B3C Fuel Solutions, LLC, a manufacturer of environmentally friendly products and solutions for ethanol and bio-fuel related problems, announces its expanded efforts to promote ethanol education. B3C is dedicated to helping the public understand what ethanol is, the negative effects it may have on outdoor power equipment and engines, and promoting solutions to those problems.
“We are dedicated to helping the public understand how the ever increasing use of ethanol in fuel can negatively impact their power equipment and engines,” said Brian O’Neil, Chief Business Development Officer for B3C Fuel Solutions. “Often, when an engine is running rough, or will not start, the problems can be traced back to issues caused by ethanol-blended fuels. We want to ensure that the public is aware of these issues, and that they know there are solutions for these problems.”
Over the past decade, ethanol usage has increased to E-10 (10% ethanol) throughout the United States and continues with E-15 blends on the horizon. Ethanol attracts water and separates (phase separation) in fuel to create a corrosive mixture that settles on the bottom of fuel tanks. Over time, ethanol-blended gasoline can corrode metal fuel components and deteriorate plastic & rubber fuel system components. This especially occurs in older power equipment and engines not designed to tolerate ethanol-blended fuels. In addition, oxygen in ethanol-blended fuels causes gasoline to decay faster leaving varnish and sludge deposits over time. These, and other ethanol-blended fuel related issues, may result in engines that will not start or that run poorly and may even ruin engines and other fuel system components. In extreme circumstances an engine running on phase separated fuel may run out of control posing serious danger to the operator.
B3C is working with mass retailers, distributors, and dealers across the country to provide educational information about ethanol, as well as highlight Ethanol Shield ®, a fuel additive that combats all ethanol related issues and which serves as a preventative for future ethanol issues. B3C also produces Mechanic In A Bottle ®, a fuel additive that serves as a “fix” for fuel related issues by removing varnish, revitalizing old fuel, and much more. B3C produces a complete line of innovative fuel solution products out of its manufacturing facility in Conway, South Carolina.
In addition to working with retailers, distributors, and dealers, B3C is working closely with the Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) to ensure that EETC Certified Technicians and future technicians have full knowledge of how ethanol interacts with and impacts power equipment. Founded in 1997, the EETC is a non-profit trade association with a goal to develop and create professional power equipment technicians for today’s sophisticated power equipment products. The association has developed the EETC Technician Certification program to measure the skill level of repair technicians working in the industry today and has developed the EETC School Accreditation program to recognize schools that have an outstanding outdoor equipment training course to train future technicians.
This week marks the EETC’s 15th anniversary. A celebration of the Equipment & Engine Training Council accomplishments will take place during their annual conference this weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the conference, service and education professionals from the Outdoor Power Equipment Industry share innovative training ideas, and new ways to educate dealer technicians in an economically sound way.
“We are pleased to collaborate with a complete fuel solution company such as B3C to advance equipment and engine training and education for technicians in the power equipment industry. Their dedication to advancing the power equipment industry is making a positive impact,” said Jim Roche, Executive Director, EETC. B3C Fuel Solutions will continue its efforts to educate the public and work with its partners to inform about the negative impact of ethanol-blended fuels. As a complete fuel solution company for today’s modern fuels, the labs at B3C will continue to improve their existing products and create new solutions to combat ethanol related issues.