticed the 'powder' they use, calcium carbide is in a sealed tube called "bangsite" and it has a warning about vacuuming up spills. Boys and Girls, can you figure out why? Heh.

 

 

Sounds like a real Darwin award stunt.

 

I'm sure matt will find a video of this and ask to borrow a shop vac for ten seconds

It would be a cool video tho

 

Had a neighbor years ago try to siphon gas from his new LTD into his new Eldorado using his house vacuum - caught BOTH cars on fire. his next door neighbor tried hosing it down with his garden hose over the fence..... I was able to get it out with a couple fire extinguishers just before the fire dept showed up. He had heavy damage to both cars, and totaled his wifes new vacuum, but at least it didn't blow - could have been a LOT worse!

 

but when the mythbusters tried this it would not work for them using a new shopvac. Guess they had to much smarts.

 

they tried this on mythbusters and had no luck. most modern shop vacs like the ridgid brand use a sealed case with the impeller being seperate of the cooling fan attached the the top of the motor. I still would not advise somone to suck up flammable liquids.

 

Besides the motor, static build up from the plastic tank cant be a good thing.

 

Hmmm...is that a challenge?

-Matt