Dan Dunn will be sharing tech tips for the home owner. Stay Tuned
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Tips for our Customers2 comments to Tips for our Customers |
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Should you leave gas in your snowblower for the season? What is the best way to store gas or empty it from your power equipment?
The No.1 failure of small engines is gasoline related.
Engine performance depends on the care given to gasoline.
Please read and follow our advice.
GASOLINE (FUEL)
The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) mandates cleaner burning engines. The E.P.A. regulates emission standards to the fuel and engine industries. Today’s gasoline is reformulated and oxygenated with ethenol to reduce hydrocarbon pollutants.
In as little as 30 days, gasoline begins turning into a corrosive and it’s flash point or combustion declines. Carburetors and engines are designed to run leaner. As a result, carburetor ports and jets are smaller and more susceptible to blockage.
Blockage occurs from fuel contamination (fine particles of debris and water) and from fuel that becomes corrosive and gummy in as little as 30 days. When a blockage occurs, the engine may not start or run well. A complete fuel system overhaul, including carburetor replacement, may be required to fix a problem. Repairs often exceed $100.00
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
1. Purchase no more than a 30-day supply of high octane gasoline .
2. Treat raw gas year round with HONDA STA-BIL stabilizer. Our Stihl 2 cycle mix contains stabilizers for longer life.
3. Never use dry gas or starting fluid (ether).
4. Fill fuel tank with new/fresh fuel.
5. Do not use a hose to wash equipment. Water pressure may cause water to creep past fuel cap threads and vents.
EQUIPMENT STORAGE
Safety first! Please follow local fire department code. We recommend the following:
1. Drain your tank.
2. Start the engine and run it dry.
DISPOSAL
If the gasoline in your outdoor power equipment is more than 90 days old, drain it out. Discard the old fuel properly or ask Dunn’s Equipment, Inc. to dispose it for a small fee.
WHAT IS IN THE GASOLINE?
Today’s gasoline is known as OXYGENATED or REFORMULATED FUEL.
It is blended with ethenol and/or oxygenates to meet E.P.A. clean air standards.
There are different “oxygenates” in gasoline. Most gasoline in the Northeast contains an Ethenol or M.T.B.E. blend.
1. M.T.B.E. (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) This blend is dominant in the Northeast.
2. ETHANOL (Ethyl or Grain alcohol) may be known as, “GASOHOL”.
3. METHANOL (Methyl or Wood Alcohol) DO NOT USE METHANOL!
DISCLAIMER Local fire department code must be followed first, the owner’s manual second, and our information third. Gasoline is highly explosive. Please, handle fuel with care and always follow local code. If you have questions, Dunn’s Equipment, Inc., will do our best to help you, our valued customer.
Understanding OCTANE in lay men’s terms.
Octane comes in several grades, 87, 89 and 92/93. All gasoline starts out at about 87 Octane. Prior to consumption, some of the gasoline is put aside to be treated with anti combustion additives. Once treated with additives, the fuel is given a higher number called premium gasoline. And so… Octane is a measurement of how resistant a fuel is to combustion.
The lower the octane, the more combustible the fuel. The higher the octane, the less combustible the fuel. Always follow the owner’s manual for fuel recommendations.