View Full Version : Black Mold Caused by Ethynol
Have you noticed that gasoline stored in containers at your home have all that black mold all over them that didn't use to happen? You'll also notice it on the fuel tanks of your mowers and inside the gas filler door on your car.
Some will say they only use non-ethynol gasoline but it is usually expensive and hard to find.
Ethynol is a government mandated fuel oxygenate that replaced MTBE.
The ethynol is distributed in the air and is causing the mold or fungus on everything. This article states how widespread it is becoming. People are starting to become aware of it.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11812901/New-images-Jack-Daniels-whiskey-fungus-smothering-town.html
Have I noticed? No. Sincerely. bruce.
Have I noticed? No. Sincerely. bruce.
I use a lot of gasoline for my mowers, chain saws and such. I have fuel stored in several 5gal plastic gasoline jugs kept on my carport. Every 3 months or so I have to spray them down with bleach to get rid of the black mold/fungus. Even empty jugs contain enough residue to form vapors that cause the mold. They get quite nasty if not cleaned constantly. Glad you're not having this problem. Perhaps it is because your summers are milder and fewer vapors produced from the gas?
When alcohol is produced the first liquid given off is the ethynol which is so light it forms a vapor when it gets warm. Small wonder the Jack Daniels company is seeing this now.
Native of Georgia. Only have a couple of gas cans ... one Eagle and a little one-gallon screw top can that I use for mixed gas. Guess I'd best go take a look. Sincerely. bruce.
Major Tom
03-04-2023, 10:55
No black mold here, just the new gas 'cans' are a bitch to open! There is an ethonal producing plant just 5 miles west of me. The wind/breeze is always from the west nothwest. There is also an airport 1/4 mile from my house. That jet fuel exhaust does turn any thing white to almost black!
No black mold here, just the new gas 'cans' are a bitch to open! There is an ethonal producing plant just 5 miles west of me. The wind/breeze is always from the west nothwest. There is also an airport 1/4 mile from my house. That jet fuel exhaust does turn any thing white to almost black!
You can buy the older caps and spouts that WORK from sellers on ebay that fit your cans.
OK
By now you think I'm nuts.
Here's a picture of some of my gas cans. The last one, though closed tight and full still has the mold. It was clean when the fuel was added. As the temps come up in the warm days the fuel emits vapors and overcomes the closed caps thus the mold on the tops of the cans. I've read where this is caused by the ethynol being organic.
I, like you, have stored gasoline in cans all my life. I never had this problem till the government required the ethynol being added. As I said, I have to spray these cans down with bleach about every 3 months or so or they really become gross.
This is what the people near the Jack Daniels distillery are seeing and it's in the air.
Just a thought. Possibly use non-ethanol gas? May be wrong, but I've used it for everything from weed-eaters and chain-saws to lawn mowers, etc. Don't know if it would help with the mold or not. Just thinking out loud. Sincerely. bruce.
doubt that is from the contents,
since it is not something that leaks out,
I've seen it here and not just on a few gas cans,
FWIW, the only mold problem I have had with fuel is diesel,
my tractor tank had a bloom of algae or mold in it, and I drained it,
not sure if it got in the ejectors yet, have not bought new fuel to try (But did flush it all out)
Just a thought. Possibly use non-ethanol gas? May be wrong, but I've used it for everything from weed-eaters and chain-saws to lawn mowers, etc. Don't know if it would help with the mold or not. Just thinking out loud. Sincerely. bruce.
Mentioned that above.
Only one mom and pop store in my area that sells it and they are always "out" or closed. Runs about $6 a gallon here. If only used in my mowers it wouldn't be so bad but I have the same black mold problems on my cars as well. If more places sold it I would buy it.
doubt that is from the contents,
since it is not something that leaks out,
I've seen it here and not just on a few gas cans,
FWIW, the only mold problem I have had with fuel is diesel,
my tractor tank had a bloom of algae or mold in it, and I drained it,
not sure if it got in the ejectors yet, have not bought new fuel to try (But did flush it all out)
That happens with diesel sometimes but that's not what I'm seeing here.
I have diesel stored too (yellow plastic cans). No mold problems at all nor at the tank on my tractor--just gasoline since the ethynol. The "leaK" is through the vapor given off by the gasoline through the spouts and caps. I've seen this no where else except on gasoline cans.
my point is the algae or mold is on the outside of the tanks, what is in the should not matter
keep in mind also, those tanks do not last forever, they tend to break down from sunlight, etc etc
my point is the algae or mold is on the outside of the tanks, what is in the should not matter
keep in mind also, those tanks do not last forever, they tend to break down from sunlight, etc etc
New tanks/cans mold just as quickly. The mold also forms on the inside of my cars fuel cap door (steel).
Did you read the article on the Jack Daniels Distillery?
