Winter diesel without headaches [Snow PUMP sub-thread]

[crazyal]

"It never failed me"

How would you know that?
We pour the stuff in and hope for the best.
There is really no way to know for sure if it really works or not.
The manufacturer says it does?
Same about STP also!

Most people buy power service to treat their fuel so it doesn't gel. One can easily tell if their fuel has gelled. As for the other features, who knows.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Wait....what?

Power Service has to be stored above freezing?

...but this is what you add to diesel so you can store and use below freezing?

Can anyone confirm?

Yes, that is the case. It is to prevent the formation of wax crystals when diesel is cooled. It works in a similar manner to antifreeze, which will freeze around -5F, unless mixed with water.

 

[Fallon]

"It never failed me"

How would you know that?
We pour the stuff in and hope for the best.
There is really no way to know for sure if it really works or not.
The manufacturer says it does?
Same about STP also!

Get a cup of plain diesel. Get a cup of diesel properly mixed with PS or whatever additive you are using. Put em in your freezer for a few hours & see if one or both gells. In theory the diesel will but treated won't. Most freezers should be around 0f.

But to some degree you are right about additives or even oil types & brands as well. There may be better alternatives but people evangelize what worked for them. They arent wrong as it worked, but better or worse alternatives may have worked equally well.

 

[dennyd]

I buy all my diesel in 5gal cans also, never have any water problems. Tractor is kept in a unheated machine shed. I use White bottle Power Service every time I fill the cans, winter or summer. Never would I fill my 200gal fuel tank with diesel fuel, I would expect nothing but water problems if I did. I don't use enough and water will find it's way inside the tank. I get my fuel from Cenex or the Dinosaur station. I have had my tractor outside so many times at -15-20 below i can't count that high and never a problem, oh and i don't throw my power service away just because it's half full either.

OP has some crap fuel and or storage problems. We go on winter blend here around 10-15 to Nov 1st.

 

[ruffdog]

Get a cup of plain diesel. Get a cup of diesel properly mixed with PS or whatever additive you are using. Put em in your freezer for a few hours & see if one or both gells. In theory the diesel will but treated won't. Most freezers should be around 0f.

All I had this year was summer fuel that had been treated per directions so I tested it in the freezer. It was definitely cloudy with swirls of wax particles and it was getting slightly thicker. Not good. I double treated it and it didn't help. Not good. I filled the tank with about 5 gal of winter fuel and retested and it was sorta better. I sucked out 10 gallons and threw in treated winter fuel. A retest shows clear fuel at zeroF. I'm happy now. I read the newer Toolcats have a much finer fuel filter so a person has to be careful with fuel in the winter. So far, the temps have been mild so shouldn't have a problem. I found out that the PS white bottle may help some with anti-gelling but it is no replacement for the correct blended fuel. It was a learning process...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Got a delivery today. Driver says fuel is full winter formula now, good to minus thirty something C. I won't be adding anything except lubricity additive to the machine being filled.

 

[oosik]

Thirty eight years now. I've always stored my diesel in WW11 Jerry cans. They are stored in my unheated shed. I always put PS white bottle in my diesel. I've never had problems with jelling or water in my diesel. I DO get my diesel from a station that always has fresh fuel.

I never use the last pint or so out of my Jerry cans. It goes into a separate jug for other uses. I've never seen water in this last pint. Just a case of being pro-active.