Don’t Use Pump Gasoline as Emergency Fuel in Your Small Engine Power Equipment
You must have access to high-quality emergency fuel when dealing with unexpected disasters or events. You need to know that your portable equipment will start and run at peak performance in these situations. Whether it’s a portable generator, water pump, chainsaw, or Powersports vehicle, you need it to work; there’s no time to waste.
As a matter of fact, many people don’t realize that pump gasoline destroys fuel system components inside most outdoor power equipment. Power equipment is more likely not to work right when stored with pump gas in the tank.
Why is pump gas harmful to small engine power equipment? In a word, ethanol. Ethanol is an oxygenate additive blended with pump gas. Here are four key reasons ethanol is bad for small engines:
- Firstly, they design ethanol-blended fuels for cars, not small 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines.
- Secondly, ethanol absorbs water as it sits in the gas tank of a generator, chainsaw, or other similar equipment.
- Thirdly, water promotes corrosion, which is terrible for a hard-working small engine.
- Fourthly, ethanol is a solvent that dissolves plastic and rubber over time. Manufacturers of small engine power equipment make fuel lines, fittings, and carburetor parts out of rubber and plastic.
For instance, E10 gas (10% ethanol) absorbs up to 50 times more water than standard gasoline.