You may be wondering what ethanol actually is. Ethanol is a colorless volatile flammable liquid which is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars. Ethanol is another term for alcohol. Ethanol fuel is used as a gas additive. The most common mixture of ethanol is E10. E10 shows that there is a mixture of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol. Almost every single time you are at a gas station filling up your car, you are pumping ethanol-infused gasoline into your car. Ethanol started being blended into gasoline as a way to improve air quality and reduce air pollution from fuel emissions. Ethanol will not cause much harm to your vehicle but can result in significant damage to your power equipment.
Ethanol can cause lubrication issues
Ethanol tends to separate itself from the gasoline while being stored inside your gas tank. This creates an issue with 2 stroke oil. The 2 stroke oil is able to stay bonded to gasoline but not to ethanol. Since the oil is used for lubrication in these engines, when ethanol is separated from the oil, there is no source for lubrication. This will lead to your power equipment performing poorly and will cost you money for repairs on the engine.
Ethanol attracts water
Pure ethanol has a strong attraction to water. Pure ethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere around it. This also occurs in blends that are made from gasoline infused with ethanol. Water that accumulates in your gas tank tends to sink to the bottom because water is heavier than fuel. This causes problems for engines of all sizes which, again will cost you more money in repairs and having to constantly buy new equipment.
Ethanol is a solvent
Ethanol is made up of chemicals that can easily dissolve through certain materials like plastic, rubber, fiberglass, and more. Basically, ethanol can ruin materials that your outdoor power equipment (chainsaws, trimmers, and leaf blowers) are made of. This poses a very serious threat to smaller engines.
How much does it actually improve air quality?
The main reason for adding ethanol into gasoline is to benefit the environment. You may be wondering how much ethanol actually benefits the environment and improve air quality. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that there is not as much benefit to air quality through the use of ethanol as we may have originally thought. The IISD estimated that the CO2 and climate benefits from replacing petroleum fuels with biofuels like ethanol are basically zero.
Ethanol-free fuel is the best fuel to put into your outdoor power equipment. You will see a dramatic change in the performance of your equipment. This will also help to extend your power equipment’s life and save you lots of money!
