Generator Fuel

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  • thiggy
    Established Member
    • Sep 2003
    • 229
    • Alabama.
    • Craftsman Contractor

    Generator Fuel

    My portable emergency generator has about 5 gal of gas in it's 9 gal. tank, and I am uncertain how to best prepare it for the next time of use. Whenever I shut the engine down, I close the valve and run the carburetor out of fuel. I am undecided which is the best method of storage for the generator. Should I add the appropriate mixture of Stabil and top the tank off? Should I just add enough Stabil for the current 5 gal of gas? Should I drain all the fuel from the tank and just add fresh gas the next time I need the generator? If I leave gas in the tank, I would crank the generator and let it run for a few minutes every month or so.
    SOW YOUR WILD OATS ON SATURDAY NIGHT - - - THEN ON SUNDAY PRAY FOR CROP FAILURE!
  • Black wallnut
    cycling to health
    • Jan 2003
    • 4715
    • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
    • BT3k 1999

    #2
    If it were me, I'd fill the tank with gas mixed with the correct amount of stabil. Monthly run it for 5 minutes. I do not have problems with old gas in my chain saw, string trimmer, or lawn tractor but then I do not depend on them to start when the SHTF! I think modern blends of gas are mor stable and have less varnish than old formulas did, could be wrong and YMMV.
    Donate to my Tour de Cure


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    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      Originally posted by thiggy
      My portable emergency generator has about 5 gal of gas in it's 9 gal. tank, and I am uncertain how to best prepare it for the next time of use. Whenever I shut the engine down, I close the valve and run the carburetor out of fuel. I am undecided which is the best method of storage for the generator. Should I add the appropriate mixture of Stabil and top the tank off? Should I just add enough Stabil for the current 5 gal of gas? Should I drain all the fuel from the tank and just add fresh gas the next time I need the generator? If I leave gas in the tank, I would crank the generator and let it run for a few minutes every month or so.
      I would be interested in others opinion on this also. With most gas becoming approximately 10% ethanol, that changes how the carb works, evaporation and caustic effect. Some small engines are changing the carbs to handle this. I have a chainsaw and noticed online where they have a different carb available for the transition to ethanol. It seems that ethanol gums up more when it is setting up for a period of time. There is a recommendation for all gas to be used within 90 days. Of course this is a waste in some cases as seasonal uses determines the rate of use. And besides, where do you return unused gas that is old?

      I agree that you should switch the gas off and run the carb dry. On my seldom used gas engines, I pour the gas out of the tank back into my gas can and then run the engine until the fuel line and carb is empty.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • dbhost
        Slow and steady
        • Apr 2008
        • 9209
        • League City, Texas
        • Ryobi BT3100

        #4
        For any small engine, I do...

        #1. Gas in the can, gets Sta-Bil as it is put in the can.
        #2. Upon stopping using the machine, since I run them less than once a week, I drain the fuel from the tank, and run the carb out of gas.

        I have been doing it this way for decades no problem. The only problem I had was 2 years ago, I forgot to use Sta-Bil, and didn't drain the mower at the end of the season. Last spring was an olympic effort of carb cleaner, and Sea Foam engine treatment to get the carb to play nice. Shortly afterward I hit a root / stump with the blade and bent not only the blade, but the crankshaft. It was new mower time, and back fill soil time to boot! I actually miss my old Craftsman mower. That sucker worked really well!
        Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

        Comment

        • toolguy1000
          Veteran Member
          • Mar 2009
          • 1142
          • westchester cnty, ny

          #5
          i never use stabilizer or run gas powered tools dry and never have a problem starting lawnmowers, line trimmers, push blowers, back pack blowers, snow throwers and generators. i know all about the use of stabilizer and stale gas, but i forgot to do it several years ago and suffered no ill effects. so i just kept doing what i've been doing for the last 8 years.
          there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

          Comment

          • RAV2
            Established Member
            • Aug 2007
            • 233
            • Massachusetts
            • 21829

            #6
            You seem too worried about the amount of Stabil. A double shot is even better (check the literature - I think it gives you twice the storage life). You do not have to be too precise. More can be better.

