Editor's note: This letter first appeared in the Dec. 11, 2014 Prince George Citizen but it's been seeing some traffic on our website in the past month so we thought we'd share it with you again.
This letter is meant to dispel the myth of having to buy fuel stabilizer at this time of year will probably be of great interest to a lot of people.
Fuel stabilizer is not gas line antifreeze, which is another story that I'll get to later.
The fuel these days tends to go "flat" if it is unused for period of time say six months. When you put your lawn mower away for the winter or put the snow blower away for the summer and intend to keep the left over fuel for the next season, by all means put a teaspoon full of stabilizer in the gas tanks or recommended amount of stabilizer in the gas that is left over in the Jerry can.
But there is a more economical solution. Simply leave the lawn mower or snow blower running until it runs out of gas. When you have left over gas in the Jerry can, use the lawn mower gas in the snow blower, and vice-versa and you don't have to bother buying fuel stabilizer, saving a few bucks each season.
Back to gas line antifreeze which is basically methyl hydrate. Methyl hydrate dissolves in water and melts ice. When you buy gas at a service station they will sell you small containers of gas line antifreeze for almost about 3 dollars if you want it. And you just pour the contents into the fuel tank when you fill up with gas.
But why go to the expense when you can get 4 litres for about 10 dollars? That amounts to about 25 times as much "gas line" antifreeze for 3 times the price of the little containers sold at service stations. Then all you have to do is pour about half a cup (125 ml) into your gas tank when you fill up. Not too much, it burns hot.
In closing, methyl hydrate also saves you money. Why go to the expense of fuel stabilizer and gas line antifreeze when the fuel companies are already gouging us with the price of a litre of gas even at a dollar or so?
Eugene Fetterly
Prince George
