Is my diesel still usable?

[RHiebert]

Try the fuel additive that should make a difference.

 

[qualsite]

Some of my diesel is a few years old, and no problems. I do use an algicide and fuel additives in my stored fuel, plus I added a separate fuel filter with a Goldenrod element.

 

[5030]

I have no add on filtration on my 500 gallon bulk diesel tank but I do add biocide to it. All my diesel powered equipment have Racor Style axillary filters on them. I use the generic (Chinese) filter bases but I use Genuine Racor spin on elements and they come with the clear bottom bowl and drain built in. The genuine Racor bases are stupid expensive whereas the China copies are about 1/4 the cost and are exact copies.

I like the vlear bottom bowls as I can visually see if there is any foreign crap in the bowls and I use the 2 micron Racor filters. In fact, I've bypassed the spin on fuel filters entirely on my diesel powered equipment and just use the add on Racor units. If they are good enough for ever diesel powered ship everywhere, they are good enough for my use.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I think we can all agree that diesel lasts longer than gasoline, right?

Well, I have a car that was most recently filled up on 5-30-23 and it still ran fine on 12-11-24 when I changed the oil in it.

It'll have to get fresh gas next time it's driven, if for no other reason because there's barely enough left to make it to the gas station.

 

[5030]

Try the fuel additive that should make a difference.

Got news for you... If the stuff you are adding don't explicitly state on the bottle that it contains a biocide (and if it does, under Federal Law it must come with an MSDS data sheet), all you are doing is wasting your money on some basically worthless elixir that does nothing but what the maker claims. I don't add anything to my bulk diesel but a MSDS certified biocide. Been down the algae road before and remediation isn't a cheap date and I'll let it go at that.

 

[5030]

I think we can all agree that diesel lasts longer than gasoline, right?

Well, I have a car that was most recently filled up on 5-30-23 and it still ran fine on 12-11-24 when I changed the oil in it.

It'll have to get fresh gas next time it's driven, if for no other reason because there's barely enough left to make it to the gas station.

If it's corn squeezed gas (Ethanol) don't expect it to last a long time. E-gas is prone to phase separation and that is what gums up fuel systems. Stuff is Federally mandate crap.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

If it's corn squeezed gas (Ethanol) don't expect it to last a long time. E-gas is prone to phase separation and that is what gums up fuel systems. Stuff is Federally mandate crap.

Yeah, it's the basic up to 10% stuff, but thankfully Star Tron seems to overcome that. Heck, even Stabil keeps gas from stratifying for two years I've found.

Come to think of it, the 200 gallon tank's contents must be about two years old by now, yet the more sensitive vehicles that gets fed from it haven't started to complain yet.

 

[Chewwy]

Currently burning home heating oil that I bought march of 2020. Its stored just like alot of fuel..in a 275gal tank outside and not covered.

My pump has a goldenrod filter with clear bowl..its clean and the tank is 1/2 used. I should run out of fuel in year 2031-2032.

My aunt went into assisted living several years ago. I had power of attorney for her and was in the process of cleaning out her home and property to put it up for sale.

There was an old home heating oil tank sitting outside that was about 1/2 full of kerosene (~125 gal). I was very concerned about the structural integrity of the old galvanized tank. That tank and its contents have been sitting there since the early 70s when my aunt had central gas heat installed and the old oil heater removed (i.e., 50 year old kerosene).

Saw an ad on Craigslist for a guy willing to take and dispose of the tank in exchange for the fuel. Even knowing the age of the fuel, he pumped it to another tank and then hauled the old tank off.

Talked to him about a week later. He said the kerosene was just fine, clear and bright. He mixed it with diesel fuel and used it in several older tractors. No problem with the 50 year old kerosene.

 

[ritcheyvs]

If there are no signs of algae growing in the fuel, I would not hestitate to use it. I am currently running fuel in a diesel tractor that I loaded up from out in the middle of the field where the tractor sat for a minimum of 5 years. It was clear, didn't have any algae growing, and I had already gotten it running on that fuel before I even thought that I should have changed it out. That was a year ago, and since I don't run that tractor much, it is still on that tank. I pulled that tractor out last week just to drive it around and my Bride made the comment "I didn't even know that tractor ran"!!! which shows you how much it gets used.
David from jax

Right. Diesel lasts Much longer than gasoline (especially the crap they sell now).
Larger power boats hold hundreds of gallons of Diesel which can be in the tanks for years. When it gets funky (or just old) commercial companies can "polish" it by running it through filter banks to remove water, microbes, and whatever solids it may contain. Not cheap but much cheaper than replacing that much fuel.
Water and air can make Diesel old. Diesel in sealed, completely full, metal containers can last a long time.

 

[mike5511]

Got news for you... If the stuff you are adding don't explicitly state on the bottle that it contains a biocide (and if it does, under Federal Law it must come with an MSDS data sheet), all you are doing is wasting your money on some basically worthless elixir that does nothing but what the maker claims. I don't add anything to my bulk diesel but a MSDS certified biocide. Been down the algae road before and remediation isn't a cheap date and I'll let it go at that.

Which biocide do you use?