Diesel fuel gelling

[Luckiest Dreamer]

Having driven diesels in Iowa year around using todays fuels,I cannot tell you how many times that I have passed by trucks sitting on the side of the road Gelled up. In Iowa, when the temps drop below a certain temp the stations will fill with a winter blend, rather than a straight #2. If you buy your fuel a week before they do that, you takes your chances.I can also claim that I have had the same thing happen to me. In part it depends on the vehicle that is being driven. On the last F450 and F350 pickups that I owned the fuel filters were heated and I never had a problem, yet the previous one had a bend that created a low spot in the line. That truck would always start the trip but 5 or 10 minutes down the road it would gel and I would be stranded. The 18 wheelers that I drove had heat to the crossovers and rarely gelled, yet during our busy times the company would lease extra equiptment and at times I would find myself standing on the side of the road looking for assistance. Power Service makes an additive that will help keep the fuel from Gelling and with a partial tank of fuel that was purchased when the temps were warmer, I would add some to that tank if it were me driving, in spite of the fact that Cummins says additives were not needed.

[chief02]

My second career was in petroleum refining and transportation. In the west there definitely is a winter blend to maintain pour point. Our refinery had to start switching in October in order to clear out inventories in storage tanks.

[bokobird]

For me, diesel fuel will definitely gel if the temperature is too cold. Not in my RV (it's in warm weather) but for my home. I have two 275-gallon tanks outside and for the last couple of winters I have had issues with the fuel gel'g. When temps go below 17*, that's when I start worrying.

This year, the tanks were enclosed in a shelter and I'm running a high-wattage light out there to keep the oil from getting too cold. I don't think the fuel oil I get for my house is much different (no dye) than what goes into a diesel engine. In fact, just last week I had an issue with the furnace and the return wasn't working for hours as the furnace needed to be "reset". It caused the oil to get very cold and the pump in the burner had to work extra hard for a while to pump the diesel through.

For me, whatever they sell for my house apparently isn't tolerant of very cold temps.

[capt.caveman]

I used to drive logging truck here in the upper northeast where many mornings start out at minus 20 degrees and sometimes down to minus 40. fueling stations used to order the fuel from their suppliers and designate how much to cut the fuel with kerosene (winter blend) some times they wouldn't get it right and there would be trucks sitting beside the road. The outfit that I worked for liked power service diesel fuel additive and used it all the time. At one point the owner of the company wanted to save pennies and told all the drivers that they were using to much power service and to only use it on the coldest days. Through out that winter every truck lost at least half a day due to gelled fuel. There was no savings.
Moral of story is, If you're going to be running in cold weather. Be safe. Use an additive. It's no fun sitting on the side of the road with no heat. Especially in areas where there is not much traffic.
If it's just going to set in the yard till spring, You don't need it.