Re: Mold. I have spent the last hour or so reading through the link as well as doing some google searches to see what might be found. Was not at all aware of this problem, much less the degree to which it affects so many people. I apologize to Allen and everyone else in this thread. Sincerely. bruce.
Re: Mold. I have spent the last hour or so reading through the link as well as doing some google searches to see what might be found. Was not at all aware of this problem, much less the degree to which it affects so many people. I apologize to Allen and everyone else in this thread. Sincerely. bruce.
Thanks Bruce.
Apparently it's a bigger problem for me than others. Our extreme moisture/rainfall probably contributes to it also but here again, only on the gas cans.
Johnny P
03-06-2023, 06:31
Use non-ethynol in everything I have. Use Stihl gas treatment in all two cycle. Hadn't started my Stihl chainsaw in about 4 years and figured it wouldn't start, and chain needed sharpening so took it to the shop. Told the mechanic it probably wouldn't start and clean it out. He poured out the old gas, put fresh in and it started after a few pulls. Firm believer in non-ethynol gas.
Use non-ethynol in everything I have. Use Stihl gas treatment in all two cycle. Hadn't started my Stihl chainsaw in about 4 years and figured it wouldn't start, and chain needed sharpening so took it to the shop. Told the mechanic it probably wouldn't start and clean it out. He poured out the old gas, put fresh in and it started after a few pulls. Firm believer in non-ethynol gas.
I use only Stihl saws, hedge trimmers, weed eaters and leaf blowers. It is mostly due to Stihl designs. Have had the same or similar luck with them except for the blower which either starts or don't start (poor carb design). On the saws I've used Pouland, Husqvarna, and Homelite and had to clean the carbs after non-use.
Johnny P
03-06-2023, 10:18
My Stihl blower is the same way. Strictly adhering to starting procedure it normally starts, but if it doesn't you can forget about for several hours. Normally it will fire on the first pull, turn off the choke and it starts next pull.
My Stihl blower is the same way. Strictly adhering to starting procedure it normally starts, but if it doesn't you can forget about for several hours. Normally it will fire on the first pull, turn off the choke and it starts next pull.
Exactly, and it's only the blower. If it starts it runs like a new one. If it doesn't, an act of congress won't get it to start. I've had to use a push broom many a day to sweep off my carport due to the blower not starting.
Cut a absolute prodigious pile of trees and stumps using Homelite saws ... mostly 20-22 inch and one 5 hp. Super Whiz that had about a 4 ft. bar. It was barely manageable up in a tree. One day my brother bought a little Huskvarna for groundwork. It rapidly was put to work in the tops of trees. Much lighter, easier to use. Quickly went over to all Huskvarna once the Homelite saws were used up. Nowadays ... don't hardly ever use a chainsaw. If I did, I'd go by the old homeplace and grab one of the Huskvarna's off the wall. I expect that with a little fiddling, it would fire right up. Sincerely. bruce.
Cut a absolute prodigious pile of trees and stumps using Homelite saws ... mostly 20-22 inch and one 5 hp. Super Whiz that had about a 4 ft. bar. It was barely manageable up in a tree. One day my brother bought a little Huskvarna for groundwork. It rapidly was put to work in the tops of trees. Much lighter, easier to use. Quickly went over to all Huskvarna once the Homelite saws were used up. Nowadays ... don't hardly ever use a chainsaw. If I did, I'd go by the old homeplace and grab one of the Huskvarna's off the wall. I expect that with a little fiddling, it would fire right up. Sincerely. bruce.
On small stuff under 4" I simply use a Dewalt 18v recip saw. I use it a lot. It will cut metal, wood or anything in between using the appropriate blade.
Dad had a set of Homelite's, one with a big Bow, and one without, and a smaller one for limbing etc,
they ran well, but being old tech, they just about vibrated you to death,
in high school I worked for a friend of my Father's, and was limbing trees with a big Poulin,
it was heavy, I was all of about 125lbs, but it and I got the job done,
fast forward a bit and I am still using a Stihl leaf blower from the mid 90's, and between my brother and I, we have 3 or 4 Stihl saw, including a tiny one that you can hook to your belt if you climb trees,
all run like champs,
I broke down and replaced a husky weed eater, that was maybe 14 yrs old and was damn near dead, with a combo Stihl (I have the weed eater, sidewake edger and bush trimmer attachments, about 8 yrs ago, and it too runs like a top,
I'll stick with Stihl
Ken The Kanuck
03-06-2023, 07:33
I have noticed this on storage tanks at the refinery.
KTK
I have noticed this on storage tanks at the refinery.
KTK
Ironically I worked at a refinery and did not notice that but it depends upon where the vent is. That's where the mold will be. Some laws require a recovery system where the vent or fumes are returned to the tank rather than released into the the atmosphere. Also, we had a large loading rack to fill tanker trucks and the ethynol may have been added there. That's a part of the plant I wasn't involved with.
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