E15 Summer Waiver and Misfueling Could Increase Operating Issues with Outdoor Power Equipment, Warns B3C

B3C Fuel Solutions, the manufacturer of additives and fluid-drying desiccants for gasoline, diesel and oils, is warning that “opening the sale of E15 during the height of lawn and garden season will result in misfueling issues and more engine and fuel system problems than ever before.”

In April, the Biden administration announced an emergency waiver to allow the sale of E15 (aka “unleaded 88”), a blend of gas and 15-percent ethanol, during the summer months, in part, to help with high gas prices. Typically, the sale of E15 is prohibited between June and mid-September due to air-quality concerns.

For outdoor power equipment, E10 or lower is recommended, the company notes; E15 is not recommended for small engines. E15 can provide an array of problems for small engines, including:
• Ethanol attracts water (hygroscopic), so greater alcohol is more problematic;
• More corrosive than E10;
• Causes gas to degrade faster;
• Does not mix well with 2-cycle oil, leading to metal on metal which can destroy 2-cycle engines; and
• Causes engines to run hotter than E10.

“Many consumers pay no attention to the fuel or ethanol content they use in their outdoor power equipment,” the company reports. “With record high gas prices and today’s environment of high inflation, consumers will often choose the lower priced E15 gas (instead of E10). This misfueling with E15 means the consumers will pay for it with equipment that will not start or runs poorly. And often, it will be the dealer or retailer that must resolve the issues caused by bad fuel.”

B3C FUEL SOLUTIONS
www.b3cfuel.com

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