When is diesel fuel too old?

shank

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Apr 20, 2016
124
Catalina 27 5231 Lake Champlain
Do you have to bleed the air from the system when you pump the tank out dry?
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Define "old."
Not sure if there is a precise answer other than what I referred to earlier regarding the API standard for storage - 6 months.
no clue how they derived that but i suspect a result of testing at which they are pretty good.
 
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Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
Do you have to bleed the air from the system when you pump the tank out dry?
No, what I do is shut off the fuel valve that is down stream of my primary filter then pump the tank dry. In the spring after I fill it, I use the primer pump on my primary filter to add a little pressure then open the fuel shutoff valve. She starts right up and doesn't hiccup at all. YMMV
 
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Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Ditto jviss............best practice to try to keep the diesel tank close full, add a stabilier with biocide and monitor primary fuel filter for water in the bowl........and never had water accumulate in the separator, and never had a problem with growth in the tank.
 
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T Dunn

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May 23, 2018
16
Allied Princess Southwest Harbor
Just an anecdote. Here in Maine I fill my diesel tank in the fall and do nothing else. I don't use stabilizers or biocides. My boat sits in storage for 7 months each year. No problems yet, but I have only had my current sailboat (Allied 36 ketch) for 26 years. I do change the filter element in the Racor 500MA every year although I am sure I could go longer given how the filters look when I change them out.
 
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shank

.
Apr 20, 2016
124
Catalina 27 5231 Lake Champlain
Just an anecdote. Here in Maine I fill my diesel tank in the fall and do nothing else. I don't use stabilizers or biocides. My boat sits in storage for 7 months each year. No problems yet,
That's interesting and good to know. I'm in northern VT and the previous owner of my boat is in Quebec and he filled the tank and used Star Tron and Biobor JF and didn't have any problems. Sometimes I think we (myself included) overthink these things.

I'm from Portland, ME and ironically learned to sail in VT. I want to get back and sail the coast before I'm too old.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,882
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I'm not sure how that would work here in hot - humid coastal South Carolina and the cost of the Biofor and Startron is peanuts in the long run so I use it with each fill up. My old Aluminum tank did develop pinhole leaks but I don't really know how the fuel was managed by the PO. I also installed a fuel polishing system, also pretty cheap amortized over the remaining time I will own the boat.
 

T Dunn

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May 23, 2018
16
Allied Princess Southwest Harbor
You do need biocide down south. Here in Maine not much grows in diesel at 10F or below. My question is why would anyone want to live down south. Of course Portland, ME is down south to me and Boston is the deep south ;).
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,882
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I'm allergic to snow shovels and I like to sail in January. :beer: Go figure.

By the way, stayed in Southwest Harbor in a B&B and it was lovely in July. I think I'll pass on January. Some people up there told me that some people put their houses for sale in the summer months hoping to snag a southerner with the cool days of summer. When I saw wood piles as big as the house :yikes: I put that thought out of my mind.
 

shank

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Apr 20, 2016
124
Catalina 27 5231 Lake Champlain
Winters are a piece of cake along the coast of Maine compared to Vermont. We have more snow, it's much colder, and the worst part is that we barely see the sun from November to Feb.
 

T Dunn

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May 23, 2018
16
Allied Princess Southwest Harbor
Yup the climate here at the southern tip of Mount Desert Island is actually pretty mild in the winter. Of course I did move here to get away from cold weather. What I didn't bargain for was the extreme heat in the summer. It actually hit 80 ten times last summer and we had a day where it hit 82. I would die if I couldn't escape that heat by going out on the ocean where 65 is hot.