Do Not Use Biocide

[David M]

It's a bacteria whose food source is Diesel. Water is not a food source for anything because it contains no energy. Water acts as an electrolyte but that is different from a food source.

An interesting short article about the bacteria....
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...break-down-oil

[perchance]

I think many have the misconception that Biocide will magically make the **** in their tanks magically disappear. Biocide is a preventive, not a cure. You have to start with clean tanks.

[DeepFrz]

I think many have the misconception that Biocide will magically make the **** in their tanks magically disappear. Biocide is a preventive, not a cure. You have to start with clean tanks.

And you have to keep them clean. Tank cleaning as a matter of regular maintenance is one way. Filtering the fuel as it goes into the tank or fuel polishing systems that will agitate and clean all the fuel in a tank in a reasonable amount of time will both help.

It seems that the problem is getting worse. I certainly have no empirical evidence to that but we are certainly hearing about dirty fuel more now than in the past. Perhaps it is just because people are more aware of the problem or it may have something to do with the fuel itself but I am glad to see the problem being discussed more often.

[perchance]

I think fuel quality will decline as we we turn to poorer quality feed stocks.

[ATC]

We test thousands of gallons of diesel that is bacteria and fungal growth free but when we do find a sample that is contaminated the common element is water.

Maintaining a clean tank is not impossible just terribly difficult. I have pulled stainless welding tigs from fiberglass tanks that was inherited from a bulk fuel delivery. We find hundreds of foil seals that come from the fuel additive bottles. And we get calls to pump out water that a new deck hand accidentally dumped in the fuel. Then there is the gas station that just had a fuel truck leave prior to the boater pulling up. The gas companies are aware of the short comings and have adjusted to help minimize the heart aches but they still exist.

Bio-Diesel is becoming more available and they have been experimenting with ethanol blended diesel for you off-road users. You think we have problems now?

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by perchance

I think many have the misconception that Biocide will magically make the **** in their tanks magically disappear. Biocide is a preventive, not a cure. You have to start with clean tanks.

Biocide will kill what is alive in your fuel tanks and leave the bodies behind. Kind of like a Sylvester Stallone movie.

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

It seems that the problem is getting worse. I certainly have no empirical evidence to that but we are certainly hearing about dirty fuel more now than in the past. Perhaps it is just because people are more aware of the problem or it may have something to do with the fuel itself but I am glad to see the problem being discussed more often.

It is the low sulfur requirements. The sulfur ppm dropped to a 500 ppm max (marine fuel) back in 2007 (US & Canada) and will drop to 15 ppm next year. You may already be getting the ULSD at your local marina.

Ultra-low-sulfur diesel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is an excerpt from an article that talks about sulfur:

Fuel For Thought About Diesel Formulations

Since 2007, the anatomy of diesel fuel at the pumps has changed. And with these changes there are legitimate concerns that diesel vehicle owners (and engine builders) need to be aware of.

By Bob McDonald

Being in the diesel business the one complaint I hear most often from diesel owners is the famous question, “Why is diesel fuel so expensive?” After all, diesel fuel is not as high up the refinement ladder as gasoline. Consumers understand this and often wonder why there is a difference in price.

The question can be answered using just four letters: U, L, S and D. Separately, they’re just letters but together they stand for Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. In the United States diesel fuel used to have a sulfur limit of 500 ppm (parts per million). But with rising emissions standards on diesel engines, came lower sulfur limits in the fuel. When new emission standards were instituted in 2007, that limit was lowered to its current 15 ppm.

If it’s so important to cut it, why did diesel fuel have the sulfur to begin with? Sulfur plays a major role in its use for compression ignition combustion. It has been used in diesel fuel as a lubricator and cetane booster and has aided in the anti-jelling and microbe control found when diesel fuel is exposed to different climates and moisture. So having sulfur in your fuel actually offered a lot of advantages to a diesel engine’s life expectancy. Seeing the sulfur removed has been sort of like when the lead content in gasoline was taken away: good in many ways, bad in some others. Let’s explain sulfur’s importance to a diesel engine.....

Here is the rest of the article

Fuel For Thought About Diesel Formulations: Engine Builder

[DeepFrz]

Opie91, thanks for that link. Sheds some light on why the problem is getting worse. Ever since I experienced a fuel line blockage off the North West tip of Cuba I have been interested in fuel polishing systems. It seems the need is even greater for a polishing system now. And I guess the title of this thread should really be "Use a Diesel Fuel Lubricity Additive/Cetane Booster".