What It Is

• A water‑absorbing insert designed for diesel tanks in vehicles, generators, boats, RVs, farm equipment, and storage tanks.
• Typically shaped like a pouch, sock, or small cylinder.
• Made from super‑absorbent polymers that selectively absorb water — not diesel fuel.
• Includes a retrieval cord so it can be easily removed and inspected.
• Must be checked periodically and replaced once saturated.

How It Works
Water naturally accumulates in diesel tanks through:

• Condensation
• Contaminated fuel deliveries
• Long‑term storage
  Once placed in the tank:

1. The absorber sinks to the bottom where water collects.
2. It pulls in and traps free water molecules.
3. When it reaches its rated capacity (e.g., 7.2 oz), it stops absorbing.
4. You remove it, discard it, and replace it with a fresh one.

Why It Matters
Water in diesel can lead to:

• Injector damage
• Microbial growth (“diesel algae”)
• Rust and corrosion inside tanks
• Hard starts, rough running, or power loss
• Fuel filter clogging
  A water absorber helps prevent these issues without adding chemicals to your fuel.

Typical Use Cases

• Long‑term storage tanks
• Backup generators
• Boats and RVs
• Farm equipment
• Diesel trucks that sit unused for extended periods

How to Use It

1. Drop the absorber into the tank through the filler neck.
2. Make sure the retrieval cord stays accessible.
3. Leave it in place during storage or operation.
4. Check periodically and replace when saturated.

More info at

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1. Corrosion and Rust Water speeds up oxidation on metal surfaces (tanks, lines, pumps, injectors), forming rust. Rust particles become abrasive contaminants that accelerate wear throughout the system.
2. Microbial Growth (“Diesel Bug”) Bacteria, fungi, and yeasts flourish at the water-fuel interface in the tank bottom. They consume diesel hydrocarbons, multiply rapidly, produce acidic byproducts (further corroding components), and form slimy biomass/sludge. This clogs filters and lines, while dead microbes add more particulates.
3. Loss of Lubricity and Increased Wear Diesel provides natural lubrication for high-pressure fuel pumps and injectors. Water dilutes this lubricity, leading to friction, scoring, erosion, cavitation (pitting), spalling, and premature failure—especially in modern common-rail systems.
4. Engine Performance and Combustion Issues
   • Hard starting, rough idling, misfires, stalling, or complete shutdowns (water doesn’t combust properly).
   • Power loss, poor acceleration, reduced fuel efficiency, and higher emissions.
   • In severe cases: Hydro-lock (water in cylinders), injector tip explosion, pump cavitation, or catastrophic damage.
5. Filter Clogging and System Blockages Sludge, biomass, rust, and particulates quickly plug fuel filters, restricting flow and starving the engine of fuel—often leading to sudden failures.
6. Long-Term and Costly Consequences Accelerated wear shortens engine/component life, skyrockets maintenance and repair expenses (e.g., injector or high-pressure pump replacements can run thousands of dollars), and increases downtime risks.

In essence, water doesn’t just sit harmlessly—it creates a snowball effect of degradation, especially in stored, standby, or infrequently used systems (generators, marine vessels, backup tanks, etc.). Prevention is key: Regular fuel maintenance—including water testing, stabilizers/biocides (used judiciously), effective water separators, good tank hygiene, and periodic polishing with tools like your purifier product—removes water early, stabilizes the fuel, and avoids most issues.

https://dieselcraft.com/portable-fuel-polishing/

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WARNING: Diesel Algae/Bacteria Alert!**

Is your fuel system at risk? Watch for these warning signs:

• Contamination: Check for sludge or dark layers at the bottom of the tank.
• Testing: Collect a fuel sample to analyze for harmful microbes using available kits.
• Filters: Look for blockages or slime on fuel filters.
• Professional Help: If contamination is suspected, consult a fuel quality testing service.

Don’t wait—act now to protect your fuel system!

Contact us for expert assistance:
https://dieselcraft.com/test-for-algae-bacteria-in-fuel/

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**Key Issues to Address**

Microbial colonies can be a significant threat in fuel tanks. They thrive when fuel and water coexist, leading to contamination and tank deterioration. Factors like warm weather and increased biofuel use worsen this risk. Once established, these colonies can consume up to 1% of your fuel investment, causing considerable losses.

**Understanding What Microbes Need**

Microbes flourish at the bottom of the tank, where fuel and water meet, forming a “rag layer” that promotes their growth, especially in elevated temperatures. This issue affects all types of diesel, including biodiesel, which provides ample nutrition for these organisms, leading to more contamination incidents.

