Don't let bad gas spoil your boating season
Marine fuel stabilizer isn't usually top-of-mind for most boat owners. However, it can be the difference between enjoying a trouble-free summer on the water and a ruined vacation in dry dock.
With boating season upon us, it will soon be time for boaters to soak up the sun, feel the wind in their hair, and enjoy weekends and holidays on the water while making memories with friends and family. Regularly maintaining a boat goes a long way to ensure that your customers’ watercraft always runs optimally, retains its value, and lasts for years. Failing to consistently provide regular maintenance will lead to plenty of frustration and spoiled vacations, not to mention costly and unnecessary repairs.
A good marine fuel stabilizer is an easy and inexpensive way for your clients to keep their watercraft running at peak efficiency throughout the year. Current boat owners may have previously experienced problems due to the ethanol that’s blended with pump gasoline. New owners may encounter this issue at some point. Imagine a customer launching his/her boat only to find out that it won’t start or, worse yet, getting stranded on the water.
For this reason, spending a few dollars on a boat fuel stabilizer will save your boat owners money and headaches down the road.
Marine Gasoline engines & ethanol
Some marinas and gas stations carry ethanol-free gasoline. However, most do not. Ethanol is an oxygenate that’s blended into pump gas. It’s fine when you are filling your tank regularly, but that’s usually not the case with a boat.
Ethanol can cause problems with starting, performance, and lead to long-term maintenance expenses. Why is this? To begin with, ethanol is hygroscopic. In other words, it pulls the moisture out of the surrounding air inside your fuel tank. When enough water collects in the tank, a process known as phase separation takes place. It doesn’t take much water for this to happen. Phase separation is when the ethanol bonds with water and separates from the gasoline. The ethanol/water cocktail settles to the bottom of the tank. Moreover, this process also takes the octane with it. The result is less effective gasoline. Secondly, the separated mixture can interfere with lubricants and potentially cause significant damage when it burns through the engine.
Another thing to consider is that pump gas breaks down and degrades in as little as 90 days, sometimes less. The chemical properties of the fuel change as it sits in the tank. This results in deposits that form in the gas. Also, ethanol is a solvent, which wreaks havoc on the internal parts of the fuel system. This includes the degradation of plastic, rubber, and other fuel system components.
Benefits of a marine fuel stabilizer additive
Your customers should use a good fuel stabilizer additive to protect the fuel system against the harmful effects of ethanol. They formulate many of today’s fuel stabilizers to prevent both the formation of gums and varnish and mitigate the effects of phase separation. Some of these products include lubrication to protect parts and prevent corrosion. Furthermore, a good stabilizer retards phase separation and keeps small amounts of water in suspension.