Who has an emergency generator for their home?

[fredtoast]

How long can you let gas sit in it before it goes bad?

[McC]

(02-13-2019, 01:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: How long can you let gas sit in it before it goes bad?

When people put their lawn mowers away for the winter, it is best to use a gas stabilizer:


https://www.walmart.com/ip/STA-BIL-22208-Storage-Fuel-Stabilizer-8-fl-oz/16879745?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1521&adid=22222222227019318115&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42529873352&wl4=pla-81187482992&wl5=9015737&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16879745&wl13=1521&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnY_jBRDdARIsAIEqpJ2U_kUKjha6l3jv0gNhteMLGdL22Tgzov4_o4azJ_AlaV1sqa4Qq3QaAtqaEALw_wcB

The same applies to generators.  This should tell you everything you need to know:


https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=KVFkXIOVEqWyggfVwpmwCg&q=can+you+use+gas+with+fuel+stabilizer+in+it&oq=can+you+use+gas+with+fuel+stabilizer+in+it&gs_l=psy-ab.12..33i299.74036.86208..88564...0.0..0.241.4015.32j9j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j35i39j0i131j0j0i67j0i20i263j0i22i30j33i22i29i30j33i160.fBTUfpIXsB8

[HarleyDog]

I think it depends on what type of fuel they run on? I'm not familiar with generators but I would think diesel would go bad long before an unleaded. I've stored mowers and my motorcycle for 6-8 months without starting and they fired right up. I had a snow blower I didnt use for 3yrs, it fired right up and ran without any issues. So, inexperienced thinking considered, I think the issue would lie with diesel.

[sandwedge]

I just had a GenRac installed, best investment I have made to date on the house. Big Storm hit us and everyone lost power but me. I used to have a portable and pretty much ran the gas out of at the end of winter to get rid of it. Not good to leave it set with gas.

[McC]

(02-13-2019, 09:20 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I just had a GenRac installed, best investment I have made to date on the house. Big Storm hit us and everyone lost power but me. I used to have a portable and pretty much ran the gas out of at the end of winter to get rid of it. Not good to leave it set with gas.

Is yours natural gas powered?  I once poured a huge driveway for a guy who sold them for a living.  Judging by the size of his crib, he sold a LOT of them.  The one he had was the size of a large heat pump and would power his entire house.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(02-13-2019, 09:24 PM)McC Wrote: Is yours natural gas powered?  I once poured a huge driveway for a guy who sold them for a living.  Judging by the size of his crib, he sold a LOT of them.  The one he had was the size of a large heat pump and would power his entire house.

My father in law has a dual fuel version, and I can tell you from experience, they are much more efficient off of propane. We ran it last year at Darlington with the camper when it was 98 in the shade, and switched cylinders once. It ran hard all day and most of the night. Had that been gas, I would have filled it up 6 or 7 times in a 24 hour period. 

He left gas in his for nearly a year, and I had to take the carb apart and clean it to get it to run on gas again.

[McC]

(02-13-2019, 10:41 PM)Wyche Wrote: My father in law has a dual fuel version, and I can tell you from experience, they are much more efficient off of propane. We ran it last year at Darlington with the camper when it was 98 in the shade, and switched cylinders once. It ran hard all day and most of the night. Had that been gas, I would have filled it up 6 or 7 times in a 24 hour period. 

He left gas in his for nearly a year, and I had to take the carb apart and clean it to get it to run on gas again.

Ah yes.  Lady Propane.  Taste the meat, not the heat.

Old gas will turn to varnish and kill all the internal working parts.

[StoneTheCrow]

(02-13-2019, 01:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: How long can you let gas sit in it before it goes bad?

I give up, how long?

[*Synric*]

(02-14-2019, 12:24 AM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: I give up, how long?

It lasts for about a month in a car. If it's in a good gas can with good seals it can last longer even then it's probably only a couple of months.

It depends how much oxygen it gets...You can buy fuel treatment or stabilizers they only help so much.

[McC]

(02-14-2019, 12:37 AM)Synric Wrote: It lasts for about a month in a car. If it's in a good gas can with good seals it can last longer even then it's probably only a couple of months.

It depends how much oxygen it gets...You can buy fuel treatment or stabilizers they only help so much.

The biggest mistake people make with fuel stabilizers is not running the motor to distribute the stabilizer throughout the fuel system.

[*bfine32*]

Keep gas in your generator and by a siphon hose. About every other month siphon out the gas and put it in your car and then put new gas in the generator. Do the same with the gas cans you have for other machines.

[Au165]

Gas without ethanol will last years, with it mixed in it will last only a couple months.

[sandwedge]

(02-13-2019, 09:24 PM)McC Wrote: Is yours natural gas powered?  I once poured a huge driveway for a guy who sold them for a living.  Judging by the size of his crib, he sold a LOT of them.  The one he had was the size of a large heat pump and would power his entire house.

Yeah it runs off natural gas. When the power goes out, it automatically starts working. It sets on a 3x4 pad outside the garage behind the breaker box. My house is only 2300 sqft, so I didn't need a big one, but alot bigger than the portable one I have for my shop.

[sandwedge]

(02-14-2019, 12:48 AM)McC Wrote: The biggest mistake people make with fuel stabilizers is not running the motor to distribute the stabilizer throughout the fuel system.

I didn't know that, thanks. 

[grampahol]

I never use gas with alcohol in it for small engines. It's easy to find with such sites as https://www.pure-gas.org/ and there are several others as well. Stabilizer works as well, but never use just plain gas with alcohol in it without stabilizer...a mistake millions make every year without fail.. I think, although I have no proof lawn mower manufacturers would prefer that you use cheap gas with alcohol just so they can sell you a new mower every spring. 
I've thought of a generator, but almost as easy is a power inverter connected to your truck or car or even lawn mower .. Power inverter is probably cheaper and less noisy.. 

[grampahol]

(02-14-2019, 01:45 PM)Au165 Wrote: Gas without ethanol will last years, with it mixed in it will last only a couple months.

I've never used ethanol gas in the mower and in 3 years it's never failed to start. This is the first year I didn't drain all the gas at the end of the mowing season, but I started up the mower today with no problems at all. It has set with last years gas since around November. I just forgot this year. I won't forget next season.