            I do double Stabil and Seafoam. Seems to work.

            I also store gas and have successfully rotated it out into my car after 2 years.

            Run the carb dry, top off the tank, run the unit every couple of months, keep a book near the generator for logging in your use times, run a 1500 watt space heater on it for 10 minutes when you do your periodic runs if possible (I don't always do this - only when I have time), do a drill once in a while and put your house on the generator and make sure all is well, place a box of mothballs under the generator (hopefully keeps out rodents), screen any opening to the air filter, keep a backup spark plug/oil filter, keep an extra low-oil-sensor (these seem to go upon occasion) and know how to bypass it if it fails and you do not have a replacement, keep extra oil at the generator and use synthetic (5W-30 syn is good for -22f to 104f per Techumseh).

            Comment

            • L. D. Jeffries
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2005
              • 747
              • Russell, NY, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000

              #7
              The best solution I could find is to convert gen. to use propane. Think about it=5 gals. of gas is like storing a case of dynamite! plus, most gens. use plastic tanks; mine sprung a leak at the fitting at the bottom that feeds the card. Fixed that and then a couple of years later it started leaking at the seam between the top and bottom halves. Thats when I converted it to propane..no carb gumming, no fuel degrading, no additive needed. Runs cleaner, started easier and no worries about fuel. An outfit in West Va. sells the needed stuff.
              RuffSawn
              Nothin' smells better than fresh sawdust!

              Comment

              • jaybee
                Established Member
                • Feb 2006
                • 157
                • Regina, SK, Canada
                • BT3100-1

                #8
                Around here the solution is to convert to natural gas. No tank to blow up. We converted to a natural gas grill for doing steaks and burgers years ago. If the gas gives out - time to head for the hills anyway.

                Comment

                • toolguy1000
                  Veteran Member
                  • Mar 2009
                  • 1142
                  • westchester cnty, ny

                  #9
                  for jaybee and ld jeffries... what after market conversion kits did you use for your respective non-gasoline retro fits? i've been thinking about this for a while and even have a natural gas take off ready to supply the needed gas. is there any difference in starting/operating the portable generator under natural or propane fuels. i've had a natural gas grill for outdoor cooking in a previoius home and it's great not having to think about the fuel left in a propane tank. thanks.
                  there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

                  Comment

                  • jaybee
                    Established Member
                    • Feb 2006
                    • 157
                    • Regina, SK, Canada
                    • BT3100-1

                    #10
                    I found that a term to use when looking for info is "tri-fuel". The following is a not too bad article:



                    And, I never said that I had an emergency generator of my own. Just commenting that around here the emergency generators at work are natural gas powered. If I were to get my own, I would make sure that I could connect to the outlet that I run my natural gas grill from. The day I gave away the propane grill, was the last day I ran out of gas when cooking.

                    Comment

                    • RAV2
                      Established Member
                      • Aug 2007
                      • 233
                      • Massachusetts
                      • 21829

                      #11
                      I converted to Tri-fuel from PropaneGenerators.com

                      Fuel your gasoline generator with propane or natural gas using easy do-it-yourself change over kits - Propane Generators.


                      Mine is Natural Gas and gasoline primarily.

                      Since I have a vacation home and need the generator to be portable, I have my set up that I can run on gas or NG at my primary home and use gas at the 2nd home.

                      I have found starting on NG is more difficult so I start on gasoline, let it warm up a little, then shut the gasoline valve. I listen to the motor and when it begins to stall, I open up the NG valve. Once stabilized, I add the load.

                      This has worked well for several years.

                      Comment

                      • L. D. Jeffries
                        Senior Member
                        • Dec 2005
                        • 747
                        • Russell, NY, USA.
                        • Ryobi BT3000

                        #12
                        Can't comment on the NG idea since I live in a rural area without NG lines anywhere near. I will look up the company that did the conversion for me and post it later. The reason behind the whole idea was that with gasoline; if the power is out the gas station probably will be down as well! This is just suspender's and a belt!!
                        RuffSawn
                        Nothin' smells better than fresh sawdust!

                        Comment

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