This may seem like a silly question, but hear me out… I had to pull the generator out today as the ice storm here knocked our power out for nearly 18 hours. First lesson I learned is don’t run the carb dry for storage… where there’s no fuel, there will be moisture, and it will freeze.
Anyway, I always use E0 for my OPE. The down side is E0 does not absorb moisture like E10 can, and for my generator, that’s a problem. I don’t have a garage, and it won’t fit in my shed, so my generator sits under multiple tarps outside. It stays dry, but moisture will still make its way into the tank after long periods of sitting. This is despite the fact that I start it every few months and warm it up. Normally I only keep a gallon or so in the tank, which holds 7 gallons; I will keep it more full from now on to reduce room for moisture. When I went to start it yesterday, I noticed what looked like a blob in the bottom of the tank. I don’t know if it was water or separated fuel (not likely separated, the fuel was treated and not that old). I got to thinking that if I had E10 in the tank, it would have absorbed this water over time instead of just letting it sit there. I know what ethanol can do to carbs if left there for a long time, I’ve seen it. But if I store with treated E10 and exchange the fuel once a year, is that better than E0 in my situation?
Anyway, I always use E0 for my OPE. The down side is E0 does not absorb moisture like E10 can, and for my generator, that’s a problem. I don’t have a garage, and it won’t fit in my shed, so my generator sits under multiple tarps outside. It stays dry, but moisture will still make its way into the tank after long periods of sitting. This is despite the fact that I start it every few months and warm it up. Normally I only keep a gallon or so in the tank, which holds 7 gallons; I will keep it more full from now on to reduce room for moisture. When I went to start it yesterday, I noticed what looked like a blob in the bottom of the tank. I don’t know if it was water or separated fuel (not likely separated, the fuel was treated and not that old). I got to thinking that if I had E10 in the tank, it would have absorbed this water over time instead of just letting it sit there. I know what ethanol can do to carbs if left there for a long time, I’ve seen it. But if I store with treated E10 and exchange the fuel once a year, is that better than E0 in my situation?