Diesel biocide treatment

[davidwigler]

Which one do you use and where do you buy it?

 

[Boatsb]

Biocide will not fix everything.

If there is a problem with the fuel is algae and there is algae poo poo to be dealt with you need something that does a bit more. Also dead algae needs to be broken down.


I used AJX in a customers boat and it cleared up the fuel pretty well. 2 filter changes and all was clear. It has a few different formulations for maintenance and cleaning.


Dan is a good source of info. he turned me on to it.

PM him at 34Hatt

 

[Angela]

I had a most horrible fuel situation when I first got Sanctuary. It got to a point where I was changing the genny's Racor filter every 30 minutes and the little filter on the engine every few days. I could darn near change that filter in the middle of the night, blindfolded with one arm tied behind my back in less than a minute - that's how repetitive it got.

When we got back to our slip, I had a guy come out and polish the fuel. Much to my surprise, there wasn't much "gunk" recovered. He gave me a jug of Technol and I never had a fuel problem since, no matter how old my fuel gets. That was about 3 years ago, perhaps a tad more.

Today, I use the Technol as an additive (doesn't take much) as preventative maintenance and the only fuel filters I've changed since I was introduced to the Technol have been for annual maintenance, and the filters looked clean when I took them out too.

Before Technol, I tried lots of DieselKleen and it did zilch for me. I've not tried any of the other products, so I cannot comment on any of them. Given my experience and results with Technol, I won't be trying anything else - I'm all set.

Just know that when it comes to fuel additives and fuel cleaning systems, there is a ton of snake oil out there - I'm not pointing at anything in particular; I'm just commenting on what I've read here over the years. There is a fair amount of info on this forum on that subject.

When you find something that works wonders for your situation, stick with it (even if it's snake oil! LOL). That's what I did and I stopped tinkering with fuel additives once I found my fix.

....no, I have no financial interest in Technol, by the way. In fact, I gave a fellow Hatt owner my last business card for the guy who did my fuel polishing and gave me the Technol....now, I gotta go find where to get the stuff again as my gallon jug is almost empty.

 

[MikeP]

I have never used any treatment and I used diesel out of a forward (converted waste) tank that was 9 years old! Typically we fill the tanks (700 gal) once per season so fuel sits in the tanks over the winter every year with no issues. I haven't changed a fuel filter in 3 years - per the vacuum gauges on the filters, there has been no need to. I don't change them unless there's an indication that they need to be changed.

Maybe the climate has something to do with it - I can see where being warmer, like FL, might have different "growing conditions" for algae or whatever than the Northeast, for example.

 

[z28jimi]

Ang,
Is that Technol 403?

 

[Boatnut]

I use an additive, darn can't recall the name off the top of my old head. The only time I had a fuel problem was when I got a load of bad fuel, (loaded with water) one time. I try to buy my fuel where they sell a lot of fuel, preferrably at a commercial dock. Like Angela said if it ain't broke don't mess with it.

 

[GJH]

I don't use anything. DD recommends BioBor if you have to treat a specific problem, but other than that, nothing. I make an effort to buy fuel from high turnover sources like commercial docks and trucks, and use the engines regularly and keep them maintained. Unless you are trying to compensate for some issue with the engines, or only have access to suspect fuel sources, I think additives are a waste of money, and so does DD.

 

[davidwigler]

I have only put about 12 hours on the mains and 6 on the generator since I bought the boat, with no filter issues; but the fuel has been in this boat probably 4 years so I assumed some treatment was called for. Maybe I'll just burn it up.

 

[captainwjm]

David, burn it up. I had about 200 gals. of 5 year old [at least] upon purchase. I added a gal. of Diesel Kleen [silver bottle] and topped off the tanks [about 500 gals.] and cruised from Mississippi to Nashville. The best fuel polisher is the DDs. Other than that, I usually add Diesel Kleen when I add fuel [my marina has Valvetech fuel, which supposedly has some additives in it], although I do it for the same reason that I take an asprin each morning - it can't hurt. I've never added a biocide to either the DDs or my Cats on the prior boat.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

What I was told by the "expurts" was that diesel is allowed .05% moisture content, in hot climates the moisture settles somewhere about the middle of your fuel tanks and that''s where the algae grows, killing it only stops it growing, now you have to purger it out of the system and it will grow inside the injector even.
The whole idea is to buy fuel from "underground tanks" not those up the hill in the Bahamas ...lol.. or from high turnover dealers.


