Diesel Bug and Prevention Poll

[bobgarrett]

A friend of mine has been hit by the diesel bug and he uses a diesel bug prevention chemical. This has prompted me to wonder whether I should be concerned, whether I should add a preventer and whether if I did it would be any less likely to occur.
So what are others' experiences?

 

[superheat6k]

I have had mild bug, and have used additives then, but my primary concern is prevention by keeping the fuel clean and dry by filtration and polishing, especially after re-fueling.

 

[Jim@sea]

I made a mistake in diagnosis with the 30 year old boat I had just bought, it had broken down on the sea trial and we had to be towed back. There was gunge in the filters. Normally the first thing I would do is clean the tanks (2) but the tanks were only 2 years old (new plastic Vetus and had the receipt) and I assumed that the owner would have used some sort of preventative. (Never Assume)
So I spent a few hours fitting filters, bleeding, engine ran then stopped, did it all again.
Then I took the tanks out, what a sloppy mess, looked like some for of alien life form and with my tank pipe sucking up a tube the globules of alien jelly fish would go up the tube and stop half way.
Perhaps PBO could do a long term test to see if Plastic Tanks attract diesel bug quicker than Metal Tanks.
PS. I once read that Tippex fluid is a really powerful poison. Perhaps a couple of drops of that would kill it off.

 

[NormanS]

This may be tempting fate, but I have never had any problems with fuel. BUT my tanks, both with present and previous boat, are fitted with dirt sumps fitted with drain valves. I run off a sample of fuel every few weeks, and particularly after a rough passage. I reckon that if there is no water lying in the bottom of the tank, you won't get problems. However, I have no experience with biofuel.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have had diesel bug on my previous boat. When I re-engined 9 years ago I also fitted a new plastic fuel tank(no drain tap) and was okk untilabout 3 yrs ago when I noticed small amounts of bug on top of the primary filter when changed so have used a preventative since then, mr16 from memory and I dose everytime I fill up.

 

[Dipper]

I was using a rather poor and very old treatment and got the bug although it stayed as a single gelatinous blob at the bottom of my tank. After emptying and cleaning the tank, I have been using Marine 16 and have seen no evidence of the bug returning.

 

[prv]

The boat had a heavy dose of bug when we bought her - filter blocked about an hour into the delivery trip. No access into the (stainless) tank, so for a while we tried to manage it with a good quick-change filter system and a vacuum gauge. After a couple of awkward stops, eventually bit the bullet, cut an access hatch, and scooped out loads of gunk. Fingers crossed we're now clear, use a dose of green stuff (can't remember which one off-hand) with each top-up, and of course we do still have the quick-change filters, monitoring gauge (and big box of filters and plenty of practice!) in case problems should reoccur.

Pete

 

[ianj99]

A friend of mine has been hit by the diesel bug and he uses a diesel bug prevention chemical. This has prompted me to wonder whether I should be concerned, whether I should add a preventer and whether if I did it would be any less likely to occur.
So what are others' experiences?

Many of the treatments don't work. I use Millers Eclipse but its not available to the general public due to its toxicity, but you may be able to get a stockist to order some. Its available as a one shot bug killer and then you use the multi shot every time you fill to keep the bugs at bay. Its used by hauliers and the like to keep their own storage tanks free of it. http://millersoils.net

 

[Skylark]

Many of the treatments don't work. I use Millers Eclipse but its not available to the general public..............

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Millers-Eclipse-Powercide-Plus-Diesel-Bug-Treatment-1-litre-/201107763556

Millers has a very good name and I bought 25 litres of their CI4 oil for my Yanmar. I threw away a 10+ year old bottle of Starbright (iirc) at the end of last season. Not a lot of it had been used but much of it had turned to crystal.

Good recommendation, thank you.

 

[Momac]

I took to using a fuel additive a couple of years ago . It might have been 2012 , whenever it was that the diesel had changed to low sulphur.
At the time there seemed to be a majority who were using something.
I have not had a bug issue.
I have been using Marine 16 diesel fuel complete.

 

[Ripster]

I had a very mild case in one of the two tanks on a previous mobo abut 4 years ago and used "fuel set" to clear it - big dose in that tank and preventative in the other. After a week I changed all the filters again. No more bug after that and I have been dosing up ever since and not suffered again yet.

