ADVERTORIAL
WHAT ’ S THE FUTURE FOR PETROL ?
BY MOWPOWER
THINGS ARE CHANGING IN THE PETROL WORLD THAT WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND TO MAKE SURE WE DON ’ T END UP WITH EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS . THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT FROM SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR THE LEVEL OF ETHANOL ( BIOFUEL ) IN UK PETROL WILL INCREASE TO 10 % ( FROM THE CURRENT 5 %) TO HELP REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS .
THAT ’ S A GOOD THING RIGHT ? FOR CARS MAYBE , BUT FOR PETROL LAWNMOWERS IT ’ S NOT .
EVER WONDERED WHY YOUR MOWER WON ' T START IN THE SPRING ? WE GET HUNDREDS OF MOWERS EACH YEAR THAT WON ' T START BECAUSE OF STALE PETROL
What ’ s the problem then ?
The problem with ethanol is that it de-stabilises petrol and makes it break down into varnish ( just like Ronseal ) and water .
This breakdown starts at day 58 and it is fully separated around day 80 . So now if you leave petrol in your mower over winter you will find it won ’ t start next spring . Every year we get 100s of mowers that won ’ t start simply because the petrol has gone off .
Can it be fixed ?
Many people think the engine has died and the more unscrupulous repair shops will tell them they need another mower . But it ’ s actually a simple fix , and Mowpower include a varnish removal procedure as part of their standard service to get everything cleaned and back up and running again .
So is the petrol I bought last year any good ?
If you have petrol that ’ s been stored since last year it will be useless – don ’ t use it . The water will float to the top and the varnish sinks , so you will actually be putting water into your engine which could seriously damage it . The varnish also attacks pipes and rubber primer buttons and makes them go brittle and crack .
The image below shows a Honda mower carb that had petrol left in it for 6 months . It was completely useless and had to be replaced at a cost of £ 65 plus labour !
HONDA CARBURETTOR WITH 6 MONTH OLD PETROL
So what can I do about it ? Follow these simple rules .
1 . Don ’ t buy too much petrol in one go . Buy little and often , and buy a new petrol can to stop any cross contamination .
2 . Run any machines out of petrol if you plan to store them for 3 months or more .
3 . Try putting a fuel stabiliser in at the end of the year – that will keep the petrol good for around 9 months . ( We are giving away a FREE shot of stabiliser worth £ 2.50 to everyone – please visit our showroom or see us at the Kent Garden Show to collect your FREE stabiliser .)
So what about this ethanol free petrol ?
There is a brand of ethanol free petrol that you can buy in large tubs , but it ’ s very expensive and if you follow our rules you won ’ t need it . Some garden machinery companies stick a label on mowers saying the engine will only work with a certain brand of ethanol free petrol . We have customers who were told this and were buying £ 50 of this brand every month . They now follow our simple rules and have never needed it again .
So what do I do if my mower won ’ t start ?
If your mower isn ’ t starting but it is making all the right noises , then call 01622 828 627 and get it down to Harrietsham and we will sort it .
Petrol at 5 % ethanol has caused enough problems but when it goes to 10 % we expect far more .
COME TO MOWPOWER - OPEN WEEKDAYS 9AM-5PM : SAT 10AM-4PM : SUN 10AM-2PM : BANK HOLIDAYS 10AM TO 2PM . Imagery © 2021 CNES / Airbus , Getmapping pic , Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky , Maxar Technologies , Map data © 2021
Collect your FREE stabiliser from Mowpower ' s new repair workshop and showroom .
Unit 6a / b Harrietsham Ind . Est . Station Road ME17 1JA www . mowpower . co . uk
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