A hopefully simple question. How long can diesel be stored in a plastic jerry? I have a faint but nagging memory of there being a time limit due to the growth of a fungus or similar. May have been an urban myth. Any advice is welcome.
Knew I'd heard of the problem. In a previous life our bulk overhead diesel tank was something we had to be aware of. I'll only be storing in plastic jerries for short periods.
Good to know the memory cells still operate to some extent.
Cheers
Hurls
copper1 said
11:57 PM Nov 22, 2013
No worries in saying that we used to store diesel in and overhead tank that just sat under the shade of a tree on the farm years ago, and never had any problems. I would not think the refining process from 30 years ago would be the same as now??
Dougwe said
04:08 AM Nov 23, 2013
There is an additive you can get for petrol to make it keep longer, can't recall name as Uncle Al is blocking it but you might be able to get an additive for Diesel.
GaryKelly said
04:18 AM Nov 23, 2013
BTW, when you fill a plastic jerry can with petrol from a bowser, are there any precautions necessary to prevent sparks, ignition, vapor, etc?
D and D said
04:25 AM Nov 23, 2013
Make sure the container is on the ground and that you discharge yourself of any static charge by touching the steel cable of the hose for the fuel pump.
Peter_n_Margaret said
04:57 AM Nov 23, 2013
Wynns make a biocide treatment for diesel.
"Bugs" will grow in diesel at the diesel/water interface (the water will settle out to the bottom).
We always fill the tanks to the brim and add the biocide before parking the OKA up for more than a month or so.
If the bugs do grow, they can block up the filters and make a bit of a mess, so best to prevent that possibility.
Cheers,
Peter
Mr B2 said
09:12 PM Nov 23, 2013
Put a water separator in the line, Before it hits the motor or injectors, Pumps, Etc,
It drops out the water, but also the Black Sludge that likes to live in Diesel,
Have one on my Boat and My Grand Villa, It saves the filters from sludgeing up as well,
Its more of a boat problem than cars and trucks, I have had Diesel thats a minimum 2 year old,
Put it in and it fired up straight away,
Farmers have diesel sitting in Machinery for years, They just fire up and away they go,
Boats are a different matter, The Diesel grows the black sludge in the tanks,
I run my Diesel thru a Cloth, it removes the black sludge,
I did have it in my Coach, But it was sitting beside and on the sea for nearly a year,
But thats a rare event any way, Unless you live near the sea,
And Diesel is fairly safe to use in most situations, Care is required,
Yuglamron said
01:13 AM Nov 24, 2013
I really don't know the time limit on the storage of diesel however, I do use an additive bought from BCF but available in a lot of auto stores. It's called Stab-il one for petrol and one for diesel.
I use it if I am only using one tank and keeping the other for reserve. I was told rightly or wrongly that when I drive the excess diesel that returns from the injector pump to the tank has been heated by proximity to the engine and will promote the growth of fungus etc.
True or not I use the Stabil additive and have had no problems.
03_troopy said
03:24 AM Nov 24, 2013
It's more the water in thge diesel that will promote the algea growth. We used to get it in aircraft jet fuel too. A slimy looking layer that grew at the interface of the fuel and water layer. It used to cause a piece of metal left in the jar to be eaten away at the interlayer also.
Hi All,
A hopefully simple question. How long can diesel be stored in a plastic jerry? I have a faint but nagging memory of there being a time limit due to the growth of a fungus or similar.
May have been an urban myth. Any advice is welcome.
Thanks
Hurls
Hope this link works below re diesel storage.
Thanks Gaz,
Knew I'd heard of the problem. In a previous life our bulk overhead diesel tank was something we had to be aware of. I'll only be storing in plastic jerries for short periods.
Good to know the memory cells still operate to some extent.
Cheers
Hurls
No worries in saying that we used to store diesel in and overhead tank that just sat under the shade of a tree on the farm years ago, and never had any problems. I would not think the refining process from 30 years ago would be the same as now??
"Bugs" will grow in diesel at the diesel/water interface (the water will settle out to the bottom).
We always fill the tanks to the brim and add the biocide before parking the OKA up for more than a month or so.
If the bugs do grow, they can block up the filters and make a bit of a mess, so best to prevent that possibility.
Cheers,
Peter
Put a water separator in the line, Before it hits the motor or injectors, Pumps, Etc,
It drops out the water, but also the Black Sludge that likes to live in Diesel,
Have one on my Boat and My Grand Villa, It saves the filters from sludgeing up as well,
Its more of a boat problem than cars and trucks, I have had Diesel thats a minimum 2 year old,
Put it in and it fired up straight away,
Farmers have diesel sitting in Machinery for years, They just fire up and away they go,
Boats are a different matter, The Diesel grows the black sludge in the tanks,
I run my Diesel thru a Cloth, it removes the black sludge,
I did have it in my Coach, But it was sitting beside and on the sea for nearly a year,
But thats a rare event any way, Unless you live near the sea,
And Diesel is fairly safe to use in most situations, Care is required,
I really don't know the time limit on the storage of diesel however, I do use an additive bought from BCF but available in a lot of auto stores. It's called Stab-il one for petrol and one for diesel.
I use it if I am only using one tank and keeping the other for reserve. I was told rightly or wrongly that when I drive the excess diesel that returns from the injector pump to the tank has been heated by proximity to the engine and will promote the growth of fungus etc.
True or not I use the Stabil additive and have had no problems.