You’ve probably been stuck trying to start your snowblower the following mowing season only to find out it won’t start. A big culprit to snowblower not starting after sitting a while is stale gasoline. Gasoline does not have a long shelf life and needs to be used within 30 days unless you add a fuel stabilizer.
Sea Foam fuel stabilizer can be used in any snowblower gas engine and fuel system. Sea Foam is a petroleum-based product without harsh chemicals making it safe to use in your engine or fuel system.
Below, we’ll cover how Sea Foam can help with a snowblower’s motor and fuel system, as well as whether or not the solution should be used with your snowblower and how much you should use.
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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.
Can You Use Sea Foam Fuel Additive in a Snowblower?
Sea Foam is a brand of fuel additive; Some of the improvements you can expect to see by using a Sea Foam product could be:
- Reduced moisture in the fuel
- Stabilizes fuel for up to two years
- Cleans carburetor liquifying deposits and residues built up on needles, seats, and float bowls.
- Improved performance
- Cleans intake valves
In addition to cleaning the built-up deposits and dirt from your combustion engines, using Sea Foam as a fuel additive has been shown to has also been shown to improve performance and extend the overall lifespan of engines.
Sea Foam has been on the market for over 70 years. Sea Foam is a petroleum-based product so you do not have to worry about the solution damaging your snowblower’s engine; it’s designed to prolong your motor’s life.
Why Use Sea Foam in a Snowblower?
Sea Foam stabilizes fuel for up to two years. There are three reasons why you would want to use an additive like Sea Foam in your snowblower.
- Valve Seat Erosion: The valves of a combustion engine open and close to allow air into the cylinders and the exhaust to exit the cylinders. Over time this can become damaged and eroded by built-up particulates and debris. Sea Foam helps clean and remove this debris, ultimately extending the life of the valves.
- Damaging Effects of Ethanol: In addition to debris and particulates from the air intake, the ethanol present in modern-day gasoline carries corrosive properties. These corrosive properties affect metals such as iron and steel and leave behind salt deposits which can clog your fuel pump. Read more about the effects of ethanol and the type of fuel to use in your gas-powered snowblower in “This is the Type of Gas Snowblowers Use“.
- Reduce moisture in the fuel system
How to Use Sea Foam on Snowblower
One of the problems gasoline has is that it leaves behind a gummy corrosive residue that can cause blockages and drain the performance of your engine (see above).
This residue is worsened if left sitting for long periods, during the winter season, for example. So, in these instances, a fuel system cleaner can help.
A 16-ounce can of Sea Foam treat up to 16 gallons of fuel. Generally, to use as a fuel system cleaner and stabilizer on your snowblower:
- Fill a 1-gallon can of gasoline with 1 gallon of gas.
- Then add the appropriate amount of cleaner to the can
– 2 ounces for every gallon when cleaning your fuel tank. Using more than 2 ounces is okay. The more you use, the better the solution cleans.
– 1 ounce for every gallon when used as regular fuel maintenance
I recommend using Sea Foam in each tank of fuel.
Can You Use Fuel System Cleaner in a Snowblower?
A gas-powered snowblower operates the same as any other gasoline-powered engine. As the engine is running, various dirt particles will enter into the mix through the air intake.
You can clean this the hard way by manually taking the engine apart to clean it, or the expensive way by taking it to a professional to do so. But the easiest way to clean out this excess debris is by using a fuel system cleaner.
Fuel system cleaners like Sea Foam remove this excess dirt and debris that accumulates in the engine over time. Keeping the engine clean keeps the fuel itself clean, which improves the performance of the engine.
Solutions You Shouldn’t Use on Snowblowers
Although many fuel system cleaners can be safely used with a snowblower, there are a few solutions that shouldn’t be used at all. Here is a product that is not recommended to be used with a snowblower:
- Any Additive Targeting a Diesel Engine: This includes Diesel System Cleaner and a Diesel Emissions Reducer. Avoid these solutions if you own a gas or petrol-powered snowblower.
Other Fuel System Cleaners That Work on Snowblower
While Sea Foam is perfectly safe and effective to use for your snowblower (and any combustion engine for that matter), there are a few alternatives that you could consider as well:
- Archoil AR 6200: Archoil is mainly intended for diesel engines but can be used with gas engines too. It acts as a stabilizer as well as a detergent.
- Lucas Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner: This is an older product that acts as a lubricant and a detergent to help combat the natural deposit build-up caused by ethanol.
- STA-BIL Original: This is again an older product. It’s primarily a fuel stabilizer that can, again, extend the life of fuel for up to two years. It’s also a well-rounded product that helps prevent corrosion and remove water build-up, but with the increased adoption of ethanol fuels, its effectiveness has waned compared to a competitor like Sea Foam.
Your Leaking Fuel and Can’t Find the Leak
There are many reasons why your snowblower suddenly begins leaking fuel. You can place a piece of cardboard underneath your snowblower to help isolate the area the leak is coming from.
If you still can’t find the leak and you’re smelling fuel fumes, you may have a faulty fuel cap. Read more about all of the different common areas your snowblower may be leaking fuel in “Reasons Your Snowblower is Leaking Gas“.