Is my diesel still usable?

[RandyT]

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.

My diesel is stored in an overhead tank, but it has one of those low pressure caps on the tank. So my diesel is under 3 psi of pressure at all times except when I draw out enough to remove the pressure and it will draw air in the vent but will go back to being pressurized when the temp changes.

 

[JRH02]

I normally have 250 gallon of red dyed diesel delivered when I need diesel. That will normally take me 4 years to use. I am not scared of using it even after that time

Yup. I just tapped a 55g drum that was filled with 'red' at the depot in Feb 2022 along with my 100g tank. Both the drum and the tank sit uncovered along the side of the trail to my shop. Exposed to all the elements. At the time I set them there I added conditioner and anti-fungal. The drum has been capped tight. Of course the tank breathes. I was actually more concerned about the tank as I got toward the bottom than I was about the drum. The old fuel runs just fine.

Gasoline... Now that's a different story.

 

[5030]

Which biocide do you use?

I use Powerservice Bio-Kleen and it's not cheap but every bottle comes with the required by law, MSDS cautionary label attached. There are other brand available as well but if there is no MSDS label on the bottle, it's not a biocide. I don't care what any manufacturer claims. Has to have the MSDS label or it's just phooey.

 

[mike5511]

I use Powerservice Bio-Kleen and it's not cheap but every bottle comes with the required by law, MSDS cautionary label attached. There are other brand available as well but if there is no MSDS label on the bottle, it's not a biocide. I don't care what any manufacturer claims. Has to have the MSDS label or it's just phooey.

I usually use BioBor JF but would trust the Powerservice product as well.

 

[5030]

Nothing to do with trust far as I'm concerned and all do to with what is in the bottle and more importantly the MSDS label because the chemical used to kill the algae can be harmful if ingested. If the Biobore has the label, it's good. If not, it's phooey and it's not sold around here but Bio Kleen is,

 

[ljgordon]

I found out, this weekend, that I left a couple of the plastic gas cans on my property, filled with diesel. They had the caps on and were under a tarp but I am concerned for 2 reasons.

1. The diesel is probably somewhere between 6-8 months old
2. Could it be contaminated with water in those conditions?

From what I read, diesel can last 6-12 months IF stored properly. I suspect the way mine was 'stored' does not qualify. If it is still potentially usable should I treat it with something that will disperse the water? I found this product Diesel Force Comprehensive Maintenance System

I found out, this weekend, that I left a couple of the plastic gas cans on my property, filled with diesel. They had the caps on and were under a tarp but I am concerned for 2 reasons.

1. The diesel is probably somewhere between 6-8 months old
2. Could it be contaminated with water in those conditions?

From what I read, diesel can last 6-12 months IF stored properly. I suspect the way mine was 'stored' does not qualify. If it is still potentially usable should I treat it with something that will disperse the water? I found this product Diesel Force Comprehensive Maintenance System

About 30 years ago I bought a filter. It does not allow trash, water nor anything else thru it except deisel and gas. About 5 years ago I had built up enough points at Kroger to get $1.00 per gallon off of fuel. In my car and tanks I got about 35 gallons. All was good until I got to the last tank. JD X324 mower, Honda Rancher AWD Kawasaki AWD. All went well until one at a time they quit running. I cleaned the carbs on all 3 4 or 5 times to no avail. Sent JD to JD. $268.00 plus labor later the JD ran. I got new carbs for th ATVs. In one of the gas cans I found 1/2 inch of fine dirt. THEREFORE: no gas or diesel goes in my vehicles without going thru that filter. No problems since.

 

[RjCorazza]

About 30 years ago I bought a filter. It does not allow trash, water nor anything else thru it except deisel and gas. About 5 years ago I had built up enough points at Kroger to get $1.00 per gallon off of fuel. In my car and tanks I got about 35 gallons. All was good until I got to the last tank. JD X324 mower, Honda Rancher AWD Kawasaki AWD. All went well until one at a time they quit running. I cleaned the carbs on all 3 4 or 5 times to no avail. Sent JD to JD. $268.00 plus labor later the JD ran. I got new carbs for th ATVs. In one of the gas cans I found 1/2 inch of fine dirt. THEREFORE: no gas or diesel goes in my vehicles without going thru that filter. No problems since.

