Can I Mix TruFuel With Regular Gas?

While most conventional gasoline contains either ten or fifteen percent ethanol, TruFuel is engineered gasoline that removes the ethanol from the equation. It’s pre-mixed, ready-to-use fuel for your small engine power equipment.

If you’ve recently discovered this innovative form of fuel, you likely have plenty of questions. For instance, if you already have regular gas in the engine of your lawnmower or power washer, can you fill it up with TruFuel?

In short, can TruFuel be mixed with regular gasoline? Unless the existing fuel is already ethanol-free, it is not recommended to mix TruFuel with any remaining gas in the tank of your two-cycle or four-cycle engine. This largely has to do with TrueFuel having a longer shelf life and being safer to store in a tank for a longer period of time than traditional gasoline with ethanol.

Regardless, we’ll examine exactly why it’s not a great idea to mix TruFuel with regular gasoline and provide you with some general information in regards to this engineered gas alternative.

TruFuel is an innovative alternative to conventional gasoline that is developed with synthetic lubricants and state-of-the-art stabilizers to power your equipment effortlessly. They claim to take the hard work out of your yardwork by providing you with ready-made fuel for use in your two- or four-cycle outdoor power equipment engines.

Whether your equipment requires a gas/oil mixture or gas and oil individually, TruFuel is engineered to handle the job. The fuel comes pre-mixed, is high-octane, and completely free of ethanol. Because it doesn’t contain any harmful ethanol, it has a longer shelf life than more conventional gasoline.

No ethanol also means an easy startup, a quicker trigger reaction, and smooth idling for your outdoor gear. TruFuel is cleaner than regular gasoline that is meant to service vehicles, enhances the performance of your equipment, and is overall better on your engine.

Ethanol is a renewable alcohol-based fuel that is produced domestically using plant material. It’s most often constructed by using grasses, corn, or sugar cane. According to the U.S. government, the use of ethanol fuel has greatly increased across the country, starting at 1.7 billion gallons in 2001 and rising to a dramatic 14.5 billion in 2019.

You’re probably most familiar with E10 and E15 gasoline, which are blends of both gasoline and ethanol. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. to service cars contains 10% ethanol (E10). All auto manufacturers allow the use of E10 in their gasoline engines, and E15, or 15% ethanol, just recently became allowed by the EPA on newer vehicles.

While the use of ethanol helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependency, it is considered to be a dangerous chemical. Ethanol is highly flammable and inhaling; it can be perilous. Also, while it may suffice for cars, ethanol is not good for small engines such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, trimmers, and other similar tools.

When ethanol is left in the engine of your small outdoor power equipment for an extended period of time, you can run into some serious problems. Over time, the ethanol in your gasoline will attract water from the atmosphere and bond together, resulting in a process called “phase separation.”

With the existence of water in your fuel, the oil and gas become separated into two layers. The oil will typically rise, and the bottom layer, containing ethanol and water, is the first to enter your engine. Without any lubrication, this is a recipe for disaster and can severely damage the inner workers of your small engine.

With a better understanding of TruFuel, ethanol, and conventional gas, let’s cycle back to the question at hand. Is it safe to mix TruFuel with regular gasoline? Although not recommended, it can theoretically be done if you’re planning on using up all of the gasoline immediately.

However, if you plan to store your equipment for a long period of time, such as is the case with snow blowers, the remaining ethanol from the regular gasoline in the engine becomes very problematic. Allowing it to sit will cause phase separation and could lead to major engine failure.

Also, ethanol left in small engines has been known to cause rust, soften rubber components in the engine, eat up rubber fuel lines, dissolve the system, and clog the carburetor. With the known impact that conventional ethanol-blended gas has on small engines, it’s no wonder people seek out a fuel that is free of ethanol.

Instead of mixing TruFuel and regular gas, the best route is to completely siphon out the old fuel and replace it with only TruFuel. TruFuel’s ethanol-free characteristics and specialized additives will make it safe to store in the tank for a prolonged period of time.