How to Drain the Gas from Your Generator Gas Tank and Carburetor

Last Updated: August 10, 2021

Given that generators are generally an expensive home product, you need to take excellent care of them in order to keep them from failing during use.This article presents a quick easy guide on how to drain the gas from your generator and your generator's carburetor prior to storage. It's important to do this if you will be storing the tank for over two months without anticipated use. If you do not do this, then it is necessary to use a gas stabilizer. Generators are generally an expensive home product so you need to take excellent care of it in order to keep it from failing during use.

Steps

1
Open the gas tank cap to create air flow through tank.
2
Locate the fuel valve switch. Turn it to the position in which it can be pushed back through the plastic cover over the fuel lines. (See the video below for a full example.)

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3
Remove the plastic cover that is over the fuel lines. This needs to be done in order to make it easier to access the fuel lines. This should be fairly easy to do; there are generally a couple of large bolts holding the cover in place. (See the video below for example of a cover that is on the 6800 Watt Ridgid Generator.)
- You will need a wrench or socket wrenches to remove the cover.
4
Push the fuel valve through the cover. Move the cover out of the way.
- Make sure that the fuel valve is set to off. This is so that the fuel valve is closed when you remove one side of the line in the next step.
5
Pinch and remove the aluminum clip off the side of the fuel line that does not connect to the gas tank. Have a rag close by to catch a little gas that is left in the tube you are removing (the tube that runs to the carburetor). Then remove the tube from the fuel valve. You may need to use pliers the first time because it's sealed fairly tightly. Do not disconnect the line that runs to the gas tank, or gas will pour everywhere.
6
Put the fuel valve tube into a collection container large enough to hold all the gas in the tank. This will generally be about 5–10 gallons (18.9–37.9 L). You can use a gas can so that you can put the gas into your car so it doesn't go to waste (see the video for an example).
7
Turn the fuel valve to on. Let all of the gas drain out into the container until no more comes out. Once you're done, reconnect the fuel line and replace the cover.^{[1]
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8
Locate the carburetor. There will be a screw on the base of the carburetor that is used to open the drain. Sometimes it is labeled on the generator. See your generator's instruction manual to help you locate it.^{[2]
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9
Place a small collection container under the carburetor. Turn the screw to the left to open the drain hole. Only a small amount will come out.^{[3]
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10
Once the gas has stopped coming out, turn the screw to the right to close again. (See the video below for more information; watch the steps carefully.)

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need to drain the gas out of a generator in order to store it?

Community Answer

If it contains ethanol, as the vast majority of gasoline sold in the U.S.A. does, you must drain it to prevent deterioration of the fuel lines, pump, and other plastic/rubber parts. As a rule of thumb, drain it every time you store it if it's pure gasoline or blended with ethanol. Five years from now when you need it to be dependable, you'll be the guy whose generator started while your neighbor was scrambling to find parts before the storm, camping vacation, or flood waters came.
Question

How do I get gas back into my carburetor?

Community Answer

It will automatically fill after you fill the gas tank, have everything reassembled, and start the generator.

Warnings

Do not have fire anywhere near gasoline.

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These steps are based upon a rigid 6800 electric start gas generator with Yamaha engine from Home Depot.

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Work in a well-ventilated area.

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You are responsible for making sure these instructions apply to your generator.

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If you do this incorrectly, you may cause the gas to spill all over you or your property.

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Do not run generator during this process.

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