Poll - treat for deisel bug?

[John100156]

There has been a debate on another Forum regading whether to treat fuel for diesel bug or not, one boat owner has never done so and feels it is a very low risk. I on the other hand think why take any risk and always treat my fuel. So it would be interesting to know how many of us do actually treat our fuel!

 

[Norman_E]

I did not do it for the first three years of ownership and had no problems, but I now add a bit of the Starbright stuff at every fill.

 

[guernseyman]

The boat that used to use my marina berth during the winter picked up the bug in St Malo. Hearing the tale of woe convinced me that spending a few quid, and a teaspoon to every 5 gallons was the easy option.

 

[Frankie-H]

I was in St Peter Port a few years ago and the local chandler, who also ran the tripper boats to Sark, had the bug so badly that they had to change their filters every day. The chemical kills the bug and will give you a brown coloured sandy textured deposit you must keep a strict eye on your filters but it is well worth the minor expense. You would not want all the agro of cleaning out your tanks, if you got the bug.

 

[Talbot]

Brighton Marina state that their fuel has already ben dosed with Solatron.



I am sure that this has nothing to do with the bad case of diesel bug that I had onboard when I took over the boat in Brighton Marina



I add Fuel Set now anyway as I am a firm believer of this stuff.

 

[gjgm]

There has been a debate on another Forum regading whether to treat fuel for diesel bug or not, one boat owner has never done so and feels it is a very low risk. I on the other hand think why take any risk and always treat my fuel. So it would be interesting to know how many of us do actually treat our fuel!

I understood the chance of the bug increases with lack of use.. so the more fuel I get through, the less I use any prevention.I use it over winter.
As you say, £20 quid bottle doses a hell of alot of fuel, but some marina fuel suppliers add it anyway.

 

[Terra-Loon]

I had a bug problem at the start of last season, so i treated my tank with Grotamar71 and the problem went away immediately.

I've never had a problem with sludge in my fuel filter though.

 

[VicMallows]

Never had a problem in 27 years (Sadler 29; BUKH20). No additives; diesel from wherever convenient. Maybe I motor too much?

Vic

 

[John100156]

Good response so far, come on lets have a few more please, be good to see a sample of at least 100+ responses.....! Not for my benefit, on another forum there are several new to boating that need to know, I have inserted a link to this thread on it!

Many thanks

 

[Puggy]

I have 1200 litres of diesel in 2 tanks and I always treat it - just not worth the risk.

 

[John100156]

Well we are over the first 50 mark, just another 50 and I can stop trying to raise the poll thread to the top........

 

[rivonia]

We have always treated the diesel as I saw a friend who had to remove his two tanks in order to remove the sludge and clean. He had never used the diesel bug treatment- he does now. Touch wood we have so far NO CONTAMINATION. I also keep the tanks FULL so there is less chance of condensation, the diesel bug needs water!!

Fair winds
Peter

 

[duncan99210]

our Eberpacher main hose runs down the side of the fuel tank and transfers heat to the tank such that the tank is something of a heat sink. This keeps the diesel nice and dry and stops condensation. That, coupled with avoiding quayside refuelling facilities has prevented the bug being a problem to us: now water, no bug.

 

[greenalien]

A bottle of Fuel Set will last for many years so it seems like a good insurance policy and is recommended by my yacht club - it seems that the risk of diesel bug has increased with the introduction of biodiesel as part of the fuel mix.

 

[Slipperman]

Poll - treat for diesel bug?

I have treated mine for the last 3 or 4 years (before that in blissful ignorance!). Have not seen any sign of sludge, but this winter for the first time found a clear jelly like substance in the fine filter when I changed it (primary filter clear). Think this is related to the advent of bio-fuel in the diesel. Currently the boat is topped up with fuel from Premier Marinas who say that there is Soltron already added - told me not to add anything else. Not sure if this is good advice or not, but either way once I have got through most of a tank I will add some more.

 

[Spuddy]

I alternate the dosage between the biocide stuff and the enzyme lotion. Their functions may well overlap but I think this pseudo-techie ritual scares the bacteria. I'm thinking of wearing a white coat as I do it as well.

 

[John100156]

Thanks guys, surprisingly the poll on the other forum is so far 65/35 in favour of dosing. So keep it coming please.

Some interesting comments above, I too alternate between treatments, probably a coctail of lethel fuel in my tank that if it escapes could potentially alter the DNA of barnacles resulting in them losing the ability to cling to our hulls, how devastating would that be....!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Well I feel it is a very low risk but still do it anyway. Strangely, nobody seems to have heard of the diesel bug in Croatia and they look at me blankly when I ask locals about it. I wonder whether the diesel bug is mainly a British thing?

 

[John100156]

Interesting, I know what you mean but I'm not so sure. Lots of contributory factors like anything else to consider:

1) High turn over of fuel - keeping contaminants in suspension leaving little time for colonies to form.

2) Location and insulation level of tanks - reducing risk of condensation forming.

3) Good seal on filler cap - reducing possibility of water ingress.

4) Quality of fuel at point of delivery - treated/not treated contaminated/not contaminated

5) Effectiveness of fuel treatment - gut feeling is they all seem to work so whatever takes your fancy.

6) Changing composition of fuel - biodisel etc.

7) Position of take-offs and drains in tank - I am not sure where or if I have a drain plug?

8) Effectiveness of water seperators - as a percentage of fuel is returned to the tank.

I am sure there are numerous other factors to consider, others may like to add.

In my opinion, for what its worth, I perceive the risk as medium-high if I do not treat (this is skewed by my knowing the new marina tanks are untreated/contaminated).

Anyway, we are nearly up to the 100 votes, anyone else care to vote please.

 

[Evadne]

A few years ago we went though a bad patch, you never knew if the engine would sputter and die at an inconvenient moment. I fitted a primary filter (hadn't needed one for the previous 20 years) and have dosed my tank each time I add another gallon (2 gallon main tank with four or five 1 gallon containers in the lazarette). Touch wood it hasn't come back and I almost trust the beast now.

Reasons? I think you get diesel bug by putting it in with the fuel, most commonly. If you can't avoid that then redundant measures, i.e dosing and filtering and hygiene (i.e. derv) and a water trap are the way for me.