GasTapper has some detail on how to access (siphon) fuel with our access line on our home page. This blog offers some additional insights on how this is done and the problems you can run into. 

Issue 1
GasTapper learned over the years that lubricating the narrow access line and the larger outer guide tube can improve success substantially. We like to use white lithium grease. and alternative is WD-40 or similar. The grease is best asn the WD-40 tends to evaporate. This lubricant really helps reduce overall friction along the entire path helping you to overcome the actually blockage issue at the end of the tube so you can get to the gas or diesel fuel.
Reducing friction gives you the ability for greater control and options where you are hitting a rollover ball or a simple hard edge or flange (usually the biggest issue).

Issue 2
The hose continually lands in the same exact spot which is a simple edge or flange (sown in picture. This is at the bottom of the fuel neck and has a metal fence guard which is the source of the flange). If you can get past it, you would be in the fuel but no matter how much fishing and twisting you do, you land in the same spot, due to the nature of the fuel neck path.

​How we solved it:
Recently GasTapper was trying to siphon fuel from a 2015 SRT Dodge Challenger and we hit what appeared to be a hard insurmountable stop. Our historical experience had been that this car was accessible so what changed?
We pulled out the tunnel camera and went hunting for an answer. Sure enough, we were hitting a hard edge flange where rubber and metal connected in the neck. 
We solved the problem by first lubricating the GasTapper access line so we had greater maneuverability. Then I got to thinking about the hose tip and came up with a simple idea to avoid the flange. I put a bit of a bend or slight kink in the 1/4 inch fuel access line about 2 inches up from the tip or end. This causes the tip to avoid the flange when rotated just right. Bingo, we were in the fuel!

GasTapper has been in high demand for all stages of the hurricane season. The Siphon Pro and Siphon Pro XL are used for fuel transfer to equipment and generators or for draining collected water. The GasTapper Gravity models are being used for pulling fuel from vehicles to run generators. The 12V GasTapper Standard and 12V Max are being used to get fuel out of vehicles or gas stations that have lost power in order to power emergency vehicles and generators.
Our volume quadrupled over the past 6 weeks and we expect that to continue. Please order prior to the crisis as we have had several products go out of stock. We are working overtime building units and we wish everyone safety and planning during this destructive hurricane season.

Contact us at support@gentap.com for any questions for the fastest response.

We are kicking off several projects to demonstrate the use of GasTapper products. Our current project is a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 frame off restoration. Watch for pictures of our products in use to remove the coolant, transmission fluid and gasoline from the car as we prepare it for the frame off. We will also test our standard fuel pump as a replacement for the engine mounted pump. Here is a picture of the car prior to the bodies removal. Although it looks good, the frame is tired and needs some love. 

All of our products are made with hose manufactured in the USA. The reason for this is the level of quality control that goes into US hose. In order for vinyl hose to handle fuel without becoming discolored and rigid, the manufacturer must add chemical plasticizers to the hose.  If this is not done correctly the plasticizer will rapidly leach out of the hose and wind up in your fuel system as a plastic like film, clogging critical fuel systems. We could save quite a bit of money by using hose from China be we choose not to for the long term satisfaction of our customers. Keep in mind that plasticizers will all leach so we do our best to find a product that minimizes this.
One of the best practices we recommend to our customers is to flush our pump and siphon tools empty of gasoline by draining lines and back flushing with kerosene. Kerosene is a very fine and clean oil that is similar to diesel fuel. You can find it at any home improvement store. In some cases they sell it as reduced odor kerosene which we prefer. It does a great job as a preservative of fuel components. You can simply put the input line and the output line in the same container and flush it through saving it for re-use next time.
Yes, you can use diesel in place of kerosene. When buying kerosene be sure not to buy a kerosene substitute, it does not work well. 

                  Most late model cars can be accessed with the standard GASTAPPER access line and guide tube.  Sometimes people run into a situation where the standard technique isn’t successful.  A good example is the 2012 Nissan Sentra.  This model year has a longer filler neck than later models.  It follows a winding path to get to the gas tank.
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This would be a case where the guide tube isn’t needed.  The guide tube gives the ¼ inch hose increased rigidity to pop through any ball valves or butterfly valve.  According the repair manual to the Nissan Sentra, the filler-neck is not equipped with any valves between the gas cap and the fuel tank.  This would be a case where flexibility would be better than rigidity.  Let the ¼ inch hose go naked this time.  There is an increased risk of putting a kink in the hose, but the narrow filler-neck on the Sentra is narrow enough to limit the chance of a kink. 

