catmandoo
Well-Known Member
Anybody got "direct "experience of using Fuel Doctor on Diesel / diesel tanks re treating Cladosporium resinae contamination and engine performance ?
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Experience of using Fuel Doctor on Diesel
- Thread starter catmandoo
- Start date
rosamaldon
Member
Take it from one who knows from bitter recent experience that if you've got the bug it's too late. Have the tank emptied , cleaned , vacuumed and otherwise left spotless . The bug will die and sink to the bottom , it will lie there patiently waiting for the most awkward moment only for it's earthly remains to be wafted through the system and into your primary filter. There it will party with all it's friends and relations until the filter is u/s , your engine will cough at first causing worried looks from all aboard and all directed towards the skipper. You may utter some words of early English not heard on Time Team and then you will wish you had cleaned the tank rather than killing the bug. Thereafter you will keep the tank as full as possible to reduce condensation , the bacteria lives in the water/fuel interface, you will check your filter/seperator before every trip and draw off any water/debris. You will be careful where you buy your fuel , do they take care of their fuel , does your fuel filler leak water into the tank ? All these things and more you will pay attention to and hopefully you will escape the wrath of the diesel monster and you will not lose your engine on a cold and windless day in November and have to ask Thames Coastguard if they can ask those very nice people of the RNLI to send the Walton lifeboat to your assistance. Please note that lifeboat crews can eat unlimited quantites of bacon sandwiches whilst proving that we are the luckiest sailors in the world to have them available to help us when we cock up.
Wander down to your local lifeboat station and ask the engineer what filter system they use on board. They have double filters with changeovers so that if one is blocked the engine can keep running while they change the filter. I'm fitting a smaller day tank pump fed via another filter from the bilge tank to actually feed the engine. I want to see how much fuel there is the tank without having to lift the carpets and floorboards and squint into the fuel dipstick hole by the light of a torch hanging on with my teeth like some demented mime artist . On top of this system we are fitting a device popular in the USA , see link ...http://www.sunshinemaritime.co.uk/DIESELCRAFT.htm
which is getting very good reviews . We all run our boats , or most of us anyway , with management looking over our shoulders and counting the pennies. This , along with many others , is not the time to be shy of spending money (ask for a Sea Safety check from the RNLI and add up the reasons). I was lucky , I had a professional pilot on board who knew all the drills plus a good friend who can produce bacon sandwiches at a rate to satisfy even the RNLI. We were miles out at the extremity of the Thames Estuary , 2 hours to sunset , no wind and very little tide. We had plenty of stores , a well found boat and good communications but the bacteria stopped us in our tracks . Clean fuel in a clean tank , don't rely on additives or you'll be cooking bacon and then only if you are as lucky as we were. Things could have been a lot worse only hours earlier off the Goodwins , the bug may be dead but it's remains live on !
Good luck
Lloyd
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Wander down to your local lifeboat station and ask the engineer what filter system they use on board. They have double filters with changeovers so that if one is blocked the engine can keep running while they change the filter. I'm fitting a smaller day tank pump fed via another filter from the bilge tank to actually feed the engine. I want to see how much fuel there is the tank without having to lift the carpets and floorboards and squint into the fuel dipstick hole by the light of a torch hanging on with my teeth like some demented mime artist . On top of this system we are fitting a device popular in the USA , see link ...http://www.sunshinemaritime.co.uk/DIESELCRAFT.htm
which is getting very good reviews . We all run our boats , or most of us anyway , with management looking over our shoulders and counting the pennies. This , along with many others , is not the time to be shy of spending money (ask for a Sea Safety check from the RNLI and add up the reasons). I was lucky , I had a professional pilot on board who knew all the drills plus a good friend who can produce bacon sandwiches at a rate to satisfy even the RNLI. We were miles out at the extremity of the Thames Estuary , 2 hours to sunset , no wind and very little tide. We had plenty of stores , a well found boat and good communications but the bacteria stopped us in our tracks . Clean fuel in a clean tank , don't rely on additives or you'll be cooking bacon and then only if you are as lucky as we were. Things could have been a lot worse only hours earlier off the Goodwins , the bug may be dead but it's remains live on !
Good luck
Lloyd
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DepSol
Well-Known Member
Its not Claudiosporum resinae any more it is called Hormoconosis resinae. Fuel Doctor from what I understand is a water remover. Chris Roos from Express lube posts on here so can help you with that as well as cleaning out your tank if thats what you want but there are other ways to overcome a fuel bug problem.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
DepSol
Well-Known Member
You may have had a bitter experience but you certainly do not know much (apart from your own tale) about this subject.
