Does Soltron go off after a couple of years?

[jimg]

I changed the oil last week and thought I would do the fuel filters at the same time and I found the primary filter had a lot of black bits in the bottom of the bowl.
The boat has been running fine and since I bought her two years ago I have dosed any fuel with Soltron.
The trouble is I bought a batch from our old Guernsey forumite at least 3 or 4 years ago and that is what I have been using. Also the bits could have been always been there as this is the first time I have changed the filter. The question is, does Soltron go off over a period of time, and is there anything better I should be using?
Cheers
Jim

 

[hlb]

Yes it will go off if attacked by sunlight, duno how long it keeps in the dark.

 

[Bandit]

Personally I am extreemly fussy about what goes near my fuel pumps having had a severe problem which cost a lot of money to sort out with the Diesel fuel bug.

I looked into it in some depth and use Grotamar 71 a biocide following a test in Practical Boat Owner mag.

I am not keen on the idea of an enzyme based product that emulifies the water and burns the crud, I dont want water or crud anywhere near my fuel pumps thank you very much!

When I bought the current boat second hand I have used Grotamar from day one and I have kept on top of it and i had the fuel remotely filtered to clear out any crud in the tanks .

 

[jimg]

I have been told that it does go off after 2 years even if kept in the dark.
I think I will try something else and check the filter again next year.
Cheers
Jim

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

This is a good question. I have a couple of bottles of Soltron in my lockers bought in a batch about 3yrs ago and they look v odd, almost as if the mixture had separated out. I have been using the stuff this year on the basis that it may not still be effective but couldn't do any harm. I guess I'll have to rethink that
To be fair I've been using the stuff fairly religiously for 5 yrs or so (also have used Startron too) and I've never had a fuel problem plus the filters have always looked clean

 

[blueglass]

also been using it for years but DID have a reoccurence of a sludgy bug problem despite this.
I read I think in MBY that it performed badly in tests and they found something else much better - can't remember what though - anybody?

 

[whisper]

We've used it religiously for about 3 yrs with no problem - until this "Summer".
Sludgy deposits now obvious in pre-filter. I thought it was because we've hardly used the boat this year but perhaps Soltron does go off, I'd never thought of it before..
We've now dosed it with MI16 as allegedly that will cure the problem. WE SHALL SEE !!!!