Concerning marina recommendation about diesel additive

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haydude

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Hello,

I received the following eMail from my Marina and I am slightly concerned for two reasons:
1) I do not know if can trust the content as uninterested advice or if it is mere advertisment
2) if what they say is true I have a problem because I refuelled there and I used Marine 16.

Please could you advise?

Here is the communication from which I removed references to the marina name to avoid getting into issues with them:

===================================================================
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE USE OF DIESEL FUEL TREATMENTS AND ADDITIVES
WHEN LAYING YOUR BOAT UP FOR WINTER.

As many XXXXXX customers are aware, XXXXXX Marina sells diesel fuels containing
Soltron™ at its YYYY, UUUUU, GGGGG, etc. marinas. Solton™ is an advanced enzyme fuel technology developed to work in marine fuel oil to neutralise bacterial growth from contaminants such as ‘Diesel Bug’.

Laying up your boat for Winter
If you use the diesel sold at XXXXXX Marinas you should not
add biocides or non-biocide additives to your fuel to treat it, or to
prepare your fuel system for winter lay-up. In particular, you should not
use the additives and treatments described below as they will prevent the
Soltron™ in your fuel from carrying out its work in keeping your fuel
stable across the winter and preventing your filters from clogging.

Solton™ is the only fuel treatment to be used with the diesel fuels
purchased at all XXXXXX Marinas. If you have mixed other fuels, including fuels bought overseas, with the diesel fuels bought at XXXXXX Marinas, and you are advised to dose your fuel tank with an enzyme, you should use Soltron™. Soltron™ is on sale in most chandlers and dosing instructions are on the container.

Do not add the following to your fuel:
Biocides
Biocides kill bacteria and fungus however, in removing one problem they
create another by blocking filters and leaving the contamination to corrode
in the tank. They are also environmentally unfriendly.
Biocides not to be used with diesel fuels containing Solton™:

• Star Brite – Bio Diesel
• Eradicate
• Marine 16 Diesel Bug Treatment
• GrotoMar 82
• Kathon
• Diesel plus (Yachticon)
• Wasp Biokem

Non-Biocides not to be used with diesel fuels containing Soltron:
The fuel treatments described below will prevent the Soltron™ in the diesel
sold at XXXXXX Marinas from stabilising your fuel
over the winter period and may cause further contamination.

• Forton
• Fuel Doctor
• Fuel set
• Startron

===================================================================
 
Having serious problems in all this. Firstly a few years ago Soltron came out worse in "diesel bugs tests", though I understand that it did better recently.

Secondly diesel bug is not just a marine diesel problem, it also occurs in transport fleets and even in aircraft. I have not heard of Soltron being added in standard road diesel.

However many of the others on the "banned" list, are used in the transport industry, and most are biocides

I have a feeling that Soltron contains enzymes which breaks down the diesel bug, to stop blocked filters, and it may be that the addition of the biocides may prevent the enzyme from working.

On the other hand it may be Bull****. Perhaps, it may be worth replying to the letter to see if the Marina involved is prepared to guarantee that if you will up with their fuel containing Soltron, then no diesel bug will result and more important no blocked filters.
 
pappaecho said:
Having serious problems in all this. Firstly a few years ago Soltron came out worse in "diesel bugs tests", though I understand that it did better recently.
Click to expand...

Was that the "independent test" which just happened to be carried out by the company which made the product pronounced best in the test?
 
Why not phone Marine 16 and ask their opinion. David White is a very knowledgible man and would, I am sure, give you an honest answer.
 
I recommend Millers Eclipse.

This is commercial biocide, cleaner and cetane booster and not available retail so a stockist would have to order it in for you. It is used by commercial fleet operators i.e. professionals who aren't taken in by marketing hype.

There are some photos on Millers website at

http://millersoils.net
follow the links to the Commercial products.

Their Ecomax product is available from Halfords and is also very good, though does not contain a biocide.
 
If you look at the mobo forum under " Premier Marinas " there is an identical thread, except one poster has identified that two of the banned compounds have identical MSDS and are functionally identical to Soltron

Interesting, specially as I fill up with fuel in Gosport at Premier marinas
 
following this thread I emailed Premier marinas in Gosport where I get my fuel and this came back.

It would appear that it is the supplier whom is doing with Soltron, not Premier, and that their email to berth holders is just trying to be helpful

The diesel fuel at Gosport is high sulphur marine diesel with no biodiesel content. Wessex Petroleum supply our fuel from Fawley refinery with a marine diesel branded as ‘Advanced Marine Diesel 1000’ which contains Soltron which is an advanced enzyme fuel technology which from what I gather from the leaflet I have here has been developed to neutralise bacterial growth.
 
pappaecho said:
It would appear that it is the supplier whom is doing with Soltron, not Premier, and that their email to berth holders is just trying to be helpful
Click to expand...

Helpful to who?

Well this company SDM Fuel Solutions & Soltron (IW) have the same director, with SDM being Premier's fuel consultants!

I think there is a lot of smoke and mirrors going on, with Premier needing to clarify / confirm a few things!
 
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