Once you have the bug its not too late and several people on here can vouch for that. Because its dead in the bottom does notmean it cant be disposed of during filtration. DONT rely on additives you say, well if you had been a wise man and had been using Soltron regularly you would not have been in this position and not be telling your tales of woe here and now. Just dose the tank every time you fill up and forget about it.
So I hear you talking about the RNLI and bacon sandwiches. well lets talk about the RNLI and fuel contamination that keeps coming back because it has become immune to the Biocide they use. The engineer in charge gets nervous as his boat is having big trouble so calls a friend who recommends him to use Soltron. In no time at all the problem has gone and the engineer and crew are happy again.
Before you harp on about biocides and such please note this is an enzyme product and works diffrently to all the others out there. Soltron has passed all the Military spec and filtration tests and has been Lab tested by a lab with a doctorate that is associated with fuels and also fueltestin centres for the MOD and aviation authority. Soltron now has its own NATO stock number to prove that we have completed all the requirements for the MoD.
I would say lucky youfor getting saved and good on the RNLI but your summary is ncorrect. Best of luck in the future and I hope you dont get it again.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
Once you have the bug its not too late and several people on here can vouch for that. Because its dead in the bottom does notmean it cant be disposed of during filtration. DONT rely on additives you say, well if you had been a wise man and had been using Soltron regularly you would not have been in this position and not be telling your tales of woe here and now. Just dose the tank every time you fill up and forget about it.
So I hear you talking about the RNLI and bacon sandwiches. well lets talk about the RNLI and fuel contamination that keeps coming back because it has become immune to the Biocide they use. The engineer in charge gets nervous as his boat is having big trouble so calls a friend who recommends him to use Soltron. In no time at all the problem has gone and the engineer and crew are happy again.
Before you harp on about biocides and such please note this is an enzyme product and works diffrently to all the others out there. Soltron has passed all the Military spec and filtration tests and has been Lab tested by a lab with a doctorate that is associated with fuels and also fueltestin centres for the MOD and aviation authority. Soltron now has its own NATO stock number to prove that we have completed all the requirements for the MoD.
I would say lucky youfor getting saved and good on the RNLI but your summary is ncorrect. Best of luck in the future and I hope you dont get it again.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
rosamaldon
Member
Unfortunately had only had the boat a week so didn't really have achance to use anything on a regular basis and as the tank is stuck in the bilge with the only available observation hatch being the dipstick hole of less than 1" wasan't able to see using mk1 eyeball. Also no matter what you use in the tank I still maintain there's no excuse for sloppy house keeping. I've spoken to many people on this subject of late and I don't think I had the same answer twice so I'll rely on starting with a clean tank , then at least two filters , a separate tank that I can check visually , drain and clean on a regular basis and then a centrifuge from Dieselmaster but as to additives , then the one used by ExpressLube sounds the best and have already spoken to them at great length so perhaps not quite as ignorant as you may think. Perhaps as a distributor you might be just a tiny bit biased .
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by rosamaldon on 02/12/2004 19:50 (server time).</FONT></P>
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by rosamaldon on 02/12/2004 19:50 (server time).</FONT></P>
pappaecho
Well-Known Member
I have just bought a 22 years old boat with a 33 gallon tank half full - The stainless tank is coming out regardless, it will be cleaned including steam cleaning, and it will have a dualled filter system on the basis of one blocked and one half blocked!
<hr width=100% size=1>Def: Yachting - a way of spending the kids inheritance
<hr width=100% size=1>Def: Yachting - a way of spending the kids inheritance
catmandoo
Well-Known Member
I have Soltron but it is mainly Kerosene ie jetfuel and thus a flammable liquid Class 3 Hazard whereas Fuel Doctor seems to do the same thing and apparently can be transported without hesitation to foreign places etc
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DepSol
Well-Known Member
Ha ha Yes as a distributor I am a little biased however as mentioned before we have the creditation from the people who matter in the industry to say ours works. The other thing that made me laugh about your comment is that Expresslube are the distributor for Fuel Doctor so they are a little bit biased aswell...no?
Quoted from Expresslubes web site "If you know you have a contamination problem it is recommended to have Expresslube clean your fuel tank and polish the fuel before using Fuel Doctor's"
If it is better than Soltron why do you need to have the tank cleaned first? In aspects of very high contamination I can understand however, we have had 50% contaminated fuel tanks dispersed over night to alow a cruise in company alll go together from Brixham to Jersey the next day without changing a filter.
