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| What
Happens to Fuel When it is Stored? |
Any
fuel, be it gasoline, diesel, or heating fuel, is made up of many different
organic compounds. These organic compounds are constantly changing over time
becoming new compounds that change the characteristics of fuel. The same molecules
that make up the best parts of gasoline can react with oxygen and other elements
in the environment and form new molecules that build up to form gummy residues
or varnish-like films that can clog up passages in fuel lines, carburetors,
and injectors.
Some
fuels are treated with oxidation inhibitors to allow them to be stored for
up to 3 months without generating excessive deposits. Other fuels have no inhibitors
at all. In any case, storage of equipment requires some special consideration
for the fuel system.
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| Why
Can't These Problems be Avoided by Draining Fuel? |
One
way to avoid most of these deposits is to completely drain the fuel tank and
fuel lines. This procedure poses a number of problems. First, it is virtually
impossible to get every drop of fuel out of the system by simply draining.
In order to remove all fuel, lines must be blown out and dried, or enough fuel
will remain to cause problems. Second, draining the fuel exposes the bare metal
in the tank and fuel system to air and moisture which, together, can result
in the formation of rust and corrosion and which can allow gaskets to dry out,
crack and shrink, leading to fuel leaks when the system is refilled. Third,
drained fuel is a fire and safety hazard and represents an environmental problem.
Properly disposing of this fuel is difficult. For these reasons, draining is
not the solution.
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| Does
Fuel Stored in a Tank or Can Cause Problems? |
Fuel
stored in cans or tanks will also oxidize with many of the "bad acting" unstable
molecules remaining in the solution. Using this fuel next season, greatly increases
the likelihood that deposits will form in fuel systems while the equipment
is used. In other words, stored fuel needs treatment too.
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| What
Does STA-BIL Do? |
STA-BIL
is a blend of scientific additives all of which act together to prevent fuel
from undergoing degradation and oxidation during prolonged storage. STA-BIL
acts as a protective wrapper around fuel molecules so they cannot combine with
oxygen or other molecules to form new "bad actor" molecules. The "sweetened"
fuel will perform its job thereafter as though it had just been freshly pumped
into the fuel tank straight from the refinery pipeline.
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| How
Well Does STA-BIL Work? |
Better
than you can imagine. On average, STA-BIL improves gasoline life 5 times. The
average gasoline is extended from 3 months oxidation life without STA-BIL to
15 months with STA-BIL. Compared to any other products pretending to extend
fuel life, STA-BIL is 4 to 9 times more effective according to accepted standard
fuel stability tests IASTM D5251.
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| What
Kind of Engines Need STA-BIL? |
Any
engine stored for 90 days or more needs STA-BIL. This includes all 2-cycle
or 4-cycle engines used in lawnmowers, marine engines (inboard and outboard,
snow-throwers, motorcycles, chain saws, recreation vehicles, snowmobiles, generators,
pumps, golf carts, automobiles, trucks, garden tillers, lawn edgers, garden
tractors, farm equipment, mini- bikes, motorscooters, you name it. If it has
an engine and is stored for a season or more, it needs STA-BIL.
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| Is
STA-BIL Hard to Use? |
It's
simple. Just add STA-BIL to the fuel according to the recommended dosage on
the package. (Measuring is easy based on the number of squeezes through the
measuring cap. Agitate the fuel tank if possible, then start and run the engine
for 5 minutes or more. After that, simply shut off the engine and store the
equipment away. Next season, the engine will start easily and run smoothly.
|
The
Gold Eagle Company, makers of STA-BIL®, HEET® gas line antifreeze, LEAK STOPPERS
for all automotive fluids, QUANTUM® additives and over 90 other products now
has a catalog! If you want more information, contact us at 1-800-621-1251.
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