Chuck - A GasTapper technical consultant with many years of experience emptying gas tanks for automotive dealerships.

GasTapper has been very popular for siphoning fuel from vehicles, especially cars. The volume of our transfer pumps are at a level that keeps up with the ability of our modern car siphon access line. The Pro and the Standard transfer pumps/siphons are also designed to be at a volume that keeps safety in mind. If the end of the output side were to come loose and start pumping fuel at high volume, the risks could be high. 
That said, we will introduce a higher volume unit in a larger case in late 2016 (November is our target) with some additional safety features. This unit will be designed for more of a direct fuel transfer application rather than siphoning gas out of modern cars. The target volume will be 1 gallon per minute. Our target price point for this fuel transfer pump kit will be $169.00. 

We will also introduce a higher volume general purpose squeeze bulb siphon in late October. This will also be useful for larger volume general purpose siphoning. Both products will be equipped with the Hose Man safety hose clip to help secure the input and output sides to the container or tank.

Both products will be available with the modern car adapter. Both will have built in stainless mesh screens on the input side so they will not require an inline fuel filter. These units are going to be ideal for larger volume applications like transferring fuel to and from a boat, tractor in the field and general refueling.

Watch for these new products. If you would like early release information please contact us at support@gentap.com with subject: GasTapper XL line.

GasTapper and our sister product Cooler Shock were written up in a 2 page article in S.W.A.T. magazine. The gist of the article was about the things you need in the early days of a disaster. The article was written by Richard Duarte, author of "Surviving An Urban Disaster" and "Surviving Doomsday". Richard pointed out the need for fuel and the fact that it may be all around you but potentially inaccessible without having a tool for that purpose.
One can assume that in the first few days or weeks of a disaster the population may still be civil and would need to get gas out of vehicles without punching holes in the tanks. You have to also consider that many disasters can be short term such as fire or power outages. GasTapper is a great tool to be confident that you can keep your equipment running during these times.
Richard also mentioned our sister product, Cooler Shock, a high energy ice pack that can keep food fresh for days when your refrigerator isn't functioning.
To learn more about Cooler Shock please go to CoolerShock.com.
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​You can buy Richard's books on Amazon.The S.W.A.T article will be posted on our website in a few months. 

It's time to break out the quads, ATV's and lawn gear. The easiest way to get that old gas and oil out is with our GT Power Equipment. It comes with a simple 14 inch semi-rigid 5/16 dip tube to access those oil ports and gas tanks. Warm the oil and insert the tube and give it a few squeezes. Now add the new oil. Insert it in the fuel tank and give a few more squeezes. Add new gas, you're done. No need to flip the lawnmower on it's side or run that miserable old oil for one more season.

Keep a Power Equipment unit on hand for emergency gas transfer when you're out riding you're off road vehicles. One of the group will always be a little shy on gas.

Okay so here is our take on this subject...
I enjoy a stroll in a retail store as much as the next person. The challenge is finding the specific item you want and then finding it to be well made. This is where retail seems to be falling down on the job. More and more retail is focused on  price and the broadest market opportunity which almost always means that quality and choice suffers. 

Most of our customers are seasoned garage guys (or gals) and are not interested in $4 dollar toy siphons that look like they are intended to remove baby snot. The same is true for many of the low end solutions that retailers offer as it relates to specialty needs.
The internet has a very unique ability to find exactly what your'e looking for the first time and typically get it with less overall effort and time spent. If you can wait 2-3 days it just shows up at your door. 
We've also found that retail has a substantial lag time in getting new and innovative products into the stores.
I hope that the retailers recognize at some point that customers will pay more for a tool they can count on and be proud of. I see some hope in the retailers that we deal with but in the mean time the internet is going to continue to fill the gap. Oh sure, we will still travel to the retailer to kill some time and pick up our general need products but when we want the the exact thing, we will be hitting the keyboard.
The good news is that your internet shopping affords us the opportunity to make an affordable quality product for you.

Our 2 cents. Thanks for reading.

Greetings! Hope your 2016 is going well. We wanted to do a quick blog on using the 12V GasTappers with house current. Many customers over the years have requested a 110V model. We've also talked to several customers who have tried different 110V to 12V converters on GasTapper and have experienced difficulty. The challenge has been that both GasTapper 12V models have electronics in the pumps and they are sensitive to having good clean current. Often you don't get that from cheap current converters.
​Well we've finally found and affordable option to get this job done. It's been added to the GasTapper store and is reasonably priced at 24.95. We have a limited number in stock so consider picking one up. If they end up being a popular item we will increase stock. Thanks for taking the time to read our posts!