When I bought my 70 in Ft Lauderdale I had the tanks polished but because of the layout, 2000 gallons cap. was impossible to really "clean" out the bugs...took 10 years to finally have totally clean fuel....even now after a really rough ride I may get a trace of dead stuff...and I use a lot of fuel in PNW. but no treatments.

 

[Genesis]

My considered opinion on biocides is that one should not use them unless you have a confirmed problem with growth in the tank.

Diesel fuel is a form of oil and does not mix with water. If you get water in the tank it will lay on the bottom; it is that interface between water and fuel that allows bacterial growth. It is not "algae" although it's called that commonly, as algae is a photosynthesis-using organism and there's no light in your tank (we hope); rather, it's a bacteria that's growing in there.

Biocides are all halogen compounds; they have to be in order to work. Halides are extremely corrosive and as such can do damage to injector tips over time. As a result if you need one then use it, but once the growth problem is under control STOP. Biobor is what DD recommends and is as good as any and more is NOT better. Follow the instructions on the label.

Biological growth cannot occur without water in the tank. You'll fight this problem forever if you don't get the water out, and if you do get the water out you won't have the problem at all. Check your deck fill O-rings and the tops of the tanks where the plates are; if you have standing water around either figure out why and fix that and the seals and then get the water out of the tank. If there's water in the tank it almost certainly is NOT condensation; run the math on this if you believe it is and you'll change your mind.

Accomplishing getting all the water out of the tank can be tricky but it's the best and only permanent remedy for biological contamination in the fuel.

"Asphaltene" dropout is commonly confused with biological growth; these are the heavier hydrocarbon chains that can precipitate out of the fuel under some conditions. You can tell the difference because asphaltene deposits are gritty on the filter where biological growth is slimy. The former is not biological in origin and thus a biocide will do nothing about it; the fix for that is to have good filters and use the boat so the fuel is turned over on a reasonable basis.

 

[Boatnut]

As long as cutting and pasting is allowed and popular, I c&P this article I found interesting.

Most people who operate and maintain Diesel engine systems are familiar with the black slimy material frequently seen in their fuel filter elements, and found in the bottoms of their fuel tanks. It is known by many names e.g. algae, mud, sludge, dirt, BS&W , and many other unsavory sounding terms - all of which are misnomers. Many people think this material is some sort of microbe, thus in the marine industry, it is most commonly called "algae". While bacteria and other microbes contribute to and accelerate this process, sludge is no more bacteria than milk that has turned into cottage cheese - it's still milk, only in a physically different form -- Diesel fuel forms wax and asphalt, not "algae".

To understand the source and nature of this material, it is helpful to know a little about how Diesel Fuel and other distillate products are made in today's modern refineries. In the "old days" (15 - 25 years ago) processing of crude oil into the light distillate products we all know as gasoline, Kerosene, home heating oil, jet fuel, and diesel was basically done through heating the crude oil. At different boiling points, the various fractions of the crude were evaporated then condensed and sent to a storage tank for distribution. The distillate product, diesel fuel included, were fairly stable products with shelf life measured in the several months range.

The residual oil left over after the distillation process, approximately 50% of the barrel of crude that we start with, is the very heavy oils that are used for large ships and power plants, along with other industrial applications e.g. manufacture of products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, nylon, asphalt, etc.

The refining process is dramatically different today. Demand for these light distillate products has increased rapidly, forcing the refiners to find new ways to extract more of them from the crude oil. Catalytic, or chemical cracking now allows the refiner to make more of the valuable lighter distillates from each barrel of crude, leaving only about 16% of the residual as heavy fuel oils. Environmental concerns have resulted in additional treatment of diesel, for example to lower sulphur content. This also contributes to instability of today's fuels.

Diesel fuel refined with these new methods is far less stable than that made with simple distillation. This results in more rapid deterioration in the form of solids precipitating to make sludge. Key fuel components such as paraffins and asphaltenes begin to oxidize and re-polymerize resulting in dark coloration, clogged filters and tank sludge that is commonly called "algae". In reality, this stuff is actually wax and asphalt !!

