protocol if flashlight falls into gas tank?

my boat has 2 gas tanks with 40mm fill hole. sometimes I fill or check level at night. today I dropped my aaa light, it didn't go in but there is always next time. so. does anyone have a sensible protocol for what to do in the unlikely event it ever does. if it makes a difference its always an eneloop in the light.

wasn't sure where to post, its a bit of a different topic, not even sure if I am allowed to ask it at all.


cheers - wax

if you're concerned with the likeliehood of an explosion it is very small, there's not enough air in there to initiate the reaction. Gasoline is a solvent, so it will slowly eat away the O-rings, and enter into the flashlight and start dissolving everything else. Not sure what will happen to the battery, but likely will remain an aluminum hunk on the bottom of the tank along with all sorts of other sediments and a little entrenched water. Unless there's something ferric about your light fishing with a magnet won't work.

Not sure how the tank sits in the tub, but in a vehicle one could always purge it out, then unbolt it from the fuel pump and reach in from there with an appropriate tool. Though that seems going a little extreme to recover something that likely should never fall in in the first place. Why not use a headlamp?

If its an AAA light, run a dog tag chain over it and wear it on your neck, if you had to use both hands in a hurry the light won't go anywhere.

thx for your input. lots of questions - run , let it go flat before retrieving , does it have to be retrieved at all , where to procure a replacement ti2 ? its not a topic for me to be guessing about.

I think its extremely unlikely to ever happen now that I have had the wake up call, but its 100 litres of gasoline, with which familiarity leads to lack of respect. just want to follow the book on this one.

Going with what Illum said, the first step in the protocol should be to prevent the light (or anything else for that matter) from falling into the opening. If you don't want to use a headlamp, a wrist lanyard should do the trick. I'm not familiar with enough with boat tanks to have any idea about how to get something out of them.

A lanyard is order of the day I think, will not be checking my motor cycle tank again without it around my neck.

I have one of those flexible claw pincher picker upper things. I used it to retrieve a dead June Bug from the fuel tank on my lawn mower. I forgot the end had a small led light that comes on when you open it up. It works in the fuel. Quite handy, albeit dangerous. LOL I forgot it had the light until it came on. But I am still here so all good.

First, I agree with what has been said so far. Boats are always subject to sudden movements and a Lanyard should be an absolute. If the light had sentimental value, or you were overly concerned about leaving it in the tank despite assurances of the low probability of any explosion or untoward effect, most auto parts stores sell a 24"-36" "claw" tool that is comprised of four pieces of springy metal that open when the handle is pushed and the claw then contracts to catch the item(flashlight), or perhaps easier, a lanyard (yes, even with precautions the light & lanyard could both end up in their if you are knocked off balance by a wave...Caveat: tank should be mostly full if you try this retrieval method, the risk of explosion is greatest when there is the highest amount of gas vapor, such as an almost empty tank. There have been times I have needed to retrieve items from small places under water, and I have a claw tool that has an attached light and guides for my flexible camera to be able to accomplish such a retrieval in just a couple of minutes. Just to overstate what my colleagues have said: prevention and not ending up needing to retrieve the light is the best course of action.


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I'd suggest getting a screen filler neck insert which should have already been there. Also verify if the ground wire is still attached to the tank (s).

My military 10K diesel has one as well as my Honda EU2000i portable generator.

Just like the screens required on marine starters and alternators, it keeps any sparking from ocurring.

NNA, Oh I have used a Honda EU2000i sweet unit there! The Honda comes factory with a filter. They are expensive, but worth the investment.

I suppose there is always the option to stick the tank. I had more than one boat that we used to do that.

Make sure using a steel light so can use magnet I guess. Sucks, but might have to drain the tank, not worth the spark risk. Just use a screen, or siphon prevention device that will catch whatever goes in.

Vortus said:

Make sure using a steel light so can use magnet I guess. Sucks, but might have to drain the tank, not worth the spark risk. Just use a screen, or siphon prevention device that will catch whatever goes in.

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Yeah... or just use a bigger light. Ever see any of those 6V ever-ready lanterns? If that could fall in, you could reach in with your hand and grab it.

Vortus said:

Make sure using a steel light so can use magnet I guess. Sucks, but might have to drain the tank, not worth the spark risk. Just use a screen, or siphon prevention device that will catch whatever goes in.

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Good luck finding that, though. Every "steel" light I have seen is stainless...and stainless steel doesn't attract a magnet either, at least not well enough to be useful. Make sure it doesn't happen...an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure, y'know.

thanks for all the input .
initially I thought the filler screen but that would just catch and hold the light right in the fumes.

my decision at this stage is 'do not use a flashlight when filling a gas tank' , super conservative I know but along the lines of 'turn off the car engine when filling a gas tank' and 'do not use cell phone while filling a gas tank'. (I have never been sure if the latter was for ignition danger or just to stop you getting distracted).

thoughts I had are - a flashlight with orings probably wont let gas vapour flow readily.

- it would seem an ignition spark is more likely when turning the light on or off , but twisty lights often turn off and on when impacting during a fall.

- I have no knowledge of what danger there is in a submerged active flashlight.

- replacing a damaged thrunite Ti2 could prove problematic. as with most things that I find that I like - 'they' stop production.

cheers - bee

It's probably a good idea to use an ATEX intrinsically safe rated light for that job, Wolf and Peli do some decent ones.

Crazyeddiethefirst said:

Caveat: tank should be mostly full if you try this retrieval method, the risk of explosion is greatest when there is the highest amount of gas vapor, such as an almost empty tank.

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That reminds me, is the tank electrically floating or is it grounded somewhere. A car is grounded because of the chassis, a boat is fiberglass... so I don't know :thinking:

the boss may accept 'ATEX intrinsically safe' as a valid reason to purchase a new light . heres hoping . thanks valetudoguy.

Illum said:

That reminds me, is the tank electrically floating or is it grounded somewhere. A car is grounded because of the chassis, a boat is fiberglass... so I don't know :thinking:

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boat is aluminium, tank is aluminium, all grounded nicely .

beerwax said:

the boss may accept 'ATEX intrinsically safe' as a valid reason to purchase a new light . heres hoping . thanks valetudoguy.

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By "Boss" do you mean the Other half? Or the actual boss? Lol

Either way I hope you get to have a new toy!

Edit: I use a Wolf HT-400 head lamp at work and it's a no frills safe work light that's unlikely to drop and is pretty darn safe if it does.

Plus if it did drop it has a head band loop to hook it out with.

We go down sewers with ours and I have worked near to explosive gas enriched atmospheres with it in the safe knowledge of its safety rating.

The LED should be OK in fumes esp if only for a bit sitting on top of a screen, I've never had a problem as there's no "exposed spark" etc.

BTW - If there's a SUBMERGED spark for example, there's no explosion/fire, as there's no oxygen.

The gas WILL degrade the O-Rings and possibly adhesives in the light, etc. That sort of thing would happen on the outside from contact with the )-Rings/if the light leaked. If it leaks gasoline into the light, it tends not to do too much damage to the electronics per se, but, adhesives, things softened by solvents, etc, will be degraded. The dome of the LED can collapse onto the LED, or dissolve completely, etc....depending on the degree of saturation, etc.

If the light's seal is good, other than maybe pro-actively replacing the impacted O-rings, you'd be none the worse for wear typically.