Go BottomDiesel Fuel Geling
 | NHDaveD
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 71 New Hampshire 
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2004-01-18 74345
If your Diesel Fuel gels in the cold weather does it un-gel once the temperature gets above that of the cloud point? Or once the fuel has wax crystals do they stay wax crystals?
Thanks
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 | TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2004-01-18 74347
I've heard it both ways. The subject came up in talking with my furnace oil dealer. He said it does ungel when it gets warmer. Said a few other things as well. Such as
many people mistake gelled fuel for water when they look at the filter. In a warm room the wax liquefies and runs off the filter. He also said that chemical suppression (meaning additives) helps a bit but is not a guarantee against gelling. The best guarantee is using a winter blend that's appropriate for the area. ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-01-18 74371
I agree with what Tom is saying. Here is some technical diesel fuel poop that might give you a little info. and background on your question. ....
Link: DIESEL FUEL LOW TEMPERATURE OPERABILITY
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 | blizzard
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 282 Central Maine
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2004-01-23 74841
I just topped off my fuel barrel with 20 gal. of diesel I bought about 10 days ago. The low temp has been around -18F during that time, high maybe 18F. After pouring through the 'Alaskan Funnel'. There was quite a bit of wax collected on the screen. My thoughts are that the wax particles will dissolve back into the fuel, but the temp might have to get well above freezing before it dissolves in a reasonable time.
bliz ....
Link: mrfunnel
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| Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-01-23 74846
If you have any room left in the barrel, I would suggest adding as much #1 diesel as you can or add a good quality diesel fuel conditioner formulated with an anti-gel additive. There and many out there that do a good job. ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-01-23 74850
The fuel itself does not gel per se, it is only the impurities in it that solidify in cold weather, or lift a quote from Chief's excellent link, the "...branched chain hydrocarbons (paraffin waxes) that become solid at ambient wintertime temperatures in colder geographic areas.".
The diesel itself is fine.
That leaves two solutions, filter out the solids, Blizz's funnel will likely work just fine, even if it's NOT a job you will want to do in frigid weather. The other option is to pour in LOTS of liquifieing additives which will chemically melt the solids and keep them in suspension.
The 'thermal' cure is why most modern diesels have fuel pre-heaters.
In practical terms, the additives are the easiest, the funnel is excellent, but not much fun, both will ensure your CUT will run in almost any weather.
Best of luck. ....
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| blizzard
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 282 Central Maine
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2004-01-23 74851
Chief,
My fuel barrel and tractor are stored indoors 40-50F, fuel is winter diesel from Canada (Irving). I add Power Service to the tractor fuel tank, a water-separating filter won't necessarily remove water from treated fuel. I have a water adsorbing filter on the fuel hose. I did this kind of as a test, to see how good this 'winter diesel' was. Four 5 gal. plastic diesel containers left on the trailer outdoors for about 10 days, under a loose plastic tarp.I have had no problems running at -16F. My thoughts are that the wax crystals are like rock candy, unless the temp is quite high, dissolving the crystals takes a long time.
bliz ....
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