Many people are unaware that fuel does not remain useful for long. It becomes ineffective after a while, so it’s best to throw it out when that happens. So, if your lawnmower doesn’t run right, or you find fuel lines blocked, you could find the solution is bad gas.
Besides this, you can’t throw gas down the drain or discard it in the trash! You need to know how to dispose of old gas in a safe way for the environment, local water sources, and people in the area.
If you’re hoping to get rid of your unusable gasoline, dispose of old gas, do it in the right way.
Illegally disposing of old gas such as pouring it onto land, into storm drains, or down toilets may lead to breaking local laws, fines, environmental damage, water contamination, affect public health, and much more.
In our guide, you can learn how and where to dispose of old gas. By the end, you’ll find out why your small engine doesn’t run right, how to tell good gas from bad gas and how to properly dispose of using recycling services that accept gas or alternative methods. (Find the Best Gas Power Washer)
Does AutoZone Take Old Gas?
AutoZone doesn’t offer gasoline disposal services, but it does recycle used oil.
If you need to dispose of gas, the best option is to find a nearby, municipally run waste disposal facility, which takes gasoline.
Many regions also run recycling events where they encourage citizens to recycle gasoline safely.
Because gasoline is both flammable and dangerous, always use caution when handling it. It would help if you always stored gasoline in sealed gas containers, at room temperature, and not mixed with other fuels.
If you get gasoline on your skin or spill it, wash yourself or the area immediately with soapy water to remove gasoline traces. If you have traces on your hands, you can use lemon juice or rubbing alcohol to get rid of the oily feel and smell.
If your area doesn’t have a recycling event, check for your local waste disposal center where old gasoline can be discarded in the right manner.
If you have a local center, you’ll need to call ahead as there could be certain work hours, and there could be a maximum amount of gasoline you can dispose of in one go. (Find the Best Gas String Trimmer)
How Do You Get Rid of Stale Gasoline?
If you have any small motor-powered machine in your garage and it’s been sitting idle for extended periods, the chances are your gasoline has lost its effectiveness. Before automatically deciding your gasoline isn’t any good, it is handy to know the difference between good and old gasoline before knowing how to dispose of gasoline from your machine or cars in your garage.
Carefully pour a small bit into a clear container to find out. Fill a second clear container halfway with new gas so you can compare the two. It’s probably no longer good if the older gas has a sour smell or appears significantly darker than the new gas.
Use Old Gasoline
Old gas can lose its potency after a few months, yet you can often use it by diluting it with newer gas in the tank of an outdoor tool or vehicle.
If there’s half a tank or less of old gasoline, filling the tank up with fresh gasoline could get your engine to fire close enough as normal.
For larger volumes of gas, you can dilute it in your car or truck’s gas tank. For a small tank, you can add a half-gallon of old gas to the tank.
Slowly pour old gas into the tank and monitor the gas level as you fill it. Likewise, you can add around 3/4 of a gallon of old gas to a 12-gallon tank or larger with no adverse effects.
When adding old gas to fresh gas in a vehicle, you could find it splutters, yet adding fuel additives can do great things for using up old fuel and clearing your engine, so it runs at peak performance.
Find Your Local Disposal Center
Search online for “hazardous waste disposal center. ” You can call your county or city waste management agency or speak to your local fire department.
Because of the flammable nature of gasoline, they frequently suggest how to manage the gasoline and where it needs to go.
Pour Gasoline Into a Certified Container
Using a funnel, transfer the old gasoline from its current container into an approved container that’s designed to hold gasoline. Most suitable are those that you can get from gas stations.
Here are the steps how to get old gas from a vehicle:
- Place your gas disposal container on a level surface.
- Place your input tube of the siphon pump into the bottom of your gas tank.
- Place the output end into your container.
- Pump the siphon until you’ve removed all the gas.
- Remove the siphon and pump several more times into a rag to get the remaining gas out of the siphon.
- Close the gas cap on the gas tank and your container.
Transport To Gasoline Disposal Center
Drive carefully and never smoke while transporting gasoline. There could be residual fumes or gas on you, and it only takes a small amount of gasoline to ignite with open flames in a confined space.
You should be able to empty your gasoline into their storage vessel and take the empty 5-gallon jug home for the next time you need to dispose of gasoline or get fresh gas for your lawnmower.
You’re ready to take your old gas to the waste disposal center; once you’ve asked a few questions about what they do and don’t, you are ready to head off. (Learn How To Dispose Of Fireplace Ashes)
Besides using recycling centers, there can be alternative ways how to dispose of gasoline.
Local Auto Repair Shops take old gas
Some auto repair shops will take old gasoline. They can either repurpose it or dispose of it for you. Gasoline these days does last longer than the gasoline of years past thanks to the addition of ethanol.
Repurposing gas means using it in other equipment rather than for a car engine. They may, for example, use it to power a lawnmower or snowblower.
Alternatively, they could dispose of the gas and keep the container you supplied for future use, so don’t expect them to give you your canister back.
Even if they charge a price to take the gas, it’s still less expensive than paying a fine for illegal dumping or facing jail time for polluting the environment with waste fuel.
Repurpose Your Old Gas
It can be a hassle to check fire departments or find a disposal service at the nearest waste disposal site or recycling center.
You might wonder why you can’t just repurpose old gas yourself. You can so long as you are careful with what you are doing.
You can put old gas in your lawnmower, snowblower, or other small motor-powered vehicles you have. Just don’t use it in your car or vehicle that could lose function because of it.
Here are the ways you go about repurposing your old gas.
- Pour a gas sample into a clear mason jar
- Check for any sediment in the bottom of the jar
- Check the gas isn’t a dark color
- Smell the gas, and if there is a strong odor, it’s not suitable to use
- Once you know the gas can be used, pour it back into a container and dispose of your mason jar
- Use the gas in your lawnmower or generator and not any other road-going vehicle.
Always consider the advantages of repurposing old gas. While gas is expensive, the amount you can save by repurposing old gas can be insignificant. Don’t repurpose your old gas until you’re quite certain you need to do so. Taking your old gas to a recycling center or waste disposal site is sometimes quicker, safer, and less expensive.
If you aren’t sure, you can call your local government and ask for help. They’ll be more than willing to provide answers to questions.
Your local fire department can always help. Either they’ll dispose of the gas for you or send you to someone who can
Never use old gas in any vehicle for road use. Even if you repurpose it, only use it in things like a lawnmower or snowblower.
Call ahead, no matter where you’ll take your old gas, call first. You want to get your ducks in a row. This way, you avoid wasting time and money.
The last thing you want to do is get a fine. Do not illegally dispose of any hazardous chemical, including an old gas.
Here are a few tips for summarizing what you have learned above.
If you’re not sure, ask! Make a call to your local government and ask for help. They’ll be more than willing to answer any questions you have.
Your local fire department is always willing to help. They’ll either dispose of the gas or refer you to someone who can.
Call beforehand – no matter where you plan to take off your old gas, call first. You will save time and money this way.
A fine is the last thing you want to deal with. Any hazardous substance, including an old gas can, should not be disposed of unlawfully.
