Winter is coming!

[MapleLeafFarmer]

well... just like death and taxes, winter around these parts is inevitable.

This morning ground water puddles starting to freeze and the geese have left us.

Means for me the winter anti gel Power Service gets pulled out and added to all the diesel I have in machines and in tanks as I wait for the fuel stations to blend out the summer diesel and for my machines to work there way through the transition period of whats in their tanks now versus what should be in their tanks when the -30 days roll in.

Anyone want to throw a guess out there how many threads we will see this winter about winter fuel additives, gelled fuel, plugged fuel filter, et al related to the inevitable change of seasons?

cheers

 

[hagrid]

I thought this thread would be about Game Of Thrones.

 

[soloz2]

I was down for either topic.

That said, I’ve been wondering when to start adding anti gel to my fuel. This will be my first year with a diesel in my stable. I did start adding stabil to ethanol free gas for my mowers earlier this week and was thinking I’ll have to start adding anti gel to my diesel too. I need to find a good little measuring cup to measure out the adative.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I was down for either topic.

That said, I’ve been wondering when to start adding anti gel to my fuel. This will be my first year with a diesel in my stable. I did start adding stabil to ethanol free gas for my mowers earlier this week and was thinking I’ll have to start adding anti gel to my diesel too. I need to find a good little measuring cup to measure out the adative.

better to add it BEFORE you need it versus after fuel has gelled.

Can't circulate an additive while the fuel is gelled up.

 

[S-G-R]

I added anti gel to both the tractor and my fuel tank and am waiting for confirmation that winter fuel is here so I can get the tank filled.

 

[jimh406]

I'm not sure if winter is coming, but cold weather showed up here.

 

[DustyRusty]

I use Power Service in the white bottle year round, and home heating oil in place of diesel fuel. Never had a problem with my BX22 or my BX23S no matter how cold it gets. I don't even measure it, I just give it a shot like a bartender would do. It is so inexpensive to purchase I don't care if I am wasting some of it by overdosing on the fuel. I have an unopened bottle of Power Service Red 911 should I ever need it, and it has to be at least 8 or 10 years old sitting on the shelf. I only wish that it was around during the blizzard of 78, when my Mercedes diesel would start, but would gel as soon as I started driving. Back then, Mercedes had a fuel heater that the dealers could install on the hot water hoses to warm the fuel before it got to the injectors.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

In all my years I've never had a diesel gel on me and we get COLD!
I think it's because we only run #1 Diesel here year around.
There are too many High altitude logging trucks and equipment and they don't want to have down time with the cold.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

In all my years I've never had a diesel gel on me and we get COLD!
I think it's because we only run #1 Diesel here year around.
There are too many High altitude logging trucks and equipment and they don't want to have down time with the cold.

I have often wondered/thought the same thing when I read posts like this.

We probably don't get quite as cold as some of ya'll that are north of Michigan do, but I have seen my fair share of negative temps and I have never had a gelling problem. (yet)

Just lucky maybe?

 

[soloz2]

better to add it BEFORE you need it versus after fuel has gelled.

Can't circulate an additive while the fuel is gelled up.

That's what I figured. I'll probably add some this weekend. Thankfully, yesterday was almost 80. However, the low Monday is in the mid 30's.

 

[GreX]

I added anti gel to both the tractor and my fuel tank and am waiting for confirmation that winter fuel is here so I can get the tank filled.

Curious how you know or find out when the gas stations make the transition to winter diesel? Does it happen on a given month, or is it to the discretion of the gas stations?

 

[DustyRusty]

Curious how you know or find out when the gas stations make the transition to winter diesel? Does it happen on a given month, or is it to the discretion of the gas stations?

It is when the tank reaches a level that they need to call to bring it back up to full. Empty tanks collect moisture in them, and pumping the water out of the bottom of the tank gets expensive. This is why you should only purchase fuel from stations that sell a lot of volume of fuel. In some stations, the primary income is derived from selling fuel, and in others their primary income comes from repairs, and selling fuel is looked at as a convenience for the repair customer.

 

[The Evil Twin]

It isn't normally a problem until the fuel gets down to 15°f. It takes consistent air temps below that to suck the heat out of fuel.

 

[jimh406]

I actually don't know if we have Winter fuel or not. Here's a pretty decent article that describes the difference.

Avoid Cold Weather Diesel Problems

During cold temperatures, No. 2 diesel can look cloudy and develop crystals that plug your fuel filter. Avoid cold weather diesel problems with these tips.

www.chsmountainwest.com

 

[The Evil Twin]

Curious how you know or find out when the gas stations make the transition to winter diesel? Does it happen on a given month, or is it to the discretion of the gas stations?

November is usually the transition month for the US fuel stations. The refineries are already geared up for it. I don't know if there is a way to tell if your specific station has it yet or not.

 

[Bmyers]

Curious how you know or find out when the gas stations make the transition to winter diesel? Does it happen on a given month, or is it to the discretion of the gas stations?

The stations around here will have it posted on the pump that after xxx date they will be running winter mix fuel.

 

[Bmyers]

Winter arriving this weekend

 

[DustyRusty]

Winter arriving this weekend

View attachment 114672

I believe that this is where the expression "Colder than a witch's t*t" comes from.

 

[S-G-R]

Curious how you know or find out when the gas stations make the transition to winter diesel? Does it happen on a given month, or is it to the discretion of the gas stations?

A good friend owns the station so usually when he gets his statement it will state what it is.

 

[mcmxi]

Winter showed up here two days ago! I had 8" at the house by the time I got to do any snow removal. It's still snowing here but more like confectioner's sugar rather than big flakes.

I run Stanadyne all year round in all diesel and have done so for years. The only fuel related problem I've ever had was with blocked filters on the M1078 that I picked up at the docks in Tacoma last year and drove 600 miles home. I made the mistake of not bringing new filters with me, running the fuel too low, and possibly not flushing the tank prior to setting off. That vehicle had sat in Hawaii for years where high humidity leads to undesirable growth in fuel. It only had 4,500 miles on it when I picked it up and it's a 1998 model.