When this condition is present, the fuel does not combust rapidly causing a loss of engine efficiency. When the exhaust ports open, still smoldering fuel clusters become smoke and soot, leaving carbon buildup in the engine and exhaust trunk. Eventually, when it precipitates to the bottom of the tank, or is trapped in your filter, these key components cannot contribute to transferring the energy in the fuel to power the engine.

So the cause of the so called "algae" is simply the result of ageing fuel, which can occur in as little as 60-90 days, and depending on the cleanliness, and maintenance of the tanks in which it is kept, possibly even sooner.

The results of using fuel in this condition include
• Tank Sludge that must be removed manually or dissolved with chemicals
• Clogged filters that must be replaced(and disposed of)
• Incomplete combustion
• Wasted BTU's
• Smoking engines
• Carbon Deposits in the engine
• Shortening the life of major (read expensive) engine components
• Dirty engine Oil
• Poor engine performance

Solutions for Recovering Diesel Fuel Quality
Traditional technologies used to protect engines from poor quality fuel include filtration to remove particulate e.g. dirt and sludge, separation of water content, and use of biocides to control microbial activity, which can contribute to more rapid formation of solids. Equipment to provide this protection is of course, still necessary. However, what many operators are seeing is a much shorter life of the filter elements, resulting in more frequent filter changes. This is due to the paraffins and asphaltenes (and other fuel components) having re-polymerized, or agglomerated to form solids. This will happen even without the presence of microbes, so biocides cannot prevent this problem from occurring.

Summary
Today's Diesel Fuel is refined in a much different way than that of 15-20 years ago. Catalytic cracking produces a far greater volume of light and middle distillate products from each barrel of crude oil, however the stability of the fuels has been dramatically shortened.

Key fuel components such as paraffins and asphaltenes begin to form clusters that precipitate into the sludge commonly known as "algae". They comprise the bulk of this material that clogs filters, causes engines to smoke and perform poorly, and makes tank sludge.

ALGAE-X stops and reverses this process by impacting these clusters of molecules with inductive energy. This breaks up the clusters that have formed resulting in better filterability and combustibility of the fuel, and preventing the formation of tank sludge by the return line, which delivers clean treated fuel back to the tanks.
This page was last updated on November 6, 2007.
©2011 Fourwinds Enterprises, Inc. 204 East McKenzie Street, Unit C, Punta Gorda, FL 33950

 

[rhprop]

Is the Algae-X unit just a screen and permanent magnet as I have always heard. According to this theory it may actually be doing something and the baloney about the microbe build up may be just that.

If the Algae-x unit does have some effectiveness, then a much more powerful electromagnet, encasing the fuel line, driven from the boats DC system should be more effective. Any thoughts?

 

[Angela]

Ang,
Is that Technol 403?

Just checked....Yes.

 

[bobk]

Biobor does not contain chlorine. It has boron compounds (2,2’ - (1-methyltrimethylenedioxy) bis - (4-methyl-1, 3, 2-dioxaborinane); 2,2’ - oxybis (4, 4, 6 - trimethyl-1, 3, 2-dioxaborinane) (CAS No.: 8063-89-6)) per the MSDS sheet.

Many years ago I worried about the effect of boron combustion on the metals used in engines and engineer friends told me they were not going to react with with our engines.

I continue to wonder why I get sludge in my tanks. I've had the boat over four years, burn 3000-4000 gallons of fuel a year, but if I get into a rolling sea way, I'll see high vacuum and sludge in a few hours. I did have some water in the forward tank when I bought it, but replacing the O rings on the fills eliminated that issue. Further, the fuel always looks dark... certainly a lot darker than that in Jimbo's 48. Jim has Alge-X filters on his. Maybe they really do work.???

Bob
Chateau de Mer
1981 48MY

 

[Passages]

Is the Algae-X unit just a screen and permanent magnet as I have always heard. According to this theory it may actually be doing something and the baloney about the microbe build up may be just that.

If the Algae-x unit does have some effectiveness, then a much more powerful electromagnet, encasing the fuel line, driven from the boats DC system should be more effective. Any thoughts?

Magical magnets....

