11/17/2024
Two quick pieces of advice about fuels. Ethanol enriched gasoline (up to 10% alcohol) slowly absorbs water all the time but a little faster when humid. That is a reason it is worse here along the gulf coast to leave gasoline in vehicles or equipment over long periods. In the fall, as the weather cools, dropping temperature of your gasoline, allows it to hold less moisture in solution and can start to separate. This is bad for all internal combustion engines but more serious in 2 cycle engines with oil pre-mixed in gasoline. When the water/alcohol separates, the oil remains in the gasoline layer above. Bottom layer will usually be mostly alcohol and water with a small percentage of gasoline. The alcohol mixture provides less lubrication and can cause engine damage and can be corrosive to some metals. You can check whether your fuel might be at risk by
draining some from fuel line or from tank into a glass jar. Put the sealed jar in a pan of ice and let sit undisturbed for several hours.
If water content is high you will notice a small layer of separated liquid at bottom. PHOTO- drop of methylene blue added to enhance visibility.
Those of you with diesel equipment might get concerned by hazy fuel and hydraulic fluids in fall and winter. Petroleum products don't hold much water in solution. During warm weather fuels and l***s with low additive concentrations can contain over a hundred PPM water and remain clear. As the weather cools your diesel and hydraulic fluids (even new oils in drums and storage tanks) often become hazy. In cold climates that could mean wax is forming in
oils but in South Louisiana that is seldom the case. Hazy fuel is unlikely to be a serious problem but draining a small amount from coalescer/water separator, in fuel system, suggested to make certain more than typical trace amounts aren't being collected.
