Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Oldest son just called me a few minutes ago.

An acquaintance of his accidentally put diesel in his empty gas powered riding lawn mower.

When he realized his mistake, because it was diesel in lieu of gasoline, he tried to suck it out with a Sears Shop Vac even though he was warned not to do it.

The gas tank on his riding lawn mower with diesel immediately exploded, and he barely got out of his barn before the entire barn was on fire & burned to the ground. He lost his barn and a Lean-To; his four wheeler, a large diesel tractor, a vacuum cleaner, and his gas riding lawn mower.

Luckily he was taken to the hospital almost naked with minor burns.

Pardon the not Model A bit; but please, let us never forget that we can never be too cautious when dealing with "any" type of fuel in "any" fuel tank.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Thanks Henry. I'm sorry for your son's misfortune. It's always wise to "follow the instructions on the can." Or package, or tool, or... :(

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Hi Ray,

It was not my son; but, a guy we both know about 5 miles down the road. I may see him tomorrow.

Thanks.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Maybe this why Ford put that spark arrester in the filler opening??

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Wow! Thanks for posting that. Before entering fuel tanks at work, the work card said to vacuum out the tank, but not with an electrical vacuum, we had air powered vacuums. One time some @&$# was about to plug in a electrical vacuum before someone stopped him! The stuff can be replaced, hope his burns heal.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Had a friend that tried to vacuum up some gas with a tank type vacuum cleaner.
Wittness said it took off like a rocket with a ten foot behind it, straight across the street into the neighbors garage
Vacuum cleaner was totaled as was the garage.
JB

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Still difficult to believe this part of the event; but, this guy told my son that when the fuel tank exploded, it was so violent, that it completely ripped his trousers off of him.

I never thought of it like this ..... but at least he has an excuse as to why he did not crap in his pants.

But then again .......... who knows what happened first ....... the violent crap ..... or his pants blown off ...... might see him tonight.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Naturally without seeing all the contributing factors, anything we think/say is purely speculative but a couple of things that does cause me to want to ask more questions.

If the lawn tractor's gas tank was empty and diesel was added, that typically would have killed the volatile gasoline fumes left inside the tank. Next, I was thinking most wet/dry vacuums of the past 4-5 years have gone to brushless motors. Maybe I was mislead but I was thinking a brushless motor was not supposed to produce a spark. Does anyone know more on this? Generally speaking, I thought diesel fuel really did not explode as the fumes were too heavy. Maybe the diesel he put in the tank was really gasoline after all?? Nonetheless, I hate that it happened to your friend, and I sure wish him a speedy & pain-free recovery!!

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

I know the very knowledgeable and professional heavy industrial mechanic guy who "emphatically" warned him not to try his vacuum cleaner with "diesel"; i.e., his present employee.

He may know more details of what happened ...... I might see him tonight .... and for anyone's safety's sake, add a reply.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Wow, brings back horrible memories. 17 years ago, I came home from work and my 15 year old son told me that he dropped a ladder on a 5 gallon gas can and split a crack in it. The gas was leaking all over the garage, but he cleaned it up. I went into the garage and found a 5 gallon sears shop vac sitting there with about 2.5 gallons of gas in the vac. How he didn't kill himself I will never know but will always be thankful to God for that.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Maybe he was using a "vintage" shop vac...you know, something someone with an appreciation for old things might use ;) :cool: :D

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

They let these people vote and propagate. Think he should be given one of the Darwin awards that are published each year in "Machine Design". Hate to be sarcastic, but people need to have some common sense.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Yipes!! Years ago, I had a similar experience with one of the older shop vacs that allowed the hose to be fitted to either intake or exhaust port. I had a carb soaking in acetone and intended to use the exhaust port to blow the acetone out. I failed to notice that the hose had been left in the intake port and when I hit the switch there was a loud explosion that split the seam on the canister and left me standing in a cloud of dust. Had it been gasoline I might not be writing this here today.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Life's Experiences:

In every profession and in every hobby it is just as important to learn what "NOT" to do as it is to learn what to do.