 

[Burnham Bob]

The boat did not have the bug when I bought it (I think my old boat did at one time and it killedthe MD1 then installed) and I have used MArine 16 whenever I've filled up the tank or cans. I get a bit paranoid about biodiesel etc so better safe than sorry. A recent filter change showed no crud whatsoever on the CAV or engine filters.

 

[Horace]

I made a mistake in diagnosis with the 30 year old boat I had just bought, it had broken down on the sea trial and we had to be towed back. There was gunge in the filters. Normally the first thing I would do is clean the tanks (2) but the tanks were only 2 years old (new plastic Vetus and had the receipt) and I assumed that the owner would have used some sort of preventative. (Never Assume)
So I spent a few hours fitting filters, bleeding, engine ran then stopped, did it all again.
Then I took the tanks out, what a sloppy mess, looked like some for of alien life form and with my tank pipe sucking up a tube the globules of alien jelly fish would go up the tube and stop half way.
Perhaps PBO could do a long term test to see if Plastic Tanks attract diesel bug quicker than Metal Tanks.
PS. I once read that Tippex fluid is a really powerful poison. Perhaps a couple of drops of that would kill it off.

I have a Vetus plastic tank.Have just had a few gallons slopping about in the bottom of it & have not used any treatment.Started the engine ok the other day after it had been out on a swinging mooring all winter.
Looked through the inspection hatch in the back of the tank beforehand & apart from the odd blob of congealed type oil it seemed okey dokey.
I would think that a plastic tank attracts less condensation than a metal one.
I shall keep touching wood.

 

[prv]

Looked through the inspection hatch in the back of the tank beforehand & apart from the odd blob of congealed type oil it seemed okey dokey.

Why would a diesel tank have "congealed oil" in it?

More likely that's a blob of bug

Though probably not enough to cause trouble yet.

Pete

 

[wofforduk]

Just my thoughts- I had a pretty bad case of bug, from using an alu tank which was absolutely spotless at the start of last season - to gunging up my filters at the end of the season. Mixture of bad fuel + water?? I have been lead to believe its the water that enables the bug to survive. I guess having plastic tanks may not have a bigger problem due to not as much condensation? Now using marine16 and am very curious as to the outcome.


having a spare set of filters is highly recommended just in case!

 

[bobgarrett]

So to summarise the poll so far and with 101 responses:
56% are using a diesel treatment and 44% not.
Of those using a treatment 12% have still been hit by the bug.
Of those not using any treatment 50% have been hit by the bug.

Obviously this might be a biassed survey.
So my conclusion is that treatment works for most and I think I am going to start using it.
Thanks all.

 

[capnsensible]

Once you have had it, you will definitely use additives to prevent it happening again. Its a very unpleasant experience,

 

[Horace]

Why would a diesel tank have "congealed oil" in it?

More likely that's a blob of bug

Though probably not enough to cause trouble yet.

Pete

Don't know,maybe it is'nt as refined as we are lead to believe.
First noticed something there about two years ago when I bought the boat.Poked it with a syphon pump & it smeared like oil.Removed as much as possible,maybe a thimble full.Whatever it is it dos'nt seem to have increased in the last two years.

 

[vyv_cox]

I am fairly convinced that the source of the fuel has a lot to do with it. We buy all of ours from mini-tankers on Greek quays. These have a high turnover, being refilled from fuel station tanks maybe a couple of times per week. The likelihood of water in the fuel, other than the minor amounts always entrained in it, is low. I do not use fuel treatment on a regular basis although I used Startron a few years ago after cutting open a used filter and finding some brown deposits. I took my tank out last season to replace the depth sender and found some very small deposits of sludge but no obvious bug.

Conversely, many marina fuel supplies are from floating bunkers or large tanks that are filled infrequently and may leak rainwater. I have heard of supplies that were heavily contaminated with water that separated out in a glass sample jar.

I have posted a presentation about diesel bug on my website, under 'Engine'. This was given by a man who specialises in the supply of biocides for fuel to industrial users.

 

[Heckler]

A friend of mine has been hit by the diesel bug and he uses a diesel bug prevention chemical. This has prompted me to wonder whether I should be concerned, whether I should add a preventer and whether if I did it would be any less likely to occur.
So what are others' experiences?

Mild bug, started using Marine 16, tank seems to be staying clean.
S