Nobody can predict the weather and sometimes accidents do happen. Instances when lawn mowers get wet are bound to happen, like leaving your lawn mower outside and getting wet during a sudden storm.
The next morning, you think to yourself that your lawn mower is gone for good. Don’t be so fast at writing that lawn mower off. While getting your lawn mower wet can cause serious problems over time, there are some few troubleshooting hacks you can do to get your lawn mower back in shape.
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Check the motor: Lawn Mowers Get Wet Too!
Can lawn mowers get wet? Yes. Does it mean you have to buy a new one? Not yet. The first step in checking to see whether the situation of your lawn mower is not as bad as you thought is through the motor. Start the motor and see if there is anything out of the ordinary.
Keep in mind that lawn mowers can tolerate a bit of splash here and there but you can never be certain. Start your lawn mower and let it run for a couple of minutes. If nothing is out of the ordinary, keep it running. T
he heat from the motor will allow the moisture from the inside your lawn mower to dry up. This is an important procedure because if you leave your lawn mower just as it is after having gotten wet, chances are it will begin to rust. Letting it run for a couple of minutes to remove any moisture prevents rust from starting to build.
Fuel system should be thoroughly dried
When your lawn mower accidentally gets wet, your first instinct is to dry it off. While the external features of your lawn mower are easy to dry, the internal features can be a bit of a challenge.
In the first step, we checked if the motor was working properly and we let it run to remove any moisture from within. If the motor won’t start, chances are that water may have gotten into the fuel system.
The proper way to fix this would be to remove the connection of the fuel line to the carburetor, draining the fuel into the pan and allowing the line, as well as the fuel tank, to dry. Carburetor engines have a small bowl-like section between the engine and the gas. This is for the purpose of capturing water. The nut on the bottom of the small bowl-like section should be loosened up to drain it.
Draining the crankcase
Can lawn mowers get wet? Yes, especially the fuel system. Your fuel system is contaminated if the oil of your lawn mower looks somewhat milky. The proper course of action here is to try draining the crankcase to where the drain plug is located.
With the filling tube, try tilting your lawn mower and draining the oil. By removing the spark plug, you’ll be able to drain the cylinder with any water that may have gotten inside the mower.
Measure a teaspoon of oil and let it pass through the spark plug hole. In order to allow the motor oil to spread, the blade should be rotated several times.
The worst case scenario is if you aren’t able to turn on your lawn mower due to rusted parts. This means that water has been inside your lawn mower for far too long. You may want to call in an expert to check your lawn mower out to see if it can be repaired.
If the rust isn’t that bad (for example, only the spark plug has rusted), you should replace it. Lubricants are very useful in these scenarios. You may want to get your hands on some electrically conductive silicone lubricants to minimize any electrical faults.
Starting the engine
This step not only pertains to starting the engine, but also in restarting the engine. The main goal here is to check if there are any parts, both internally and externally, that have been damaged. The air filter should be dried up because if it is wet, air isn’t able to flow through smoothly.
It is important to add 1 ounce of isopropyl alcohol to every gallon of gas. This will assist in the absorption of any moisture that had been left in the fuel system.
After taking the necessary steps above, try and restart your engine this time. As compared to the first time you tried, everything should be fine by now.
Remember that getting your lawn mower wet is not the end of the world. With these troubleshooting procedures, you can determine whether you need a new lawn mower or simply a reminder to never leave your lawn mower outside.