VERY VERY COLD

frank_f15 · Dec 20, 2004

TEMP GOT TO -2 DEG LAST NIGHT. althogh i did not have to plow went out and started the tractor, 10 sec on the glow plugs and she fired right up (tractor is kept in unheated garage) my question or comment is , i have never added anti gelling to diesel, why don't i have that problem and why do others have it?

KiotiJohn · Dec 20, 2004

Most likely you have purchased diesel fuel that is a winter blend already. It has a certain amount of kerosene content if I remember right. If you were to be using a summer blend, you would most likely be gelling (and I don't mean the things you put in your shoes!). John

rope1 · Dec 20, 2004

How long did you run your tractor for and how hard were you working it?

SacandagaBrad · Dec 21, 2004

We had similar temps that night, around -6, and I had no problems either. Its the winter blend from the pump for road use that works well for me. Its already conditioned, and for the little bit my TC24 uses, the road taxes are insignificant. Last year the coldest I ran was about -25 with a long hard run blowing snow banks, no problems. Yesterday I ran for about two hours moving firewood and light plowing.

When I worked heavy construction, the machines that gelled were the ones we topped off with straight heating oil (non-taxed off road diesel) when the heating oil truck came to the job site. If you didn't add conditioner, -20 would make your fuel filters look like they had vasaline in them. Not very productive days when it takes till noon to get the equipment running.

As far as the current weather goes, I'm bummed! It is supposed to get up to the mid 40's and rain later this week. So much for a white Christmas /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Maybe we'll get hammered with some real winter next week.

Brad

ByronBob · Dec 21, 2004

About -7 Deg here Frank. Although so far the snow has been manageable. I brought the tractor up next to the house near a plug for the block heater just in case.

Boondox · Dec 21, 2004

Minus 27 here last night and Clementine fired right up, but then I use a block heater in the winter months. I use Stanadyne in my diesel. Never had a problem without it but it pours noticably easier with it so for $7.50 a year's supply why not? Pete

JimR · Dec 21, 2004

-4 this morning and going up to 30 later in the day. When is spring coming? I have a lot of outside work to do.

RedDog · Dec 21, 2004

(

As far as the current weather goes, I'm bummed! It is supposed to get up to the mid 40's and rain later this week. So much for a white Christmas /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Maybe we'll get hammered with some real winter next week. )

It was minus 5 here yesterday, but 27 right now. We are under a winter storm watch for wednesday to thursday. Calling for 6" to 10" (if) it tracks right.

Maybe it'll move east and you'll get your white Christmas! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

RedDog

frank_f15 · Dec 21, 2004

ran it for about 1/2 hour most of it was warm up time and just a few min with cleaning up the drive a bit.

OkeeDon · Dec 21, 2004

From time to time, I like to tease you guys by slipping in a note about Florida weather when you're complaining about how it is Up North. But right now, I'm not happy with your weather, because it has spilled over. It has been COLD here for the last couple of days.

Now, let me hasten to say, it's certainly a different cold. It's currently 63 degrees at 10:00 AM, but the humidity is 72%, the dew point is 54, and it feels like the low 30's. And, that's really cold when you're used to high 70's! But, the real similarity is inside the house -- we're reluctant to fire up our expensive and inefficient electric hot air heat, so the temperature inside the house is 67 degrees at the moment and that, combined with the humidity, is probably colder than a lot of you guys Up North. I have on long pants and a sweat shirt for the first time this year, and I'm shivering.

Relief is on the way, however. They're promising 70's later today or tomorrow at the latest. C'mon down!

Kiohio · Dec 21, 2004

Have you got everything plugged in or in a warm spot?
-2 here 12/20 6 am.....The Dodge fired right up.

I was impressed.
You need another DK65

KO

PBinWA · Dec 21, 2004

OkeeDon:

Take it from a canuck - it's all about layers. Two socks on each foot is better than one thick sock.

67 inside the house sounds just right for me. I almost died when I lived in Orlando for 2 years.

Wife wants to move to MS so which might be a good middle ground for both of us.

; )

Boondox · Dec 21, 2004

( -4 this morning and going up to 30 later in the day. When is spring coming? I have a lot of outside work to do. )

Jim -- I personally really enjoy winter. The rest of the year those outside chores keep me going from sunup to sunset, but in winter I get to fire up the wood stove and play in my shop for hours on end. It's the only play time I get these days! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Pete

Boondox · Dec 21, 2004

( From time to time, I like to tease you guys by slipping in a note about Florida weather when you're complaining about how it is Up North. But right now, I'm not happy with your weather, because it has spilled over. It has been COLD here for the last couple of days.

