Gas is a very essential element to run a car. Better gas provides more mileage and better fuel economy. Using clean fuel is cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and lasts longer in a tank.
How long does ethanol-free gas last?
Ethanol-free gas lasts up to six months. Generally, the presence of ethanol in gasoline will cause you less fuel efficiency. Although ethanol-free gas is slightly more expensive than traditional gasoline, it will provide at least 15% more fuel-efficient than the regular ones in the market.
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Generally, ethanol-free gas can maintain quality for one to two months. The use of gas stored for a longer period results in a slight change in performance. However, using gas stored in the car for a long time will damage the engine.
The higher the presence of ethanol in gasoline, the shorter its duration and effectiveness. If your gasoline contains 20% ethanol, the car’s fuel consumption efficiency will be 20% lower.
Although it is a little expensive, you should use pure ethanol-free gas in the car so that the performance is intact even if the price is high. The duration of ethanol depends on the different storage.
Saving gas in fuel stabilizers, boats or containers enables it to maintain quality for different durations. Also heat, light, and oxygen can influence the gas.
So, the more securely you store it, the longer it will last in storage. The duration of gas in some products is discussed below:
With fuel stabilizers:
The gas inside the fuel stabilizer can be stored for one to three years by maintaining good condition. Stabilizers can give a good output when mixed with gasoline.
It prevents the degradation of the gas as well as chemically reacts with the stored fuel to keep the gas stored for a long time.
In a can/container:
Gas stored inside cans or containers can stay in good condition for three to six months, especially if it is made of steel and is airtight. After 6 months of storage of gasoline mixed with ethanol, its quality gradually decreases.
In generator:
Usually, it is not recommended to drain to take out the existing fuel inside the generator to run it again after a long time. Though, you can store gas for about six months in a generator
In a boat:
The gas remains in its best condition for 90 days in a boat tank. But, if the boat is maintained well and stored in a cool shady place, the gas might stay inside it for almost a year without degrading its quality.
Does ethanol-free gas last longer? Can ethanol-free gas go bad?
Ethanol-free gas lasts longer. Ethanol-free gas can be stored for much longer than other ethanol-blended gases, such as the E10 gas, which contains 10% ethanol. If stored properly, ethanol-free gas can be stored effortlessly for up to 6 months.
Conservation does not reduce the amount of gas or evaporate the gas. You must seal the gas container airtight and keep it away from direct heat or light contact. Avoid oxygen to get in contact with your gasoline.
ethanol-free gas is optimized to run your car smoothly. Although ethanol-free gas is slightly more expensive than regular gas, it will help improve your engine performance.
Adding a stabilizer to your ethanol-free gas will extend its lifespan and quality up to two years or more. As ethanol-free has high energy content, it will be able to produce more power and will be fuel-efficient.
Ethanol-free gas can go bad after a certain period which is of around six months. After this time, the performance and quality of the gas will decrease. Thus eventually it will go bad.
What is the difference in shelf life between ethanol-free and ethanol-based gas?
Shelf life indicates the stored lifespan of your gas. In some cases, if the gas is stored following proper guidelines, it will be able to maintain its quality for more than 6 months. You can even add a fuel stabilizer to extend its lifespan up to 2 years.
Ethanol-free gas is non-toxic, eco-friendly, and helps improve your vehicle mileage. On the other hand, ethanol-based gas will cause damage to your vehicle and products using it.
The more ethanol is added to the gas, the faster the efficiency and duration of the gas will decrease. Some of the difference between ethanol-based and ethanol-free gas is described below:
Ethanol attracts water:
another problem with using ethanol-based gas is, it will attract water and will create moisture inside the gas tank that will end up resulting in rust and corrosion.
In the case of shelf life, the more added ethanol in the fuel, the higher the chances of your fuel tank getting damaged due to rust and corrosion.
Longer shelf life:
Ethanol-free gas has a longer lifespan or shelf life. If they can be easily stored in a steel and air-tight container and kept away from light, and oxygen environments, they can sustain their quality for up to six months.
Whereas, ethanol-based gas such as E10 can be stored for up to 3 months, after that it starts to degrade.
Damage to engine:
If the ethanol-based gas that is stored for a long time is used in a vehicle, that might cause serious damage to the internal engine compartment of your car. Using a stabilizer, in this case, is highly recommended.
How to store ethanol-free gas to increase its lifespan?
If the proper guideline is followed, ethanol-free gas can be stored for up to 6 months. But that doesn’t mean it won’t start to degrade. It can still degrade due to weather and atmospheric conditions.
The benefit of storing ethanol-free gas is, it does not cause a chemical reaction and start to degrade its quality like the traditional ethanol-based gas. Also, it is an expensive material so you don’t want to waste it by neglecting the proper storage instructions.
So, some of the instructions to store your gas and use them in their best condition are described below:
Choose the right container:
To store this expensive gas, you will have to choose a proper can or container to store the gas properly. For example, you have to make sure that the can or container you have chosen to store the gas is a non-spill and air-tight container.
If air gets to enter the can, it will create moisture and degrade the quality of the gas. Also, try not to overfill the gas container.
Keep away from the open:
You must follow this instruction or all the efforts will go in vain. You need to keep the storage container away from direct sunlight, higher or humid temperatures to keep the gas in its best condition.
Store them in a safer place:
The gas could react to fire or heat, and cause a blow-up by igniting. So, try to keep the gas storage container at least 15 meters away from any fire sources to prevent unwanted occurrences.
What are the benefits of ethanol-free gas?
The use of ethanol-free gas has many advantages. You do not have to rely on ethanol-containing grains to produce it.
So, there is no possibility of gas price increase on grain yield. In addition, if ethanol is added to the gas, it will adversely affect your engine and reduce the efficiency of the engine.
Again, ethanol-free gas can be stored for a long time. The benefits of ethanol-free gas are described below:
Causes no harm to the engine:
The most significant part of using ethanol-free gas is, it will not cause any harm to your engine. It will improve your mileage and fuel economy and will help to keep all the inner engine compartments running properly.
Besides, ethanol-free gas is made of high energy content which helps produce more energy. So, it is useful when used in cars.
Longer lifespan when stored:
It has a much longer lifespan than the traditional ethanol-based gas when stored. But you have to maintain some guidelines such as storing them in a spill-free container, avoiding exposing them in open light or oxygen or higher temperature.
Most importantly storing them in an airtight steel container. This helps increase its shelf life and will prevent degrade its quality.
It has higher energy and less depending on crops:
As no ethanol is added to the gas, it is considered clean energy and it is not dependent on crop production like ethanol. So, there are no chances of a price hike of ethanol-free gas.
Also, it contains at least three times more energy than ethanol-based gas so it is considered high energy fuel
Final Thoughts
Ethanol-free gas lasts up to 6 months if stored following proper guidelines It can be stored for up to two years by adding a fuel stabilizer. Also, storing it away from heat, direct light, and an oxygen-based environment. It is also recommended to use an airtight container when storing the gas.