I looked at magnetic fuel conditioners from Algea-X, Diesel Tex and Vostec's. While it's true that they do something - the something seems to be limited to the change out frequency of the primary filter. Algae-X is endorsed by detroit diesel. One of the managers from Algae-X started his own mag fuel treatment company called Diesel Tex. Vostecs, an Italian company, is virtually identical to Diesel Tex.

I do not believe running a microbe though a 10,000 guass magnetic field will act as a non-chemical biocide. Bugs have a poly sachride coating of slime which help protect the outer body and form colonies. That said, a mag field may disrupt the bond but certainly not kill the microbe.

With regard to particulate matter - Asphatine, dirt, ect. Magnets seem to be able to break agglomerated masses to smaller particulates. Small enought to safey pass through primary and secondary filters. I can't explain how, but I have read enough to believe it true.

Claims of 5-15% fuel economy improvement - forget it. Remember the first law of thermodynamics. A BTU is a BTU and a BTU will only generate so much work. (Remember the definition of 'work' from you physics class.)

So...my position on magnets. Go buy one if you are curious. It won't hurt a thing. You will probably get longer service life from your fuel filter. If you find any other quantifiable, tangible benefit please post it here. I'd really like to know.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

I would suspect that with the very high fuel flow rate on DD's that any "trapping and slaying" of fast moving bugs would be quite the art for algae X,,,I bought one and had it for 10 yrs...never noticed any difference..as far as fuel color goes, it seems to be what ever refinery the dealer gets fuel from...Chevron in Vancouver is virtually clear, but delivered from the Shell refinery by truck is much darker...never noticed any differs in mileage etc...

 

[Genesis]

I wrote a series of articles on the Algae-X and DieselTex magnet units in a comparative use scenario (one engine with them on, the other bypassed) a number of years ago. It made a material difference that was instantly visible in the filter clog rate.

Beyond that? Who knows. But - filters cost money. Whether they cost enough money to pay for the magnets? Who knows. You decide. I ultimately decided that the best answer was a two-stage filtration setup from Tony Athens that eliminated my need to screw with the RACORs, took up far less space on centerline, were easier to maintain and had change interval requirements that were a wildly longer in duration than those of the RACOR system they replaced. That plus a Walbro pump for prime and polishing purposes (with a mechanical timer) set up with a check-valve based bypass allowed for near-instant changes and immediate restarts if I ever had a clog underway even though I never needed to use it in anger after it was installed. You can read the web log on it here: http://www.denninger.net/filters/out-with-the-old.htm This is what I would put on any future boat with old-tech diesels and the older filter systems that I acquire in the future; it's not expensive to install and makes life much easier and more pleasant when it comes to dealing with fuel quality. Of course you still have the on-engine "last chance" filter; it is unlikely to load up with this setup in place.

As for biocides note that boron is electron-deficient and while it's not going to do anything to the engine itself, injector tip tolerances are extremely tight and any sort of erosion is an issue. I remain in the camp (along with the engine manufacturers) who say that if you need 'em use 'em, but when the problem is corrected STOP - and since they only impact biological growth and do nothing for asphaltene dropout figure out what's going on first. If you have biological growth in the fuel there's water in the tank and the better solution rather than dosing with chemicals is to get the water out of the tank and keep it out in the future. Water in the tank, if it continues to accumulate, will eventually stop your engine and is likely to do it at the most-inopportune time. Magnets won't do anything for water in the tank either.

 

[z28jimi]

Thanks.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I can vouch for the two-stage filtration system from Seaboard Marine (Tony Athens). They are replaceable spin-on filters similar to a modern car oil filter. Mine are rated for a 600hp common-rail diesel like an M11, which means they last quite a long time with my B series engines rated at 370hp. Also, the fuel filters cross over to some other makes, so one time when I could not find Fleetguard filters I was able to get the boat running using a similar filter from another brand. But I think Fleetguard, which Tony recommends, are the best.

I can't speak to the magnetic fuel conditioning thing. I have always found it perplexing that magnets would kill anything- every day we put people in MRI machines that have MUCH higher magnetic flux density than Algae-X units and they emerge from the machine alive and kicking, and they do not have a gut full of dead bacteria. Now, if magnetic fields have a beneficial effect on repolymerized fuel, that might explain it....

There are also commercial water absorbers for fuel tanks which might be worth a try, if you have a problem with water in the fuel.