Now, let me hasten to say, it's certainly a different cold. It's currently 63 degrees at 10:00 AM, but the humidity is 72%, the dew point is 54, and it feels like the low 30's. And, that's really cold when you're used to high 70's! But, the real similarity is inside the house -- we're reluctant to fire up our expensive and inefficient electric hot air heat, so the temperature inside the house is 67 degrees at the moment and that, combined with the humidity, is probably colder than a lot of you guys Up North. I have on long pants and a sweat shirt for the first time this year, and I'm shivering.

Relief is on the way, however. They're promising 70's later today or tomorrow at the latest. C'mon down!
)

Don -- We heat with wood, and though we have a Monitor heater in the far end of the house, the Yankee thriftiness in us prevents my wife and I from using it much. We have the thermostat set at 54, except from 6-7 am when it nudges us up to 62.

Every other December we visit the father-in-law down in Daytona Beach. Coming from single digits to the fifties it feels like a heat wave to us. Tamara and I walk happily on the deserted beach, wearing shorts and t-shirts, while all the Floridians stare at us in horror from the comfort of their heated homes. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Of course come June, when the mercury climbs into the sixties, we Vermonters are sweating our buns off while all the tourists comment about the chilly weather...so I guess it works both ways.

Pete

rambler · Dec 21, 2004

( TEMP GOT TO -2 DEG LAST NIGHT. althogh i did not have to plow went out and started the tractor, 10 sec on the glow plugs and she fired right up (tractor is kept in unheated garage) my question or comment is , i have never added anti gelling to diesel, why don't i have that problem and why do others have it? )

Once the engine runs a while, most diesels bypass fuel back to the tank, & with the fuel tank behind the engine, they run ok one you get them up to temp. Unless you get the fuel filter out in the wind, no engine heat to it...

A diesel will run at 20 degrees, maybe 15 on straight #2 without gelling if you have a clean fuel filter.

I'll be because it was minus 2 outside, your shed was still above 10 degrees anyhow.

You might have a winter blend if you buy at the pump?

I usually get the tractor running in cold weather, the gelling shows up about 5 minutes later when I get out in the wind & I didn't let the engine warm up properly.

Some combo of the above let yours run fine.

--->Paul

JimR · Dec 21, 2004

(
Jim -- I personally really enjoy winter. The rest of the year those outside chores keep me going from sunup to sunset, but in winter I get to fire up the wood stove and play in my shop for hours on end. It's the only play time I get these days! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Pete )

Pete,

I don't really mind the winter. But my barn project is now on hold until spring. I need to shingle the south side of the barn roof. Shingles crack in this type of weather unless they are heated up. They would be cold by the time I climbed the ladder with them if I heated them up. Plus I want to pull all the siding off the south side of the barn to put on a layer of plwood and new pine siding. Then I need to replace all the flooring and floor joists on that side of the barn. Now maybe you might understand why I need spring to come soon. Then there is the old farmhouse project which I won't even get into at this point in time. That is where I will be spending my winter months restoring the inside of the place.
I also have a Monitor heater in my garage. It costs me about $5.00 day to heat my 26x30 2 story garage to 66 degrees 24/7. That is a very good heater.

OkeeDon · Dec 21, 2004

"Every other December we visit the father-in-law down in Daytona Beach. Coming from single digits to the fifties it feels like a heat wave to us." 

We hear that a lot from Winter visitors. However, I have to tell you that Daytona Beach is about 150 miles north of Vero Beach, and anything north of Vero Beach is "Up North" and waaaay too cold for us. We live about 20 miles south of Vero. Anything south of Vero is considered Tropical; it's roughly the line between plant zones 9 & 10.

frank_f15 · Dec 21, 2004

i always make sure to get fuel that is set for winter conditions, and i do buy road grade at the pump. from previous posts i think if the tractor starts and you let it warm up , jelling should not occour after that, or am i wrong on that?

Boondox · Dec 21, 2004

Argh! Essential outdoor chores in this type of weather are among the worst! When my wife and I are forced into heavy outside work this time of year mass quantities of beer are called for!

Pete

rozett · Dec 21, 2004

I went to college in Daytona and have always said that it was "five years in Purgatory". It was 8 below this morning when I put the horses out. Maybe Purgatory wouldn't be so bad now. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif