Generator vs. Ethanol.

Fired up the generator today, and sure enough, noticed that there's a small leak in the water separator cup on the fuel line. Pulled it open, the O-ring is utterly degraded. Fortunately I happened to have a replacement, but then I started thinking unhappy thoughts about all of the other stuff that must be feeling the pain of 10% Ethanol.

I found some information in a number of places that says,

"The phase-separated [Gas/Ethanol] solution contains much more ethanol than E-10 fuel — perhaps as much as 40 to 60 percent or more, and that causes fuel hoses to soften, rot or delaminate. With elevated ethanol levels, gaskets tend to swell, blocking off small holes or passageways. O-rings start to distort and leak. The real damage occurs as an engine sits unused for days or weeks with the highly concentrated water/ethanol mix eating away the insides of the fuel components."

Like in a generator or in a boat.
Now recently made equipment (2006 or later) has "rubber" that is stabilized, but my generator was made in 1998, and it's certainly NOT going to have stable rubber components.

I really, truly did NOT want to do a strip-down and rebuild of the generator (and I'm really kicking myself for not just going with propane) but I think it's better safe than sorry, so next weekend, I'm replacing ALL rubber and gaskets on the thing...a chore I did not want AT ALL.

Oy.

But it's for the good of the Earth...supposedly.
-Blast

It'll be even more fun when the ethanol blend goes to 15% by law.

What is this doing to my 2002 car?

Eating it.
-Blast

As I understand it one of the benefits of California having stricter air pollution standards is that they started messing with alcohol in the mid-80s and all the major US manufacturers, reluctant to have two separate sets of gaskets and hoses, shifted entirely to materials that are compatible with alcohol.

Check your owners manual.

If your genny is old enough to have components incompatible with alcohol the odds are it could do with an overhaul and new gaskets, filters and hoses.

There are other issues with alcohol. One of them has to do with E-10 fuel stored in gas tanks for a long time may pull water out of the atmosphere. Which may cause fuel line gelling and freezing or sludge formation in the bottom of the tank.

The other issue has to do with vehicles that have used non-E-10 gas for a long time. In straight, non-alcohol gasoline water, and water soluble crud, tends to settle to the bottom of the tank and remain safely out of the way. This is why sugar in the gas tank doesn't work. Sugar isn't soluble in gasoline so it sinks to the bottom instead of dissolving.

The problem rolls around when you have water soluble crud in the bottom of the tank, and perhaps a little sugar, and you fill up with E-10 gas. Suddenly all that crud which was safely resting on the bottom dissolves in the alcohol and gets sucked into the fuel system. It can cause the fuel filter/s to clog and other issues. Over time the crud that collected over a long time gets run through the system so, in the end, the tank ends up cleaner. But the the initial transition from straight-gas to E-10 can cause problems.

Another problem is that alcohol (and the water it draws into your system) are electrolytic fluids, a key component for Galvanic corrosion.

-Blast

Yes Sir!Sugar in the tank is a Farce,What you Really want is a Couple o'Pkgs of MothBalls,Of which turns Regular gas into something on the Level as Nitro-Methane(Dragster/FunnyCar Juice)A perfect Additive should you find yourself in Mad Max Land,lol!

If you hunt some you may be able to find a gas station that still sells gasoline with no ethanol. I understand that there are a very few stations in the New Orleans area that you can still get it at due to marine and commercial applications. Ethanol, salt water and 100% humidity are a bad mix, especially for little marine engines like the old Atomic 4's in some of the sail boats.

I have a generator from the same time period sitting waiting for me to rebuild it for the SAME EXACT REASON

Glad I own a diesel generator. The switch to E10 (and soon E15) has no effect on me. When they came out with ULSD we thought we might have problems, but I've got over 15 diesel engines in various vehicles and equipment and none of them have had any issues related to ULSD.

I drained and then filled my boat before winter storage with gas I bought at a marina. They assured me that it was ethanol-free, and they would be able to get ethanol-free gas until Jan 1, when a new law goes into effect, apparently, although they weren't too sure about the details.

I am going to go back to a marina in the next couple of days to fill my big gas cans for my generator and for storing my motorcycles. In a pinch, the Sta-Bil folks seem pretty confident their new product is ethanol compatible.

David