Diesel Additives

[DieselPower]

Dyed fuel plugging filters is a myth. ULSD and biodiesel plugging filters when you first change over is not a myth. Dyed fuel is no different other than the color. ULSD and biodiesel however have a higher natural sulvency and tend to break all the gunk and deposits loose in a fuel system and many people experience filter plugging within the first few tank fulls. After the system is run on it for a couple of tanks the gunk is cleaned out and the problem goes away.

 

[HGM]

Dyed fuel plugging filters is a myth. ULSD and biodiesel plugging filters when you first change over is not a myth. Dyed fuel is no different other than the color. ULSD and biodiesel however have a higher natural sulvency and tend to break all the gunk and deposits loose in a fuel system and many people experience filter plugging within the first few tank fulls. After the system is run on it for a couple of tanks the gunk is cleaned out and the problem goes away.

I dont believe its quite that simple.. The dyed fuel starts out the same, but the storage methods greate major trouble in ALOT of cases. The condensation from above ground tanks, rust, algea growth, separation of the fuel are all valid arguments against running it. However, if you can trust your suplier and the storage method, its just as good as the un dyed stuff..

As for Bio, having heard rumors of inavailability due to a cold snap here in Ga(30*F), I decided to test it.. I took a sample of 100% chicken fat bio diesel, 20% vegie, and ULSD and put all 3 in the freezer. After 1hr, the B100 was the consistancy of Jello and the others were still liquid. Over night, the B100 turned to a Crisco like lard while the B20 showed serious signs of thickening(similar to eggdrop soup). The ULSD remained as liquid as when I put it in the freezer which BTW gets down to -10*F. Not a scientific test by any means, but circumstances can play a huge roll in whether a fuel can cause trouble clogging filters.. The filteration is supposed to be the main issue with the Bio because of the chemical variation of its consistancy.. As I have been told anyhow, that topic is a bit over my head...

I dont totally disagree with your point, it just seemed a little cut and dry.. Hope you dont mind my addition..

BTW, I believe in the additives.. Good measure...

 

[DieselPower]

You will get 0 argument out of me on the problems with higher gell points in biodiesel and ULSD. This winter proved that in my area. Business was good for me as I sell fuel additives and the anti-gell additives were selling like hot cakes this winter.

As for the problems in fuel stored in above ground tanks, it's not the fuel's fault. You will also get no argument out of me about problems that can occur in storage but when the fuel was delivered (from a reliable source that is) it was just plain LSD or ULSD with red dye added. In my area red dyed off road fuel is ULSD fuel.

 

[HGM]

We're on the same page..

 

[Soundguy]

I'm sorry.. but that comment just is so way off target as to be virtually useless in this thread.

I'm not a DR.. but do KNOW that there are many situations where meds ARE prescribed BEFORE a problems develops. My wife travels to other countries frequently. You wouldn't believe the shopping list of prescrip. meds that are sugested for her to get, and have on hand.. or take preemptively when she goes to certain areas. not to mention the vaccines she needs.

So to answer your question.. YES.. in some cases.. meds are prescribed before symptoms appear. See what i mean.. this message didn't add a whole lot to the fuel oil discussiion did it?

Soundguy

You're a doctor, right? Would you prescribe medicine to people as a preventative before any symptoms of a problem occur or would you prescribe medicine to treat a specific problem once symptoms appear?

 

[DieselPower]

Well said Soundguy. I know when I was in the Army and got deployed down to Southern America I felt like a pin cushion. All the shots and pills were "preventative" type medication.

 

[N80]

You're a doctor, right?

Yes.

Would you prescribe medicine to people as a preventative before any symptoms of a problem occur

Yes.

would you prescribe medicine to treat a specific problem once symptoms appear?

Yes.

 

[N80]

My real farmer neighbors added Power Service (white bottles) to their diesel

So do the farmers I know, even my B-I-L who also does all his own tractor work. However, I don't think he has any special knowledge about additives and uses it for the same reason everyone else does, just hoping or expecting that it has some preventive utility. He puts something in his (very large) above ground tank too. I don't know what it is.

 

[N80]

I'm sorry.. but that comment just is so way off target as to be virtually useless in this thread.

I wasn't sure what his point was. Maybe he was saying that a doctor does prescribe preventive meds and that I should apply the same principle to my tractor. But, it wasn't clear.

I'm not a DR.. but do KNOW that there are many situations where meds ARE prescribed BEFORE a problems develops.

Yep, there are tons of medications used to prevent problems before they occur. Virtually all vaccines fit that description. Any number of meds are used to prevent stroke and heart attacks. There are meds that prevent blood clots, etc, etc.

 

[KICK]

I'm in awarm climate and about the only problem I've encountered with diesel fuel is when the vehicle sat for a long time and had some water in the tank, and algae formed.

my employer uses about 50,000 gallons a day, none of it is ever treated with anything. of course it don't sit very long either but they don't treat it.

I've even seen where some of our derelict vehicles have sat for several years and we needed to move them, they would still run on whatever had been sitting in the tfuel tank for all that time.

I guess what I'm trying to say is diesel fuel don't spoil. not very fast anyway.