**Taking Action Against the Threat**

In fuel tanks, the combination of fuel and water creates ideal conditions for microbial growth. With the rising use of biofuels, it’s essential to take proactive steps to maintain fuel quality. Microbial growth can impact your investment—address these risks now to ensure optimal performance and prevent costly disruptions in the future

The post WARNING: Fuel Problem – Algae in the Tank and Plugged Filters! appeared first on Dieselcraft.

1. Quality Assurance: Testing ensures that diesel fuel meets quality standards and specifications set by regulatory bodies and industry organizations. It verifies that the fuel is free from contaminants such as water, sediment, microbes, and impurities that could harm engines or compromise performance.
2. Engine Performance: Diesel fuel testing helps assess fuel properties such as cetane number, viscosity, lubricity, and sulfur content, which directly impact engine performance. Ensuring the correct fuel properties are maintained helps optimize combustion, reduce emissions, and maximize engine efficiency.
3. Emissions Compliance: Diesel fuel testing is crucial for compliance with emissions regulations, as fuel composition directly affects the amount of pollutants emitted during combustion. Testing verifies that fuel meets regulatory limits for emissions of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon monoxide (CO).
4. Operational Safety: Testing diesel fuel for characteristics such as flash point and stability helps ensure operational safety. Properly tested fuel reduces the risk of combustion hazards, such as fires and explosions, especially in storage, transportation, and handling.
5. Equipment Protection: Diesel fuel testing helps protect engines, fuel systems, and associated equipment from damage and premature wear. It identifies potential issues such as corrosion, contamination, and degradation that can lead to engine malfunctions, component failures, and costly repairs.
6. Optimized Maintenance: Regular fuel testing provides valuable data for diagnosing fuel-related problems and optimizing maintenance schedules. It helps identify trends, anomalies, and degradation patterns in fuel quality, allowing for timely corrective actions and preventive maintenance measures.
7. Fuel Economy: Testing diesel fuel can help identify opportunities for improving fuel economy and reducing operational costs. By monitoring fuel properties and performance metrics, organizations can implement strategies to optimize fuel consumption, such as selecting fuel-efficient vehicles, optimizing routes, and improving driver behavior.
8. Legal Compliance: In many jurisdictions, regulatory agencies require fuel suppliers, distributors, and end-users to conduct regular fuel testing and maintain records to demonstrate compliance with quality and emissions standards. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements can result in fines, penalties, and legal consequences.

Overall, diesel fuel testing is critical for ensuring fuel quality, protecting engine performance and equipment, achieving emissions compliance, ensuring operational safety, and optimizing fuel economy. It provides valuable insights for maintaining reliable and efficient diesel operations while meeting regulatory requirements and industry standards. MORE INFO

Contact Dieselcraft to discuss your fuel issues and testing. Call or Text 530 613 2150 Email sales@dieselcraft.com

Contact Dieselcraft to discuss your fuel issues and testing. Call or Text 530 613 2150 Email sales@dieselcraft.com

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1. Fuel Efficiency: Optimizing fuel efficiency is a primary goal of diesel management. This includes implementing practices to maximize miles per gallon (MPG) or liters per kilometer (LPK) for vehicles, machinery, or equipment powered by diesel engines. Strategies may include route planning, vehicle maintenance, driver training, and adoption of fuel-efficient technologies.
2. Engine Performance: Ensuring the optimal performance of diesel engines is crucial for achieving efficiency and reliability. Diesel management involves maintaining engines according to manufacturer recommendations, monitoring performance metrics such as power output and fuel consumption, and addressing any issues promptly to prevent breakdowns and downtime.
3. Emissions Control: Diesel engines produce various emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons (HC), which contribute to air pollution and environmental concerns. Diesel management aims to minimize emissions through the use of emission control technologies such as diesel particulate filters (DPF), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and cleaner fuel formulations.
4. Regulatory Compliance: Compliance with environmental regulations and emissions standards is an essential aspect of diesel management, particularly for organizations operating fleets of diesel-powered vehicles or equipment. This includes adhering to emission limits set by government agencies, maintaining records of emissions testing and vehicle inspections, and implementing strategies to meet or exceed regulatory requirements.
5. Fuel Quality Management: Ensuring the quality of diesel fuel is vital for the performance and longevity of diesel engines. Diesel management involves sourcing high-quality fuel from reputable suppliers, implementing storage and handling practices to prevent contamination, and periodically testing fuel for impurities such as water, sediment, and microbial growth.
6. Cost Control: Managing diesel usage effectively can lead to cost savings for organizations by reducing fuel consumption, minimizing maintenance expenses, and extending the life of diesel-powered assets. Diesel management strategies may include fuel budgeting, monitoring fuel prices, negotiating bulk fuel purchases, and optimizing fleet operations for efficiency.
7. Technology Integration: Advancements in technology play a significant role in diesel management, offering opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, engine performance, and emissions control. Integration of telematics, onboard diagnostics, fuel monitoring systems, and predictive maintenance tools can provide valuable insights for optimizing diesel operations and reducing costs.