I got stung by the same thing several years ago. A relatively high volume consumer fuel station had left several inches of dirt and very small gravel in my transfer tank. This buildup may have occurred over a year or so, but who knows. The tank was only fueled at this one station, but never again.
Also, FYI... my Goldenrod 10u water and particulate filter passed a slug of dirt into my tractor. I literally saw the brown stream as I was fueling. Over several months the Racor 2u tractor mounted filter cleared it up.
I don't know why the Goldenrod passed the slug of straight dirt, but I suspect the dirt level was up to the 2" elevated intake tube and the filter just couldn't deal with straight sediment. I added a secondary 2u filter on the transfer tank.
I now check my low point transfer tank drain once a year or so.

 

[mike5511]

Nothing to do with trust far as I'm concerned and all do to with what is in the bottle and more importantly the MSDS label because the chemical used to kill the algae can be harmful if ingested. If the Biobore has the label, it's good. If not, it's phooey and it's not sold around here but Bio Kleen is,

I order mine from Amazon. BioBor jf is cheaper.
For 100 gallons of fuel, you'd typically add 2.6 fl oz of Biobor JF for a 270 ppm treatment or 1.3 fl oz for a 135 ppm treatment.

Elaboration:
The dosage of Biobor JF depends on the desired treatment level (270 ppm or 135 ppm), and the amount of fuel being treated.

• 270 ppm (Shock Treatment): Requires 2.6 fluid ounces of Biobor JF per 100 gallons of fuel.
• 135 ppm (Maintenance Treatment): Requires 1.3 fluid ounces of Biobor JF per 100 gallons of fuel.

These dosages assume a fuel density of 6.7 pounds per gallon, which is common for aviation fuels like Jet A. For more precise calculations, you can use the weight-based formulas provided in the Biobor JF documentation.

To treat 100 gallons of diesel fuel with Power Service BioKleen, you'll need 16 ounces of the product. This is the recommended dosage for a "shock treatment" to kill microbes. If you need to maintain a clean fuel tank, you would need to add 1 ounce of BioKleen per 55 gallons.

Just fyi

 

[5030]

I got stung by the same thing several years ago. A relatively high volume consumer fuel station had left several inches of dirt and very small gravel in my transfer tank. This buildup may have occurred over a year or so, but who knows. The tank was only fueled at this one station, but never again.
Also, FYI... my Goldenrod 10u water and particulate filter passed a slug of dirt into my tractor. I literally saw the brown stream as I was fueling. Over several months the Racor 2u tractor mounted filter cleared it up.
I don't know why the Goldenrod passed the slug of straight dirt, but I suspect the dirt level was up to the 2" elevated intake tube and the filter just couldn't deal with straight sediment. I added a secondary 2u filter on the transfer tank.
I now check my low point transfer tank drain once a year or so.

Nothing beats a Racor as you well know.

 

[5030]

I order mine from Amazon. BioBor jf is cheaper.
For 100 gallons of fuel, you'd typically add 2.6 fl oz of Biobor JF for a 270 ppm treatment or 1.3 fl oz for a 135 ppm treatment.

Elaboration:
The dosage of Biobor JF depends on the desired treatment level (270 ppm or 135 ppm), and the amount of fuel being treated.

• 270 ppm (Shock Treatment): Requires 2.6 fluid ounces of Biobor JF per 100 gallons of fuel.
• 135 ppm (Maintenance Treatment): Requires 1.3 fluid ounces of Biobor JF per 100 gallons of fuel.

These dosages assume a fuel density of 6.7 pounds per gallon, which is common for aviation fuels like Jet A. For more precise calculations, you can use the weight-based formulas provided in the Biobor JF documentation.

To treat 100 gallons of diesel fuel with Power Service BioKleen, you'll need 16 ounces of the product. This is the recommended dosage for a "shock treatment" to kill microbes. If you need to maintain a clean fuel tank, you would need to add 1 ounce of BioKleen per 55 gallons.

Just fyi

BioKleen is a mile away and handy for me. Amascon is longer.

Actually because I treat continually, my dosage is low.

Like I said, been down the algae highway before and it was not a cheap date either.