preview

Process Essay: Preventing Frozen Gas Lines

Decent Essays

When you are dealing with frozen gas lines, it is unlikely that the gasoline actually froze. Gas requires temperatures to get exceptionally cold before freezing, so it is normally the water and water vapor that freezes first. As the water vapor freezes, it prevents the gasoline in the fuel line from reaching the engine. This means that you end up with a vehicle that is impossible to drive until you fix the frozen gas line. Preventing Frozen Fuel Lines Ideally, you will want to prevent your fuel lines from freezing in the first place. You will want to start by keeping your battery fully charged. When the gas lines freeze, people normally try to start the engine multiple times before realizing that the line is blocked. If you do not have …show more content…

In addition to using ethanol-based fuel in the winter, you will want to keep your fuel tank as full as possible. This prevents freezing because there is less space for water vapor to develop and freeze. You can also add a thawing additive that absorbs water to keep the gasoline from freezing. Bring the Vehicle Inside If your gas lines have already frozen, your first step is to bring your car into the garage. As long as your garage is warm and dry, it will help the vehicle to warm up. It might take a few hours for the gas lines to adjust to the new temperature, but they will ultimately end up unfreezing. If you need to speed the process up, you can always turn on some electric or kerosene heaters in the garage. Face them toward the vehicle and allow up to an hour for the fuel lines to warm up completely. Add Gasoline When your car is running close to empty, it allows extra space in the fuel lines for water vapor to develop. If you think that your fuel tank may be running low, you can try adding a couple of gallons of gasoline to the tank. This can help warm up the average temperature inside the gas lines and can prevent it from freezing

Get Access