Freezes at 32F, But protects to -40F+ and we all should use it
The first time I read that this product freezes at or even slightly above freezing temperatures, but when properly blended with Diesel fuel, it protects against cold weather issues for the diesel fuel, I found it very intriguing. But to understand this product, we need to take an in-depth look at diesel fuel and understand how it's different from gasoline. I use gasoline as the comparison fuel because it's something that everyone who has driven a vehicle has had contact with. It’s important to look at and understand gasoline to consider just how different diesel fuel is from gasoline.
While most of us think of gasoline and diesel as “fuels”, some very important distinctions help us understand the real differences between the two. Gasoline is a “flammable liquid, “ meaning that the liquid’s vapors will ignite in ambient air temperatures below 73F and burn. Diesel fuel is a “combustible liquid, “ meaning it's not as volatile as a flammable liquid, yet it will still burn when exposed to a flame at temperatures above 100_ +. There are different levels of combustibility based on the temperature at which the fuel will ignite.
I don’t want to turn this into a “science blog”, but I do want those who own and operate diesel-powered machinery to understand the very unique properties of diesel fuel and why it’s important that extra steps be taken as the consumer of the diesel fuel, to make sure to take the prudent steps to enhance the diesel fuel and to protect it against the impact of cold weather and other challenges which arise during the winter season.
To help to understand the difference between gasoline and diesel, let’s start with how the two fuels are ignited within the engines that they fuel. If you take a cloth rag and soak it in gasoline, then throw it on the pavement and toss a lit match towards the gas-soaked rag, the match will ignite the vapors from the gasoline in the air around the rag and the area in general. This is why when people are trying to start a bonfire, and they pour gasoline on the wood and other debris and then introduce a flame, there is a large “WHOOSH” of the gas vapors igniting and rapidly burning, often going out as the vapors subside.
Now if you take another brush pile and dump diesel fuel on the wood, and then introduce a flame, often the diesel fuel won’t ignite. With gasoline, the vapors ignite rapidly, but usually, the brush fire won’t start as the vapors burn so quickly that they fail to ignite the wood properly. Of course, always be very careful with fuel and do not take chances with the igniting vapors, etc.
While diesel fuel and gasoline are both petroleum-based products that are created through refining, the consistency of the fuel is very different. Diesel fuel is physically thicker, and when the fuel is ignited, gasoline will burn with the “flash,” whereas diesel fuel burns more slowly and consistently. Diesel fuel produces more power than gasoline when it burns, approximately 20% more power.
Often, when new machine owners get their first diesel fuel-powered machine, which is common with these small tractors, it's really important to emphasize a few key characteristics and even suggest very specific handling of the diesel fuel. Let’s start with the basics.
When the first diesel fuel-powered machine is purchased, it is time to have dedicated fuel cans or jugs to store diesel fuel. But it's also important that little things, like using the correct terminology and avoiding confusion, are very important. Therefore, let's assume this is your first diesel-powered engine machine, and you will need to keep fuel around to keep the machine’s fuel tank full. It’s best to always carefully follow these procedures as it helps to maintain the distinction between this new diesel fuel-powered machine and the gasoline-powered machines you are used to.
Proper Reference and Fuel Description should always be used.
This may seem like an insignificant point, but it’s very important you always properly refer to the fueling of your diesel machine as adding or purchasing diesel fuel and not simply “adding gas.” Why is this important? It helps reinforce in your mind the difference in fuel which this machine uses. It also spreads the word to others who might use the tractor and, at some point, need to add fuel to it. If you simply say, “Make sure you put gas in the tractor,” someone might do just that one day. It happens far more often than one would think. Always refer to diesel as “fuel” or “diesel fuel” and to gasoline as gas or gasoline. Hopefully it prevent a mix up of putting the wrong fuel in the wrong machine.
What happens if you were to put gasoline into a diesel fuel vehicle?
You would want to stop as quickly as possible and also make sure NOT to start the engine or introduce the wrong fuel into the wrong engine. If someone accidentally adds gasoline to their tractor’s fuel tank, they would need to drain the fuel tank immediately and ensure ONLY to introduce the proper fuel into the proper engine.
