Winter diesel

[woody paul]

1 hour ago, aspenarb said:

The UK doesn’t really get the kind of cold snaps that would necessitate the use of winter diesel, 99% of the waxing problem is moisture in the fuel. If the holding tanks and the machine tanks/filter bowls are regularly drained of any water you shouldn’t get a problem.Water content is the main reason some machines suffer with waxing and others don’t.

 

Bob

I found this was the problem I was having, now remove fuel from storage tank with pump and water trap filter. 

The biggest problem I was having was chipper filter failing, I was using Fram filters switched to Mann a haven't had a problem between 6 month service change. 

[maybelateron]

3 hours ago, aspenarb said:

The UK doesn’t really get the kind of cold snaps that would necessitate the use of winter diesel, 99% of the waxing problem is moisture in the fuel. If the holding tanks and the machine tanks/filter bowls are regularly drained of any water you shouldn’t get a problem.Water content is the main reason some machines suffer with waxing and others don’t.

In addition, you can't beat keeping the diesel tank on the machine full, especially if it is a metal tank. limits how much condensation you get into the fuel.

[eggsarascal]

41 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

In addition, you can't beat keeping the diesel tank on the machine full, especially if it is a metal tank. limits how much condensation you get into the fuel.

Yep, always had problems with condensation in my narrowboat tank if it wasn't kept full, easier said than done in the winter due to maintenance stoppages on the network, couldn't get to a marina to top up or the fuel boats not being able to get to me.

[Steven P]

3 hours ago, maybelateron said:

In addition, you can't beat keeping the diesel tank on the machine full, especially if it is a metal tank. limits how much condensation you get into the fuel.

   Or... empty, drained and well vented.. which is a PITA - easier to keep full

[Rob_the_Sparky]

On 04/01/2025 at 10:58, GarethM said:

I'm no chemist, but anything that acts as a solvent will breakdown the molecule chain probably also making it more dangerous and able to be set alight.

That isn't how solvents work, you are merely putting a material into solution, not reacting with it to change it into a different substance.  Having said that there is a lot more than just octane, heptane, etc in petrol now so you may be right about it being a bad idea (back in the day my Dad added parafin to Diesel in winter for an old '68 landy, I guess that is similar to kerosene?)

[GarethM]

Your not just adding it tho are you, does winter diesel separate into fractions if left, no it doesn't or I would be required to mix my 2000l tank before use.

 

Therefore it's actually doing something to the chemical structure, ie making the longer chains slightly shorter as kerosene doesn't freeze until something like -30 and is why it's used in aircraft due to it's freezing point at altitude.

 

Use 2 stoke as an example, the oil and petrol don't combine. They mix but will separate if left, hence the mixing before use.

Edited 20 hours ago by GarethM