Everybody worries about fuel gelling but water contamination in the diesel fuel probably causes more problems than gelled fuel. The water sits in the bottom of the tank and cold weather can freeze it and close off the stariner and the tank valve. When that happens you"re in a real fix. The water enters the fuel tank through condensation and from contaminated fuel storage tanks. Tt"s heavier than the fuel and collects on the bottom. You can never eilininate it completely but you can minimize it. Keep the tanks full and fill up at the end of your work day. Use a fuel additive (like Power Service White, Stanadyne, etc) that diseprses the water in the fuel. This keeps it from collecting at the tank bottom and it will be taken out by the filter. However the filter will then freeze in sub freezing temperature and will need to be changed to get running again. So keep a spare filter or two handy. What you don"t want is a tank outlet to freeze. Drain the filter(s) and/ or water separator before and after every use to minimize the problem. Change your fuel filters before the cold weather gets here and as I said keep spares on hand. If you do get a freeze up, I have used a heat gun( blow dryer) to warm the filters and get running again, but it"s a temporary fix The freeze may occur away from a source of electricity so unless you have s current bush to plug into (grin) you"ve got a problem.
To get back to your original question, gelling occurs because parafins in the fuel precipitate out at temperatures <-20F and colder. They look like a waxy mucous in the tank. Most fuel additives will help prevent this somewhat and a good cold weather winter blend fuel will be a mixture of #2 diesel and #1 diesel that will help prevent this problem. If gelling does occur, it will coat the filter with wax and clog it. There is a product call 911 that is supposed to helptis sitation . You replace the filter with a new one, fill it with 911 and pour the rest in the tank. I have never experienced gelled fuel (and I live in Western Montana where it can get cold) but that"s what other"s who have have said.
I add #1 diesel at one part #1 to two parts #2 for winter fuel as a preventative. #1 iesel has a lower LHV so you"ll burn a bit more fuel but a gelled up fuel system won"t allow you to do anything with a diesel powered machine. And if mine don"t run, the cows don"t eat!
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