Diesel algae treatment products

[cerlawson]

I've been using STA-BIL BIOCIDE and not sure it is any good. Have had BX tractor filters plug at few hours use as little (as 20 hrs) from something, but opening them up I see nothing significant.

Leaving the container in the garage at 45 degrees it gels up and won't pour.

Any thoughts?

 

[tempforce]

how much fuel is in your container(s), each, so we know how to answer your question.
you can thin #2 diesel with kerosine making it into #1 diesel. that will lower the temp the fuel gels.
also there is additives you can use to thin diesel, found at a truck stop..
i use a biocide, i think it's made by power service, picked it up at a truck stop..

 

[Mike9]

That shouldn't be happening at 45 deg. My son's outfit uses Diesel 911 and they swear by it. It will dissolve gelled diesel.

 

[sheepfarmer]

The additives used to stop the fuel from gelling in the cold are different from those that kill algae. I think CER is talking about his bottle of undiluted Sta-bil.

The Stabil biocide according to the material safety data sheet is to be used within 12 months, and itself can develop crystals which can be dissolved by warming. It says to avoid temperature below 50 deg F. It is really flammable and toxic, so don't even think of taking it in the kitchen and warming it up

CER I can't easily attach the pdf, google Sta-bil material safety data sheet to see. Your particular bottle may be ok or maybe it should be disposed of, which is another even bigger problem. If fuel gelling is a separate problem you would need another product for that. There are a couple of brands that do both, not sure names right now, but Messick's sells one.

 

[cerlawson]

I'll explain. The STA-BIL Diesel Biocide is in a container of 16 fluid ounces. It is in its container that it jells up. Turning the container upside down, nothing happened. Seemed like it was solid. I don't know if it jells or messes up in the 5 gallon diesel fuel container that I dump about 0.6 ounces into for getting a 1,000 ppm mix. However, recently I had to drain the 5 gallon tank of the BX to try to run down the frequent plugging. I emptied the tank down into another container, by letting it run through the first stage filter. Upon tearing open the first stage filter, I only found a small fleck of something, maybe 1/8" or little more wide.

I then rattled around in the tank a chain, some nuts and sloshed in about a 1 quart of diesel periodically and dumping that. A few small things came with the diesel, but might have been in my collection tank before. .Couldn't pick these things out. I saw no jelled stuff in the 5 gallons I drained from the BX via its filter.

However, now I took the 12 oz supply container in the house to let it warm up. Gradually it became more fluid, but not totally for at least most of the day. I wonder if there is some separation going on. Passing a light through it, I see no separation.

I do not recall this 12 oz container of the stuff jelling up before, but most of the weather conditions were Summer temps.

 

[Ike]

If it is jelled up in the bottle no way would I put it in my tank. I would switch to power service as mine stayed liquid at -40. If you line jelled up use 911 and let it set for a couple of minutes after you pour it in. It cleans everything right out

 

[coachgeo]

If it is jelled up in the bottle no way would I put it in my tank. I would switch to power service as mine stayed liquid at -40. If you line jelled up use 911 and let it set for a couple of minutes after you pour it in. It cleans everything right out

If I'm not mistaken "power service" you refer to (Power Service Diesel Clean) is NOT an algicide. It is a Cetane booster and injector cleaner. VERY different chemical composition and not comparable to the OP's product.

 

[sheepfarmer]

If I'm not mistaken "power service" you refer to (Power Service Diesel Clean) is NOT an algicide. It is a Cetane booster and injector cleaner. VERY different chemical composition and not comparable to the OP's product.

Powerservice makes two separate products for the two purposes. I bought them, one for algae and one that boosts cetane to combat gelling. As far as I can tell they work ok, but I have had neither a problem with gelling nor algae, was just "insurance". I forget exact names, they are out in the barn. I think I got them at O'Reilly's.

 

[Ike]

If I'm not mistaken "power service" you refer to (Power Service Diesel Clean) is NOT an algicide. It is a Cetane booster and injector cleaner. VERY different chemical composition and not comparable to the OP's product.

Power service makes Bio Cide for alage and the other I don't remember the name is for water. The 911 if for real cold weather and if jelling is already there. I have used both for years with no problems. I always keep 11 on the shelf in case of a jelling problem

 

[mikes1165]

How critical is using a biocide? I've been running two diesel tractors for 30 years and two diesel trucks for 10 years. Never used it and never had a problem.

