Hi, I'm a newbie - I cut grass at home, and sometimes, due to unforeseen events, have to leave it uncut for several weeks. It seems this ethanol mix condenses, or the ethanal evaporates, and the resulting water does not mix with gasoline, and there's no way that I know of to filter the gasoline to get water out. Someone told me, years ago, that I could use some kind of fabric or skin, to filter the gas. Can anyone help here? And if there is such a filter 'fabric,' where would I find it? Thanks for any help.
If the ethanol does evaporate and become water, you can add some gas line antifreeze to the gasoline. It basically is alcohol and mixes readily with the water and then the gasoline so it will burn properly. Old gas does cause lawnmowers and other garden tools to run rough. I recommend that you put it in your automotive gas tank and buy fresh gas. Another thing you might do is buy some STA-BIL and add the proper amount to your gasoline can the next time you buy a fresh gasoline. It prolongs the life of the gasoline that is stored. Below is a link to a site about this product.
when you cut the grass, be observent as to how much gas you use. then from week to week. only put in that amount of gas. this serves two purposes. 1 is that you won't have extra gas in the mower and 2 if your mower starts using excess gas, you will know its time for a little maintaince. have fun cutten that grass
Posts: 1546 | Location: i i live in southern mississippi | Registered: Jun 01, 2008
Actually ethanol does not evaporate and become water but water easily dissolves in ethanol so when the ethanol evaporates the dissolved water is left behind. The evaporating ethanol actually pollutes the atmosphere more than the MBTE which used to be added to gasoline which ethanol replaced to reduce pollution. The dissolved water and ethanol significantly reduces engine performance. That's just a small part of the ethanol lie the government promotes but that's another story.
At any rate there are filters available to separate the water ethanol leaves behind. Here's one. They are available at many marine supply stores because boaters also must buy ethanol blended gasoline and some use their boats infrequently leaving water in the gas tanks.
Alternatively you could buy a bottle of Dri-Gas or Dri-Fuel at most auto supply stores which dissolves the water back into solution. Those are some brand names for the gas line anti freeze simply me suggested. Guess what? They nothing but ethanol.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Simpilot,
Posts: 1403 | Location: Fenton, Mo USA | Registered: Feb 18, 2004
way back in the old days, when you hand-cranked your cars, gasoline was filtered to remove water with a chamois.
you had a lot more service stations burn down then, too, from all the gas fumes.
if you've got half gas and half water, nothing is going to help you, take it in the safety can to the recycling or hazmat center.
if it's "burp gas" and you can't get your small motor to run on it after starting, flip a bottle of gas drier (isopropyl alcohol) and pour it in the car's tank. small engine makers like B&S say the number one engine problem is old gas with the volatile fractions evaporated, or waterlogged ethanol.
when you refill the small tank, use a fuel stabilizer like StaBil in there according to the directions.
you shouldn't try to store unstabilized ethanol longer than a month. it gets funky.
sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
