|
04-12-2021, 02:47 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 100
|
Algae prevention in diesel fuel tank
Heard a horror story from a neighbor a while ago: A few years ago her motor coach broke down because of algae in the fuel, presumably from a fuel station that had old fuel.
Does anyone use an additive against algae? Our dealer said put Seafoam in every fill up. Product information does not mention algae. Thanks for any advice.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
04-12-2021, 02:51 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 14,608
|
I use Biobor about every 3 times I fill up and if I am parking long term I will fill tank and use it. I also use Startron, which is an enzyme treatment.
__________________
Jim J
2002 Monaco Windsor 38 PKD Cummins ISC 350 8.3L
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/5.7 Hemi
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 02:54 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,882
|
Yes, if STORING (vs burning) diesel add BIOBAR JF to kill "algae".
And if storing absolutely fill the tank before storing to minimize condensation.
__________________
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38FDDS. Ex: 1997 Safari Sahara. Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 04:46 PM
|
#4
|
Moderator Emeritus
Monaco Owners Club Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 13,426
|
I use Biobor JF every time I fuel. My tank was full of microbes when I bought it. I couldn’t go a thousand miles without a clogged filter. I filled the tank with the recommended amount of startron for diesel and started using biobor. No problems since.
__________________
Dennis and Katherine
2000 Monaco Dynasty
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 06:17 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,186
|
Your neighbor's experience is a good reason to use busy stations.
Busy truck stops cost more but don't have the problem.
I stopped at a much cheaper truck stop and found out why they were
cheaper, very hard to get in and out. Guess what, I got the algies.
Changed the filters, made it home and rigged up a shade tree fuel
polisher. I had an elect fuel pump and a filter that I bought at Tractor
Supply. So with some tubing and wire, I pumped out of one side and
back in the other. I let it run for a couple of days.
Of course I use Biobor also
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 07:18 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 100
|
Thanks all. I ordered Biobor and Startron from Amazon and will add to the tank before starting out on our trip home.
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 08:14 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
|
21 years of diesel RV's with no algae problems and I live in the Pacific North Wet.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
|
|
|
04-12-2021, 08:29 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: What? Like right now? ;-)
Posts: 1,302
|
My ISC sat for prob 3-4 years and never had new fuel added - it ran fine when I got it in 2016.
That was prob prior to 2016> when more bio fuels were used. I have since made sure the fuel is only a max of 12 months old for anything about 50 percent capacity. I have recently added an algicide for minimal use during covid
__________________
2003 Scepter 40PDBB - Roadmaster RR8S - Cummins ISC350 - purch aug16
|
|
|
04-13-2021, 03:43 PM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,309
|
I have been using Diesel Kleen for years with a "maintenance" dose of Biobor for past years. I recently heard of Startron's benefits so I tried it this last fill up. Has anyone used all 3? or is the Startron pretty much a replacement (hopefully superior one). After having to do a fuel filter change on-the-road a few years back I learned to stay away from the low-volume stations wherever possible.
__________________
... Rick P.
07 Signature. (Prev: 00 Dip, 02 Dyn, 05 Sig).
|
|
|
04-13-2021, 04:36 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Thornville, Ohio
Posts: 3,697
|
I use power services kleen diesel a few times a year, but always before its put away in storage. It kills algae, removes water and conditions it for storage.
__________________
Art & Joyce
Thornville, OH
Kia Soul pushing a 36' DP Endeavor
|
|
|
04-13-2021, 04:38 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,882
|
Yes, Biobar JF is a common algaecide for diesel fuel.
Well known in the marine industry as well.
__________________
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38FDDS. Ex: 1997 Safari Sahara. Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
|
|
|
04-13-2021, 11:50 PM
|
#12
|
Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Arizona
Posts: 83
|
We do not travel all the time...sometimes in place six months. We always keep the tanks full when staying in place for extended periods.
This is what we use
Star-Tron
Biobor and
a couple sets of extra filters just in case
__________________
Brian
2003 40' Sig Centurion
|
|
|
06-06-2021, 03:04 PM
|
#13
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 7
|
I hear you about dirty fuel. Algae and a less than honest repair tech cost me $1000 this year. If I had only known about biocide diesel treatment I would have saved myself a good deal of grief and money.
My story: 400 ISL Cummings 40Ft Windsor Monaco 2006
1. No power on hills. Later I was kiddingly told it was a 1975 model.....19 up one hill then 75 down the other side. It quit running. Called for help.
2. Tech arrived within 2-hours and hooked up his laptop and immediately said it was a bad fuel rail pressure sensor ($300). He took off to buy sensor at local Volvo truck dealer (?). He got back 3-hours later and installed it in less than 10-minutes. He put the fork in it by playing with laptop for 2-hours “fine tuning” the RV’s computer-fuel flow, air etc. Programming RV computer he called it. Charts and graphs look great on a computer screen alongside an interstate when it’s getting dark. Yeah, what do I know? I was just glad I could get help in the middle of nowhere.
4. I forgot that he also changed one of the two fuel filters using my spare. Why not both?
5. Total time from arrival till he left 7-hours.
6. Continued on trip where problems reoccured.
7. Nursed sick puppy home again at 45mph max on most grades or hills. What a nerve wracking trip.
Researched symptoms after I got home and started to learn all about algae in diesel fuel. Marine diesels aren’t the only ones to have this problem.
Called diesel & RV shops and at $95-145 hour they’d be glad to “diagnose” my problem. They were not interested in cleaning out my tank or fuel system.
Here’s where I took the bull by the horns and did the following.
A. Bought Killem available at most auto parts stores. ($23 for 16-oz bottle, add 1-oz per 100 gallons diesel each fueling). I put 2-ounces of Killem in 35 gallons fuel left in tank to shock the algae and ran it for an hour to circulate.
B. Built McGiver pump/filter/hose arrangement and pumped fuel out into 5-gallon cans. Repeated process 3-times pumping out to cans then back into RV tank. Used 12v diesel transfer pump that filled cand in very little time. Don’t use 12v engine fuel pump as its aggravatingly slow. Total cost $120 for everything. $50 pump, $35 filter and mounting, $15 2nd filter, $20 garden hose and clamps. 5-ft of 3/8”copper tubing I already had with short piece of clear tubing.
C. Changed all filters on RV....dark brown gook found in them.
D. Test drove pulling Jeep up steep grade that truckers have trouble pulling speed limit. My speed dropped to 45 but no hesitation or stumbling so I call it a win. It’s only 400 hp but I’d like to have 650!
I wish I had the nerve to cut a hand-hole size clean outs on each side of baffle in 130 gallon tank for thorough cleaning. Suction tube picked up junk every time it touched bottom, I could see molasses like fluid with chunks of debris going through clear tubing I added to see what was going into filter.
Morrow of my story.Add Killem every time you get fuel.
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|