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Keep fuel fresh all year
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We’re reminded of bad fuel when we bring a snowblower out of storage and get a whiff of that foul stench in the fuel tank. The gasoline has turned to varnish. We face some serious chores: rebuilding the carburetor, replacing the fuel lines and filter, and flushing gunk from the tank.
But foul fuel is really a year-round problem. Summer’s hot, and humid weather can play heck with the diesel fuel and gasoline used by everything in the fleet.
The headaches are avoidable with a little preventive maintenance. Consider adding fuel stabilizer to all your fuel supplies. The extra money spent for the additives is returned by improved engine performance and reduced repair time.
All liquid fuels, gasoline and diesel, go bad over time simply from evaporation that depletes the lighter, more volatile elements in the liquid. Humidity from the air can lead to water in the fuel. Water droplets settle to the bottom of carburetor bowls and fuel tanks. A few drops of water can make the engine stumble. Too much water shuts it down.
In diesel fuel, water in the fuel makes a mess. Fuel injection pumps can be destroyed by water corroding the precisely fitted plungers. In extra-humid coastal regions, micro-organisms can actually grow in the fuel, producing a slime that clogs fuel tanks and filters. It’s a messy repair job.
The photo shows two common stabilizer brands designed for gasoline to help limit deterioration due to evaporation. In warm weather, the fuel works better. As a bonus, you’ll know that equipment used infrequently will have a stable fuel system when that machine is needed — usually in a hurry.
Diesel fuel stabilizers come in a wider range of styles, blended for hot and cold weather and specifically to fight fungus and other fuel-fouling pests.
When you add stabilizer to any fuel, you want it to be well-mixed into the fuel. The best bet is to add stabilizer to your fuel storage tanks before you fill up, so the incoming fuel whirls and swirls and thoroughly distributes the stabilizer.
In larger storage tanks, it’s also good preventive maintenance to occasionally use a suction hose or siphon to draw the water and crud out of the bottom of the tank. Don’t blame your fuel supplier when you pull a few gallons of foul water out of the tank. It’s an unavoidable problem in most of the country, but preventable with the right additives and a little extra work.
A new line of wire mesh containers are ideal for high density, bulk storage applications, its manufacturer, Lyon Workspace Products LLC, says. Notched legs interlock for positive stacking and also accommodate forklift or pallet rack entry. A front drop gate ensures easy access to contents when stacked, and a zinc-plated, wire mesh design allows for easy visual inventory of stored contents. Containers are designed to set up in seconds and fold down for storage while not in use. Three standard models hold up to 4,000 pounds each and can be stacked four units high, yielding 16,000 pounds of capacity in a small area. A junior-size model can be stacked three units high with a capacity of 1,000 pounds per container. Contact Lyon Workspace Products LLC, 800-323-0096 (www.lyonworkspace.com). |
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