You pays your money and its up to you. I am purely giving you the facts and wishing you the best. Fuel contamination is a nasty thing and I hope you never experience it again but I still think you are just as naive as I did before although you have done some research.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
Quoted from Expresslubes web site "If you know you have a contamination problem it is recommended to have Expresslube clean your fuel tank and polish the fuel before using Fuel Doctor's"
If it is better than Soltron why do you need to have the tank cleaned first? In aspects of very high contamination I can understand however, we have had 50% contaminated fuel tanks dispersed over night to alow a cruise in company alll go together from Brixham to Jersey the next day without changing a filter.
You pays your money and its up to you. I am purely giving you the facts and wishing you the best. Fuel contamination is a nasty thing and I hope you never experience it again but I still think you are just as naive as I did before although you have done some research.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
DepSol
Well-Known Member
Seems to do the same thing hmmmm alot of things in life do seem to do the same thing A Mclaren Mercedes seems to do the same job as a Ferrari but who won the championship and the constructors title.
Yes our failing is in carriage as it is listed as Class 3 Packing Group III UN 1993 so is banned from aircraft unless it is checked and contained properly. We do air freight to some countries and yes Fuel Sets synthetic solvents dont carry any hazardous properties but Soltrons carries all the test passes in a industry where there are 50 other products claiming to do the same thing. There is a difference between claiming and actually proving.
One advantage with Soltron over these synthetic solvents is that when you purchase your RACOR filter and pay that little bit extra for quality you an guarantee that Soltron will not break down the special lining on these filters which help trap the water and stop filters collapsing or water passing through the system.
All the water gets trapped in the water trap where it is supposed to be. ask Racor, any product with synthetic solvents or water dispursers are not recommended for use with their filters and they will not pay out any claim associated with any fuel additive that does this.
You spend a bit extra for your filters why not look after them aswell, they are disposble but can last longer then a year with no problems. Alan Priddy went from Cardiff to Newfoundland (Round the World) and never changed his main fuel filter once, thats alot more mileage out of one filter than most people wil ever do. IThe filter was fine when he took it out and changed because th boat had been submerged in snow and ice so alot of things were checked and changed for the next stage of the Journey. We have many testimonies can te others say the same?
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
Yes our failing is in carriage as it is listed as Class 3 Packing Group III UN 1993 so is banned from aircraft unless it is checked and contained properly. We do air freight to some countries and yes Fuel Sets synthetic solvents dont carry any hazardous properties but Soltrons carries all the test passes in a industry where there are 50 other products claiming to do the same thing. There is a difference between claiming and actually proving.
One advantage with Soltron over these synthetic solvents is that when you purchase your RACOR filter and pay that little bit extra for quality you an guarantee that Soltron will not break down the special lining on these filters which help trap the water and stop filters collapsing or water passing through the system.
All the water gets trapped in the water trap where it is supposed to be. ask Racor, any product with synthetic solvents or water dispursers are not recommended for use with their filters and they will not pay out any claim associated with any fuel additive that does this.
You spend a bit extra for your filters why not look after them aswell, they are disposble but can last longer then a year with no problems. Alan Priddy went from Cardiff to Newfoundland (Round the World) and never changed his main fuel filter once, thats alot more mileage out of one filter than most people wil ever do. IThe filter was fine when he took it out and changed because th boat had been submerged in snow and ice so alot of things were checked and changed for the next stage of the Journey. We have many testimonies can te others say the same?
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
pvb
Well-Known Member
Save your money....
If your tank is thoroughly cleaned, and if you use a suitable additive, you shouldn't ever have another experience of being towed in by the RNLI. It would be sensible to fit a dual filter system, so that you have some fallback in the unlikely event of a filter becoming blocked again, but spending your hard-earned money on a Dieselcraft system would seem to be a waste. The Dieselcraft system is basically a fancy filter and some magnetic devices. There's absolutely no real-world evidence that magnetic devices do anything to positively affect the fuel. As far as the fancy filter goes, you've described it as a "centrifuge", but for this to work it would need a significant flow through it, and I doubt very much that your engine will demand enough fuel to create a worthwhile centrifuge effect.
I've experienced blocked filters and I've successfully used Soltron to clean up my fuel system (which includes an inaccessible fuel tank in the keel under the engine).