Fuel Jugs or Fuel Containers
While gasoline is stored and transported in red fuel cans, diesel fuel should ALWAYS be kept in Yellow fuel cans to avoid any possible confusion. Here are some really important “facts” about the fuels that it's imperative that new diesel owners always understand and follow.
Diesel fuel is much heavier than gasoline, and the consistency of diesel fuel changes as the air temps drop. While you can see the difference in diesel fuel and gasoline consistency at 70F, as the temperature drops, you will notice that diesel fuel thickens. As far as purchasing diesel fuel, new machine owners always have these same questions, so I will address them here.
Do I buy “Road Diesel” or “Off Road” diesel fuel for my tractor and what’s the difference between the two diesel fuels?
“Road Diesel fuel” is diesel fuel that the retailer selling the diesel fuel has collected the road use taxes. Off-road diesel fuel has a red dye in it to identify the fuel as NOT having paid taxes. Often, to purchase off-road diesel fuel, you will have to complete some paperwork for the state tax authority, which shows that the fuel you are purchasing will not be used in vehicles driven on the road. Generally, I always purchase “Road Diesel” fuel as I haven’t filled out the state forms showing I have a legal exemption from the road tax diesel. Also, I drive a diesel powered SUV, so I am purchasing the road diesel fuel anyway, so I just purchase more fuel jugs for my tractor use.
Other than the red dye on the “Off-road” diesel fuel, the fuel is exactly the same. It’s simply a matter of collecting the road use taxes at the time of fuel purchase.
Here is something important to know: if anyone introduces off-road diesel fuel into a vehicle that is operated on the roads, the red dye leaves a trail in the fuel tank to make sure those vehicles that should be paying road use taxes are. The red dye has a very sensitive tracing element, and by simply pulling a fuel sample from a vehicle's tank, authorities can tell if they have been running the proper fuel in their road-use vehicles. Anyone caught burning off-road fuel in a vehicle driven on the road faces stiff fines and penalties, and it's a criminal charge. Its not worth trying to save the tax revenue and circumventing the authorities.
All Diesel Fuel Purchased and Sold in North America since 2006 is Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel, which has 98% less sulphur than diesel fuel used to have. The sulfur in the diesel fuel increased the particulate pollution which causes health issues. As a result the fuel sold in North America for the last 18 plus years is Ultra Low SUlphur Diesel ULSD.
This is important because the refining process, which reduces the sulfur, also reduces the fuel lubricity. That brings me to how the diesel engine processes diesel fuel and creates power. Please note that this will be the “cliff notes version” of how diesel fuel provides power, or we risk the blog turning into that science post again.
Diesel fuel is pumped from the fuel tank and runs through at least one filter, often two or even more, before it reaches the “fuel separator” on the tractor’s engine. The fuel separator is the small device under the hood or side panels of the tractors, which has a clear bowl and a filter inside of it. You can see the fuel in the separator and it passes through the separator, is filtered, and goes into the injector pump.
Injector pumps are unique to diesel engines as they pressurize the fuel for injection into the engine's combustion chamber. Since diesel fuel is a “Compression Combustion” fuel, the fuel must be pressurized and injected into the engine’s cylinders. The Injector pump is an external pump bolted to the engine, and it’s powered by gears that run off the camshaft or crankshaft. But here are the very important points for all diesel fuel machine owners to know and advice to heed.
When the diesel fuel is being pumped from the tank to the injector pump, the fuel is transferred by rubber hoses. But once the fuel has been pressurized in the injector pump, the fuel is then sent through steel lines to the engine's fuel injectors. The injector pump raises the fuel pressure significantly, from roughly 4 psi in the rubber hoses to the injector pump to roughly 20,000 to 28,000 PSI once it's in the steel lines. As a result, ALWAYS follow this advice
Do NOT open or loosen the steel fuel lines when working on the machine as the fuel in the lines is under extremely high pressures.
The fuel at 20,000+ psi can penetrate human skin and cause fatal injuries. Don’t mess around with the steel fuel lines if you are not a trained service technician.
