Fuel Canisters
As has been noted more than once, gasoline garden equipment is more productive, powerful, efficient, and is not tied to electrical networks. At the same time, it continues to be the most expensive equipment requiring additional care. Mototechnics equipped with two-stroke gasoline engines certainly wins in the price-quality ratio in the line of garden equipment equipped with gasoline engines. One major inconvenience remains. this is a mixed lubrication system, so you need to prepare in advance mixture of gasoline with oil.
It seems that they estimated the amount of work, calculated it in advance, so as not to be distracted during the garden work, prepared the necessary amount of the mixture, but here either the weather failed, or circumstances changed. How to and for how long store fuel mixture for two-stroke engines, so as not to render expensive equipment worthless.
According to official recommendations of manufacturers of fuel oil for two-stroke engines with a mixed lubrication system, the shelf life of the fuel mixture is 14 days. At least such a guarantee is indicated by manufacturers of gardening oils Liqui Moly, Husqvarna, Motul and many others on the packaging of their products.
Arguments in favor of a long storage of the fuel mixture.
There are a lot of examples on the Internet resources about at least six-month storage of fuel in the tanks of motor vehicles, and its trouble-free operation in the future.
On these facts is the opinion that information on a limited shelf life is the “name” of manufacturers, to increase sales of their own products. Half a month has passed, drain the fuel and prepare a new one.
During long-term storage of the fuel mixture, it is enough to shake the container with it several times to restore its characteristics.
Why the fuel mixture can not be stored for a long time.
With the fact that the shelf life of finished fuel for 2-stroke engines by manufacturers is slightly underestimated, I agree. But not by malice. Just determining the expiration date, they come from the most adverse storage conditions.
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In developed countries, much attention is paid to preserving the environment, and manufacturers create such oils so that after exposure to natural conditions, they self-destruct under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Those. storage periods in the garage and on the bright veranda will vary significantly. Carry out an experiment, and the different colors of the same mixture, after a month of storage, will be a proof of the unequally changed properties.
Mineral oils are inherently more chemically inert, so before the question of storing the mixture did not arise so sharply. But modern synthetic oils have better properties and meet higher environmental requirements. They are biodegradable, which means they are chemically quite active and enter chemical reactions with gasoline faster.
The longest shelf life is chemically pure substances. Motor oil has its own expiration date, gasoline has its own, but in a mixture the shelf life of chemicals will always be shorter, so with time all the properties of the fuel mixture will deteriorate. Additives will precipitate, lubricating properties will deteriorate.
However, modern gasoline alone cannot be called a pure product, it has been repeatedly proved that the necessary octane number is obtained by adding chemical additives. Therefore, even “pure” gasoline will start to oxidize quite quickly, and even more so the fuel mixture.
Shaking the canister with fuel for two-stroke engines before use is undoubtedly necessary. But if the mixture stood for a long enough time, then the oil residue forms thick sticky deposits on the walls of the container, which are rather problematic to stir. Such a fuel mixture must definitely be disposed of.
Unfortunately, the molecular composition of the fuel mixture by eye cannot be determined. Therefore, I am a supporter of those gardeners who seek not to store the fuel mixture for two-stroke engines for more than a month.
How to store a mixture of gasoline with oil.
Separately in their pure form, gasoline and oil for 2-stroke engines can be stored within the expiration date specified by the manufacturer. Usually it is 5 years for oil, but this applies to hermetically sealed containers.
To properly store the fuel mixture, it is necessary to exclude its contact with air and moisture (water), as well as to avoid sudden changes in temperature. For long-term storage, it is advisable to use gasoline produced in the summer.
It is advisable to preserve oil and fuel mixture in shaded places in order to exclude the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
Both pure gasoline and the mixture are preferably stored in a hermetically sealed steel canister. This recommendation coincides with the opinion of gardeners who prefer not to drain fuel with garden equipment , and store it all winter in tanks.
In conclusion, all that has been said, the mixture can not be stored for a long time.