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If your tank is thoroughly cleaned, and if you use a suitable additive, you shouldn't ever have another experience of being towed in by the RNLI. It would be sensible to fit a dual filter system, so that you have some fallback in the unlikely event of a filter becoming blocked again, but spending your hard-earned money on a Dieselcraft system would seem to be a waste. The Dieselcraft system is basically a fancy filter and some magnetic devices. There's absolutely no real-world evidence that magnetic devices do anything to positively affect the fuel. As far as the fancy filter goes, you've described it as a "centrifuge", but for this to work it would need a significant flow through it, and I doubt very much that your engine will demand enough fuel to create a worthwhile centrifuge effect.
I've experienced blocked filters and I've successfully used Soltron to clean up my fuel system (which includes an inaccessible fuel tank in the keel under the engine).
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Marsupial
Well-Known Member
So Depsol may have an "interest" but Soltron and Fuel Set are non toxic and do work.
My experience of biocides is that the little sods that remain develop a resistance and then mutiply - so it doesn't work and its dangerous.
I use fuel set in all my engines petrol and diesel and oil fired boilers and it works - it does what it says on the tin. Boilers dont need servicing, engines run "better" and we are not troubled with fuel and filter problems.
There are lots of party tricks you can do with these additives but the most convincing (for me) is the wet diesel on cotton wool experiment. Try burning wet diesel on a piece of cotton wool, it splutters and spits, if you can get it to burn at all. Add some soltron or fuel set and repeat the experiment - the result speaks for itself - couple this clean burning with the effect it has on the bugs and its hard to argue against using it.
I have also used the stuff in big engines to get rid of water from gearboxes when the heat exchanger has leaked - and thats NOT on the tin!
By the way I have no "interest" in either product except as a very satisfied user.
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My experience of biocides is that the little sods that remain develop a resistance and then mutiply - so it doesn't work and its dangerous.
I use fuel set in all my engines petrol and diesel and oil fired boilers and it works - it does what it says on the tin. Boilers dont need servicing, engines run "better" and we are not troubled with fuel and filter problems.
There are lots of party tricks you can do with these additives but the most convincing (for me) is the wet diesel on cotton wool experiment. Try burning wet diesel on a piece of cotton wool, it splutters and spits, if you can get it to burn at all. Add some soltron or fuel set and repeat the experiment - the result speaks for itself - couple this clean burning with the effect it has on the bugs and its hard to argue against using it.
I have also used the stuff in big engines to get rid of water from gearboxes when the heat exchanger has leaked - and thats NOT on the tin!
By the way I have no "interest" in either product except as a very satisfied user.
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Evadne
Well-Known Member
I would second the recommendation of Soltron, and I too have no interest except as a user. I have had diesel bug problems, and found the run of the mill biocides having some effect, but despite cleaning the system they would come back. Cleaning the system only gets rid of what's in there, if you're thorough and include every pump and pipe up to the injector, but you can't deal with the bugs that you buy with your diesel in the first place. Since using Soltron this year I have had a noticable reduction in the numbers of coughs and splutters. I like the idea that it uses an enzyme, rather than a chemical toxin, which should reduce the build up of resistance.
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rosamaldon
Member
I think we may have misunderstood one another . I have never used Fuel Doctor and don't know anyone here that has , the basis of my first post was that , and ExpressLube confirm this , with a grossly contaminated tank whether from bugs , dead bugs , rust , dirt or water or a cocktail of all , there isn't a product on the market that will work without first cleaning the tank and the fuel. After we were towed into harbour I had a local diesel engineer look at the problem. He changed the primary filter which was full of what he described as treacle and the engine ran perfectly for 45 minutes and then stopped. Filter now same as the original. Changed the filter and the engine ran for 45 minutes and then stopped. Now I defy any additive to sort that problem out and so what I was saying was , first clean your tank , then practice good house-keeping . If Soltron is so good then I'll try it once the tank is cleaned and I have dual filters etc , perhaps not the Dieselcraft device as that seems to be decried by some posters althouigh if anyone out there has used one I would like to hear. I still maintain that minimising the risk of the problem should be the first line of defense , if we just use additives don't we risk problems later or does Soltron handle badly kept fuel , leaking fillers , rusting tanks etc etc. Please don't flame me again my post was meant to be a light hearted comment , self deprecating because I was the skipper of a boat that needed rescue by the RNLI and so was responsible but had a serious message to all boaters out there that they might have a bigger problem than they imagine and relying on just an additive could lead to far worse consequences than experienced by me and my crew. My boat was built in 1977 and I took it over 1st November 2004 , there's a very good chance that the tank had never been emptied and properly cleaned and I expect that applies to a large percentage of boats afloat today , new or old. Truce ?
