Remove Gas or Add a Fuel Stabilizer
There are three ways to tackle gasoline before lawn mower storage. You can leave the gas in the tank, stabilize it, or remove it altogether. Do not leave fuel in the tank without intervention because fuel can degrade in a month and destroy the carburetor and fuel tank.
Removing Gas from a Lawnmower
- Sometimes it’s critical to remove all the gas from a mower when storing it for the winter. Remove all fuel if you are keeping your lawnmower in your basement or inside a storage unit. Keeping the power in the lawn mower can be a fire hazard.
- To drain gas from a lawnmower, let the tank run dry toward the end of the season. To achieve this, run the mower until it stops and won’t restart again. Use a turkey baster to remove any remaining fuel. Any remaining power can be removed using a gasoline siphon hose.
Adding Fuel Stabilizer to a Lawnmower
If you’re using a detached garage or shed to store your lawnmower, top it off with fuel stabilizers. Once you add the stabilizer, run the mower for a couple of minutes to ensure the stabilizer moves into the system.
Prevent Mower From Jump-Starting
Before cleaning and prepping your lawnmower for storage, remove the spark plug. Removing the spark plug will prevent anybody from accidentally turning on the mover, which cannot be emphasized enough.
Drain or Change Oil
Determine if you have a two-cylinder or four-cylinder lawnmower. Two-cylinder motors have the oil and fuel in the same tank, where you can drain the oil and the power. For example, a car’s oil will need to be changed on four-cylinder motors.
Clean Deck
You can use a hose or low-setting pressure washer to clean the lawnmower deck well. Over the season, dried bits of grass may be sitting on the metal, so use a brush to remove the remaining lawn blades that the hose may not have cleaned.
Sharpen and Remove Blade
To remove the blade, place your mower on its side with the carburetor facing up. Use a long-handled wrench that matches the bolt holding the edge in place. Once removed, sharpen each blade evenly. Another option is to bring it to a hardware or lawn and garden store. If you only sharpen one section, this could lead to an =uneven-looking lawn.
Replace spark plug
Bring the plug to the store to make sure you purchase the correct replacement. Next, screw in the new plug and reconnect the wire or leave it disconnected for storage.
Replace the air filter
Some lawnmowers carry paper filers that should be replaced when dirty. Other filters are made of foam or plastic, clean and dried, and should also be coated with a few tablespoons of oil before replacing.
Storage Authority provides 24/7 self-storage room access so you can retrieve your goods when it’s convenient for you. Our storage units and moving products go a long way in providing peace of mind to our customers. Visit our website, contact us, or call us at 262-676-9464.