Article Courtesy: Gold Eagle

With Spring right around the corner, concession track and FEC owners will be bringing out the equipment soon preparing it for the season. Old fuel stored in the fuel tanks and in storage containers should not be used… and here’s why.

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.

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, line 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 a solution.

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 equipment is being used. In other words, stored fuel needs to be treated with a fuel stabilizer such as Sta-bil.