Diesel Bug - fact or fiction

Re: Possibilities ....

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Of course you can go with Soltron or other stuff that purports to eat the stuff .... but at end of day - isn't it nice to have a clean tank ????

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Errr Nigel haveny you ever thought that most people have their boats to go boating so gven a choice of spending a few quid and throwing a little bit of Soltron (or whatever additive they might choose) in taking 10 seconds or spending 10 hours down in the bilges making up all sorts of machinery to remove bug remains and then go home stinking of diesel with a boating day ruined.

I know what I would do I would be out the back of Herm basking in the sunshine swimming eating drinking and sleeping rather than spend any more time down the engine hatch than I need to.

So 15 seconds at refuel time and a day out on the boat or 10 hours stinking of diesel err let me think about that one... 15 seconds sounds good!
 
Maybe there is another way. I prefer prevention to curing so suggest placing at the end of a shaft a porous container, into which beads of a molecular sieve have been placed, and that lowered down into ones diesel tank via the filler hole. The filler cap is then screwed tight to seal the tank and trap the above assembly onto the bottom of the tank. A Molecular sieve has a molecule that is so close to that of the water molecule that it attracts and absorbs it. It does this with some security and in order to remove the water it is necessary to heat the sieve to a temperature of 230°C. Now that should be possible periodically. The bug will lie on the bottom so should come into contact with the sieve. The sieve comes in the form of ceramic beads. My application is aimed at the steel canal boat and its diesel tank around the aft end.
 
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Haven't read all the postings but I can assure the OP that the Diesel Bug is a complete reality and it takes ages to clean out the tank, piping all the way to the filter on the engine. Don't fool about , use an additive.

I believe some additives kill and disperse the bug and others just kill it so that you get sludge at the bottom of the tank. Guidance please!!
 
I am amazed at all the laborious and expensive remedies suggested. If you have a properly designed tank with a small sump and drain valve, you will not have any problems. Every time the boat moves, any dirt, or water, is encouraged to move about, and drop into the sump, from where it can be regularly drained. Simple.
 
Evadne said:
Even a drain valve but no sump will have the same effect, as long as you drain the water off at the start of each weekend.
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Well yes, but a drain valve usually has a slight upstand into the tank, which means that you will have the possibility of a thin layer of "Muck" lurking in the bottom of the tank, which in rough weather will try to get into the system. With a sump, any movement of the boat will encourage the muck to drop down into the sump, making the tank self-cleaning.

But don't get me wrong, a drain is a lot better than nothing.

Guess what I've got.:D
 
snoozydude said:
Gidday

I have a 20l diesel tank for a Yanma 1gm10. I was recently told to put in a diesel additive to stop deisel bug. I use the boat on a regular basis and run the engine about 1.5 hours a week.

Do I need a fuel additive?

What is the bug and the consequences of getting it?

Thanks in advance.
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Hi
In answer to your question of "The Diesel Bug". Both marine and agricultural users of Red Diesel are misunderstanding the real problem. So I'll quickly explain.
The Bug lives in the water that lays at the bottom of the tank. The Bug reproduces itself
260,000 time over a 6 hour period and dies with in 48 hours.

If the Tank is steel and not kept full, you are then open to condensation=water. In addition when you fill up your tank,the bio-adatives that are now added to Red Diesel (As required by EU legislation / omissions. Will strip the rust off the surface, giving more cause for concern as the last thing apart from the foetus from the bug (sometimes referred to as waxing / slimy feel) you want it minute metal particles being sucked
into your engine.

Additives will not remove the Heavy Contamination, Water or the Diesel Bug Foetus from your tank. Neither will your in line filter and depending on the level of contamination in your tank, that filter will soon block up.

You also have to remember that every time you refill your tank, you are at risk of adding
contaminated fuel from the point of sale? including water. The Fuel refineries say it will take at least 15 years to get on top of the problems due to EU legislation / omissions requirements being regularly changed.

So what's the answer? Being a boater myself (some 40years) I have invested a considerable amount of both time and money in evaluating various fuel cleaning systems. A lot will not do the job very well . The simple answer is cleaning your tank, removing all the Heavy Containments Water and the Diesel Bug and then being able to maintain your fuel by cleaning / polishing each time you refill. Problem sorted.

For more information please go to my web site www.tankbusters.org.uk or
e mail me at thetankbusters@hotmail.co.uk.

I hope this is of help
Bruce
 
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