I wanted to pass along some recommendations for small engines. We’ve seen A LOT of varnished fuel in fuel tanks recently. And in addition to engines that will not start, sometimes this results in expensive repairs such as carburetors needing replacing (or rebuilding, and after you look at labor - replacement is normally cheaper and more reliable). I recommend using the following procedures for all your small engines, whether for the fire service or used around the home.
1) Buy Quality Fuel! It is said that fuel being produced today only stays good for about 90 days from the time it is produced at the refinery. And with most fuel stations, the fuel is already about 60 days old by the time it is pumped into the fuel can, so you have 30 days before it goes bad, and “the clock is ticking”. And also, if you buy fuel from the discount guy…and there are a couple of chains that are known for being cheap, supposedly they get better deals buying already expired fuel (i.e. 120 day old fuel). This might be somewhat acceptable for an automobile, but for small engines - not a good idea!
2) Use Ethanol-Free fuel. It is available in many cities throughout the USA & Canada. Here is a link to a website that shows where Ethanol Free fuel is available: http://pure-gas.org/. Use Ethanol-Free fuel if possible. Ethanol has some very strong negatives, including that it attracts moisture… Ethanol is supposed to be a major reason that fuel nowdays goes bad so rapidly. If you live in one of the states or provinces where Ethanol-Free fuel is not available, it may be worth investigating racing fuel…but no need if you can get good Ethanol-Free fuel.
3) Stabilize Fuel IMMEDIATELY. Don’t wait until fuel is bad to think about stabilizing it, do it immediately after purchasing it. I would recommend using Sea Foam to stabilize your fuel, as it is supposed to have additional advantages in addition to stabilizing your fuel, such as cleaning the fuel, ability to chemically isolate moisture to make it less harmful to the engine, etc.