 

[coachgeo]

How critical is using a biocide? I've been running two diesel tractors for 30 years and two diesel trucks for 10 years. Never used it and never had a problem.

Matters where you live and or how long your diesel sits around at your place or at the fuel station you buy it. Apparently not an issue for you.

It grows to more an issue the higher the humidity gets where the fuel sits..... and/or how long the fuel sits.

Tons of information about when, why, where to use it it all over the net. Numerous threads on the topic (some recent) here at OTT too.

 

[Ike]

I have been around diesels for about 40 years and up until 10 years ago I never heard about anything growing in diesel fuel. Only you can make the choice to use it or not. Price the fuel filters for your tractor and figure you will need a bunch if you ever get alage or spend the 40.00 for one bottle of treatment which lasts for many gallons of fuel and compare the cost. In my case my filter for my skid steer cost about 30.00 each and I fought this stufff for almost a year. I went into the dealer and bought a case of filters. the first thing the parts guy said you must have an alage problem. Told to take a look in the back and they had a line of the big NH 4X4 tractors lined up with the same problem. I figure it cost me around 500.00 in filters alone to solve the problem

 

[Sammy3700]

From what I have been told the reason it only surfaced around 10 yrs ago is the federal gov. made the fuel refineries remove all the sulfur. Fact or fiction is beyond me I have a friend that is the manager of our local Exxon distribution plant is where I heard this.

 

[Gundoctor]

We use nothing but "K-100" treatment. Better than Power Service. Here in Vermont it can go down to -40'.

http://k-100.com/

Dave

 

[Blkvoodoo]

I usually pour 1/4-1/2 bottle of Sea Foam in the fuel tank when I fill, I haven't had problems with the filter(s) I added a secondary ) clogging up with gel since I started doing this.

readily available and no more expensive than a fuel filter.

I have added it after the fact and it seemed to have dissolved the gel blocking the filter as well.

the best cure is to not let the machine sit, and keep fresh fuel in it all the time, but thats not that case for many of us that only use them for yard maintenance not daily operations.

 

[Ike]

I usually pour 1/4-1/2 bottle of Sea Foam in the fuel tank when I fill, I haven't had problems with the filter(s) I added a secondary ) clogging up with gel since I started doing this.

readily available and no more expensive than a fuel filter.

I have added it after the fact and it seemed to have dissolved the gel blocking the filter as well.

the best cure is to not let the machine sit, and keep fresh fuel in it all the time, but thats not that case for many of us that only use them for yard maintenance not daily operations.

Alage and gelling are 2 different things. One is easy to fix and the other not so easy

 

[Blkvoodoo]

Alage and gelling are 2 different things. One is easy to fix and the other not so easy

It's happening in the middle of July and will stop the machine, when trying to clean out the fuel filter bowl, it's like jelly, change out the filters, it runs fine, until it sits again for a period of time.

adding the SeaFoam has dissolved the "jelly" and allows the machine to run.

I'm aware of the "algae" issue, I see it often in a lot of the equipment I work on that doesn't get fuel cycled thru it enough, as well as the store tanks those machines a fed from. I treat those with a Biocide, as I do with my own junk.

SeaFoam is easy to obtain, a most hardware and auto parts store will have it.

end all be all, no,

a method to get things going on a Saturday afternoon, absolutely.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

When we had bugs in the lube oil at the power plant we first killed the bugs and then filtered out the slime. The filter system had its own circulating pump and piping that was separate from the lube oil pumps and piping to the turbine generator. We filtered and cleaned the oil before running the turbine generator. If you have a pump and filter system you could hook up to the fuel tank and recirculate the fuel without running the tractor, you could filter at a higher rate and use cheaper filters.
Just a thought an external filter and pump could be handy at times.

 

[Tx Jim]

From what I have been told the reason it only surfaced around 10 yrs ago is the federal gov. made the fuel refineries remove all the sulfur. Fact or fiction is beyond me I have a friend that is the manager of our local Exxon distribution plant is where I heard this.

Back when I was a dealer service manager (mid 70's-late 80's) I remember servicing a couple of tractors that had algae in the fuel tanks. I think removal of sulfur has made algae in diesel more prominent.