About (47) years ago, I started a vintage hopper cooled single cylinder diesel engine, (maybe 5 H.P.) mounted on a 4" x 4" wood frame. This engine started bouncing and moving sideways as it ran. This engine was brought to us at a very primitive foreign water supply plant; hence there was a full, unopened barrel of powdered chlorine nearby.

When this un-grounded engine reached the barrel of powdered chlorine, I saw about a 16" long spark extend from the engine's rotating hand-cranked flywheel's crankshaft to the barrel of chlorine.

Maybe (1) minute later, the top of the chlorine barrel lifted ....... the powder started bubbling vigorously ....... after about (2) minutes, dense solid white chlorine gas was coming out of the barrel as the wind carried it in the opposite direction.

In taking a chance, I poured lots of water in the barrel until the bubbling and white smoke stopped.

One never knows ...... with static electricity .... then, it could have been a barrel of gasoline or jet fuel ....... nobody was injured.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Short version of a detailed very sad story:

Went to visit this, (little younger than me), military Vietnam Veteran friend and very wealthy property owner who had one side of his face and nose burned to a medium dark brown and covered with some type of medical hospital cream ..... did not ask about burns on the rest of his body; and when asked, poor soul said he was not in as much pain as right after it happened last Sunday.

He had instructed a friend to add diesel and gas fuel to his many lawn implement fuel tanks used in conjunction with his (12) or so acre richly landscaped family park type property with two bass ponds; however, this friend mistakably added diesel fuel to the tank of a gas engine; so when the owner went to cut grass, in checking fuel level, he noticed his gas lawn mower was filled with diesel.

After calling, a young customer petroleum plant worker friend, this young friend advised him to use a vacuum cleaner to extract the diesel ..... however, his older business employee "emphatically" cautioned not to do it.

Anyway, unknown to the young petroleum plant adviser, the vacuum cleaner was an old "sparking" vintage model vacuum cleaner ...... in lieu of the modern "sparkless" type vacuum cleaner.

He said everything started out well and was working fine while removing fuel until all of a sudden ...... BIG BANG !!!!!!

The Shop Vac violently exploded throwing "flaming" diesel mixed with gasoline everywhere under a wood structured Lean-To enclosure; and, the Lean-To was attached to his full service guest house.

In a matter of minutes he said he lost six (6) expensive riding lawn mowers, a (4) wheeler, a fairly new $70,000.00 diesel tractor, a Lean-To shed, and a fully equipped guest house that all burned to the ground ............... plus .... his vintage vacuum cleaner.

He said he felt like it was a miracle that he survived and that it was a miracle that nobody was in his guest house which is usually occupied.

Not a Model A experience ....... and this did not make CNN, NBC, or Fox News ....... but sometimes, we may need reminders that internal combustion engine and fuel safety can never be overly stressed to try to protect lives of our love ones and our property.

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

Thanks, Mr. Chauvin! It scares me to think of all the times and ways I've misused gasoline over the years and seen others misuse it! At my first job as a mechanic in the mid-60's, parts were washed in gasoline siphoned from customers' cars into an open 5 gallon bucket. The head mechanic said just wash something oily right away as the oil would kill the gas fumes so no problem. Somehow, nobody ever burned the shop down! At the shop I retired from 1 1/2 years ago, there were safety signs all over. My favorite was "Expect the unexpected!"

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

What was once standard operating procedure is down right scary today!

Re: Vacuum Cleaner Fuel Tank Explosion - Not Model A
 

To add to this "accident", this same guy pumped and sold gasoline all of his life in front of his old family owned business which dated back to the 1920's.

About a year ago, he quit selling gasoline in front of his business place ..... he had his old "leaking" underground gas storage tanks and pumps removed.

He could even be labeled as a good "Model A owner" friend ....... he heard and experienced so many complaints about 10% ethanol gasoline .............. he only sold "non-ethanol" gasoline.