Generator - Gas or Not

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I burned off the remaining gas in my gen which had seafoam in it.

What do you do with your gen when storing it.

Should I get gas can and add some seafoam or leave it dry like I have it?
I like to fire it up every few months for 30 mins.

I curious about how long it takes for gas to 'go bad'. I could get some and just add it to the car if not being used.
 
I run my generator about 15 minutes every 3 months or so. I use stabil and 1oz of tcw3 to 5gallons of fuel ( 640:1).

I am not a fan of seafoam in fuel, i don't use it, especially for fuel that sits for long.

If you can, get ethanol free fuel, and definitely don't add seafoam to that.
 
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Originally Posted by atikovi
When a new carb on Ebay is $10, doesn't really matter. I have a 10 year old Chinese model and don't even think about it.


It matters if the lights are out and the food's going bad in the freezer.

Stabilizing fuel still leads to rust in my carb bowls somehow. Thinking of finishing a tank with a little 2-stroke oil, to coat everything.

My generator also takes propane, so when I exercise it, I start it on gasoline then switch over. Running it on propane sucks every last drop of gasoline out of the carb.

Leaving the fuel on and carb full makes my garage stink of gas.
 
I store all my gas powered generators with VP Fuels C9. It lasts forever and can be stored in the generator. Sunoco makes a very similar fuel called Optima.

Both can be found at automotive race shops.
 
I have no choice but to run 10% alcohol gas in anything I own, here in Jersey. So what I do is every time I fill the gas can, I pre- treat it with some Gumout type cleaner and some MMO. I use that gas in my mower,snowblower, generator, and to fill the smaller can for the 2 cycle wacker and blower I have. 1 5 gal can usually lasts 6-7 months. Never any starting issues in the spring or during the summer. I too, start the generator a few times every few months just to be sure it runs and makes power. Been doing this for a few years now with 0 issues.,,,
 
Originally Posted by coopns
I burned off the remaining gas in my gen which had seafoam in it.

What do you do with your gen when storing it.

Should I get gas can and add some seafoam or leave it dry like I have it?
I like to fire it up every few months for 30 mins.

I curious about how long it takes for gas to 'go bad'. I could get some and just add it to the car if not being used.



I have the same concern - but I just ran 3 year old E10 in my generac a month ago and it started and ran well.

I put about 1 oz of 30 non-detergent monograde top oil and some "rose" colored stabil.

NP yet.

I think seafoam is "wallet lightening" internet promoted garbage and mainly kerosene and alcohol - isnt it?
 
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You can get cheap plastic in line shut off valves on Ebay for a few 💸 each by the 5 pack. Use that to always drain the carb after using. I use that as the shut off on my gear.
For longevity you can get 100 LL Avgas at the local airport. It costs Quite a bit more but definitely won't wreck your carb like alcohol gas . They should fill 6 gallon cans at a small airport. Many are self service nowdays just carry over your cans and fill them . Leave the car outside the fence and nobody( except maybe Gretta🤬) will care. That will last for at least 5 years in a closed can.
 
buddy's mom has a rather nice Honda unit at her off grid "shouse" near me(she lives in Alaska)... well, its more like a 2 car garage w/ a tiny studio on the front...so...StuRage?... any way,last it was used, the son just ran it until it ran out of fuel before putting it away.
me, being the type I am, looked up the manual, and what it says to do for storage.
for 3 months or longer, it says turn off the fuel supply, drain the float bowl, and FILL the tank FULL. so I did those things. filled it with sta-bil treated E0 91 octane. then refilled the gas can.

...that reminds me.. i wanted to change the oil in it too, and the manual says to run it for 30 min once a month or so to keep the battery charged... haven't done either of those yet...
 
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Seafoam is the only thing I have found that works well to stabilize gasoline. I used to have trouble on ATV carbs if the ATV sat longer than 3 months. I d take the carbs off and they were full of white scum. I started using Seafoam and equipment sits for years and fires Right up.
I use E10 Ethanol gas with Seafoam ( 1 once to a gallon) and Marvel Mystery oil ( 1 once to a gallon) in my fuel and have had 0 problems since. I may start buying non ethanol because it has become more available but I will not knock Seafoam.
It works.
 
I used to just store it with gas treated with Stabil, running it every three months. Now I use Ethanol free fuel, exercise it with a bit of fuel, but also run it dry when I can. I purchased a battery powered transfer pump at Harbor Freight that makes it easy to remove unused gas.
 
Originally Posted by Maddog3355
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UvS_D4_lF5U

This guy says fuel stabilizer doesn't help ethanol.
I think you are misinterpreting his conclusions. If you fast forward to 5:34 you will see that he clearly concludes that fuel stabilizer DOES help prevent corrosion of aluminum parts when using E10 gas. At that same point in the video he also concludes that it DOES NOT help when using E85 gas. At the very end of the video he goes on to conclude that fuel stabilizer will not maintain either E10 or E85 as a useful fuel after 9-12 months. The obvious takeaways from this video are
  • Use E0 fuel if you can get it
  • Treat E10 fuel if you can't get E0
  • Don't ever use E85 fuel
  • Don't expect fuel treatment to make your fuel last 9 months
 
Originally Posted by MrMoody
Leaving it dry is effective and costs nothing.


Yep, I run mine most every month. I put a load on it as well. I take the load off and close the fuel petcock and let it burn all the fuel in the carb.

I've had my generator for about 14-15 years now doing it this way.
 
Originally Posted by Astro_Guy

Don't expect fuel treatment to make your fuel last 9 months



Then why use them? You're going to store a snowblower from the end of March to December or a cultivator from September to April.
 
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