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Re: 1st tank full
Is there any particular merit in adding Soltron to the very first tank full of diesel in a new production yacht?
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Is there any particular merit in adding Soltron to the very first tank full of diesel in a new production yacht?
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Evadne
Well-Known Member
Re: 1st tank full
If you've bought red diesel from a marina, there might be bugs in it. It's the fuel, not the tank, that is the problem.
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If you've bought red diesel from a marina, there might be bugs in it. It's the fuel, not the tank, that is the problem.
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Rivers & creeks
Well-Known Member
Re: 1st tank full
Dumb question - how do you know if your fuel has got the bug - colour odor etc?
<hr width=100% size=1>Are we nearly there yet?
Dumb question - how do you know if your fuel has got the bug - colour odor etc?
<hr width=100% size=1>Are we nearly there yet?
DepSol
Well-Known Member
Truce, of course there nver was a war but I am happy to call a truce if you think I was being harsh in any way it was not intended as such. Your post on here was basically read as if you were telling everyoe that once you had this problem then you have to do A B and C to get it cleaned whereas I am telling you that this is not the case as X will happily work also.
I am simply educating you to the fact that fuel bugs can be removed without going to drastic measures and expense and that by using a different method of housekeeping as you call it, a prevention can be better han a cure.
As I said it is up to you but as far as contamination is concerned I know Soltron will remove it and is an additive that can be relied on.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
I am simply educating you to the fact that fuel bugs can be removed without going to drastic measures and expense and that by using a different method of housekeeping as you call it, a prevention can be better han a cure.
As I said it is up to you but as far as contamination is concerned I know Soltron will remove it and is an additive that can be relied on.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
DepSol
Well-Known Member
Re: 1st tank full
Yes, you can get the bug at any time providing the conditions for breeding in your tank are right, first tank of fuel or not.
Dont double dose though.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
Yes, you can get the bug at any time providing the conditions for breeding in your tank are right, first tank of fuel or not.
Dont double dose though.
<hr width=100% size=1>Dom
watch this space
dickh
Well-Known Member
I too am a user of Soltron, I first used it about 3 years ago when it was difficult to get easily in the UK - now a lot of chandleries sell it. My boat had a SS tank, and I religiously changed the filters each layup, also completely filling the tank, but I still got the'bug' - started to lose power halfway through the season and had to change the filters -- interestingly only the primary filter was blocked, the engine one was OK(visually at least - I cut each filter open) I then used Soltron and have not had a problem since. My new boat(to me) obviously had a fuel tank leak - a 40 gall steel tank, which I had to cut up to remove last weekend. The bottom of the tank had a lot of crud in it and the last gallon of fuel pumped out was like a black sludge. I am replacing with a 20gall Plastimo plastic tank(which is the same as the TekTanks one but cheaper) fitted with a mechanical fuel gauge. I will use Soltron as a matter of course for the peace of mind it gives. My friend uses Fuelset and is also pleased with it. I don't think FuelDoctor is feasible as has been said you will need to put a lot of fuel through it. Another way is to 'polish' the fuel, which I understand is to pump fuel from the tank through a set of filters & then back to the tank, over several hours. This will have the effect of cleaning out all the bits & pieces. Apparently done on large US motorboats with large tanks and is often plumbed in permanently.
Good luck anyway and welcome to the East Coast - the muddy alternative to the South Coast!
<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing...
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Good luck anyway and welcome to the East Coast - the muddy alternative to the South Coast!
<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing...
/forums/images/icons/smile.gifrobind
Well-Known Member
With commercial craft, often the use of an Alfa laval or Waltsburg separator is incooperated within the engine room installation to polish the fuel. if you think of the feries approaching Dover or many other busy ports a sudden fuel activated breakdown could be disasterous? ( fortunately they rarely happen) The pump out and pump back systems sold on the market today as a service, use these too. Commercial separators have been developed over many years for use in the Dairy and other industry for separating fats (for one) and are particularily effective in the fuel industry, they consist of very high spinning centrifuges that "separate " crud from pure fuel. they are however only as good as the person using them. In the case of cutting holes in tanks and "cleaning" them. Soltron also does the job and gets around baffles, pipes and other problems, where cutting holes and pumping fuel out and back may not. Try Soltron before you engage costly refurbishment works, you may be pleasantly surprised? Take a diesel sample, dose with Soltron wait the prescribed period and then take another, if it doesnt do as is stated on the bottle envoke the trades discription act and get your money back what have you got to lose.
Regards
Rob
Rob
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Regards
Rob
Rob
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