Overall, diesel management encompasses a range of strategies and practices aimed at maximizing the efficiency, performance, and environmental sustainability of diesel fuel usage and diesel engine operations. By implementing effective diesel management practices, organizations can achieve their operational objectives while minimizing their environmental footprint and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. MORE INFO

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Medical, Emergency / First Response, Senior Care / Assisted Living, Data Centers, Airports, Communication, Transportation, and Energy companies, all must test fuel annually.

Joint Commission Requirement on Fuel testing: EC.02.05.07-8, The National Fire Protection NFPA 110 2010 requires at least annually a fuel quality test in accordance with “approved ASTM standards.”

“At least annually, the critical access hospital, tests the fuel quality to ASTM standards. The test results and completions dates must be documented.

NFPA 30 and 70 requires facilities are also required to comply with federal and state regulations on fuel storage systems under 40 CFR 112 for Above Ground Storage Tanks (AST) – including day tanks, 40 CFR 280 for Underground Storage Tanks (UST), 29 CFR 1910 for emergency actions, and AST inspections IAW either SP001 or API 653.

 Are you  aware that several fuel properties change over time?

Are your aware fuel testing and reporting the results is now mandatory.

 A fuel’s thermal stability is a critical property to monitor. Has your fuel become contaminated?  Controlling contamination is the biggest challenge for fuel storage. Water and debris can enter the tank, leading to biological growth. These contaminates could change fuel properties, such as flash point, impact ignition quality and cause tank corrosion that will lead to plugged filters and abrasive fuel system wear.

Dieselcraft Laboratory Services offers the ASTM D975 test package needed to keep you in compliance.

See the company web page
https://dieselcraft.com/manditory-generator-fuel-testing-package/

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Where did I get the water? Check the fill port gasket and vents to see if that is how the water entered the tanks.

Water may have been delivered to you but it is hard to prove without going back to the source and inspecting their supply.

Drain the separator and keep a sample of the fuel. Letting the boat sit for a day or two and restart the engine. Compare what you see in the separator now with the sample you kept. If the problem came from water on the tank bottom, after sitting for two days in calm waters the fuel should clear up.

After assuming water is on the bottom of the tanks we must get it out. Steel Camel,  https://www.steelcamel.com/, has a water absorbing sock that will work if you can get it into the tank. Or we must find a way to get a pickup tube to the bottom and suck out the water. No telling of there is 1 gallon of 20 gallons of water on the bottom.

To clean what you have is to install a Dieselcraft Fuel Purifier followed by the Racor and recirculate for as long as it take, 8 hours, and the fuel should clear up.

DO NOT add any additive. Some additive promote “allows the water to be burned off.” Water burns? Engine manufacturers allow ZERO water in the fuel, burnable or not. ZERO water. The only way to remove the water is a mechanical purifier/separator, absorbing media or a vacuum cleaner but not burning.

MORE INFO

The post Cloudy Boat Fuel? How to Protect Your Engine and Restore Fuel Quality appeared first on Dieselcraft.

Gasoline in diesel fuel alters the fuel’s chemistry, causing serious engine problems. Mixing gasoline with diesel:

• Increases the flash point – fuel ignites sooner than it should, potentially causing engine damage.
• Reduces lubricity – the diesel fuel can no longer properly lubricate the injector pump and injectors, leading to premature wear.

Symptoms of Gasoline in Diesel Fuel

• Engine runs rough or unevenly
• Sudden loss of power or performance issues
• Increased wear on fuel system components

How to Know for Sure

If you suspect gasoline has been added to your diesel tank, the only way to confirm is to test the fuel. Continuing to run your engine without testing can destroy it in minutes.

Order the test here

The post Gasoline in Diesel Fuel – Risks, Symptoms & Testing appeared first on Dieselcraft.

The color of fuel indicates the fuels age or bacteria growth. The dark color is coming from one or the other.

To fix old diesel remove the water first.

Less than 50 gallons of fuel consider Mr Funnel to remove the water.

Once the water is gone he can then filter out the solids. BUT filtering may take LOTS of filters so we are back to how many gallons do we have?

If you have an older engine with mechanical injection as long as the big solids are removed the engine will be fine…but get the water out…no engines like water.

If you have hundreds of gallons you need to use an additive to speed up the cleaning and a fuel “polishing” service or machine. http://dieselcraft.com/fuel-tank-cleaning-chemicals/

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