The fuel is then injected into the engines cylinder at precise timing based upon the engines compression ratio
The diesel engine compression ratio, which is the pressure rate within the cylinder that the engine creates when compressing the air on the stroke of the piston, is 23 to 1, whereas most gas engines are 8.5 to 1, so the diesel engine has double or triple the compression rate of gas engines.
The fuel being very pressurized, the cylinder being high compression, causes the diesel fuel to ignite and burn in the cylinder.
The fuel system is self-bleeding and doesn’t need to be “cracked open” to bleed the fuel system. It will bleed the air out of itself in the normal course of operation. Leave it closed and the system will purge the air on its own.
If your tractor’s diesel engine was built within the past 20+ years, chances are the fuel system is designed to bleed air on its own. Always check the engines technical service manual for specifics on the fuel systems service requirements.
THe issue of the fuels need for lubrication when being compressed is very important, as the fuel is pumped through a series of ceramic small drums and cylinders and this is part of what raises the fuels pressure rate.
So what is it that freezes at 32F but, when mixed properly, protects the diesel fuel down to -40F or even lower? Its a cold weather or winter diesel fuel treatment. Personally, I find the diesel fuel supplement and treatment is a requirement for getting the best performance and avoiding the issues with the cold weather.
I am a fan of the Hot Shot EDT, Everyday Diesel Fuel Treatment with cold weather or winter protection. This product makes diesel fuel flow and works when it gets very cold. Without the product, the fuel will thicken and “gel” and then fail to pass through the filters, etc. Then the injector pump can’t compress the fuel, and the engine won’t run. Here are some very interesting but true facts about the Hot Shot EDT with cold weather treatment
Most cold weather diesel fuel treatment products will freeze at 32F when NOT mixed with diesel fuel. Its a fact of the product. But once blended with diesel fuel, depending upon the blend rate, the cold flow point drops as low as -43F, which is dramatically better than the near 0F temps of most diesel fuel.
Diesel fuels cold weather issues are really two fold, they including the “Cloud Point” which is when the fuel consistency starts to thicken due to the paraffin wax shards in the fuel changing from a liquid state to a semi solid and the paraffin gathering and making the fuel “cloudy”. The other issues is the “Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP)” which is the temperature at which the diesel fuel will flow through filters so it can be transfers to the injector pump from the fuel tank.
The component in the diesel fuel which helps to add power is the paraffin wax, yes wax as in candle wax, but in a liquid state. As the diesel fuel gets cold, the diesel fuel cloud point changes due to the paraffin. Also, the Cold Filter Plugging Point changes and the filter won’t flow through the filters. This is a process known as gelling where the fuel gets thicker.
In order to get the most of the Winter Fuel treatment, you should ALWAYS follow these steps.
Make sure to keep the diesel fuel treatment at “room temperature” or ideally 50F or warmer.
Always add the treatment to as full a tank as possible. Its best to treat the fuel jugs as being filled at the station to know the diesel fuel is properly treated.
Add the highest recommended dose on the bottle, as it increases the lubricity of the fuel treatment
Adding the maximum dose of treatment also increases the Cetane level of the fuel. Higher Cetane levels make the fuel ignite easier and produce more power when burned.
Treating the fuel makes it ignite easier, flow in colder temperatures and it produces more power.
There is often a debate about whether or not to bother to treat fuel which is purchased at a retailer. Some insist its not necessary . Its foolish to not treat the diesel fuel as treating it lowers the cold flow point and prevents gelling. Why take chances the fuel will solidify if it can be treated to prevent the issue.?
Another major concern with diesel fuel is moisture and condensation is attracted to the diesel fuel. Its very important to keep the fuel jugs sealed and also to keep the tractors fuel tank refilled after each use. The more space in the fuel tank and the more condensation will form.
Water is a leading threat to both diesel fuel and gasoline. In Diesel fuel, water is heavier than the diesel fuel, so the water will always be at the bottom of the fuel tank and also the bottom of the fuel separator. If you notice in the fuel separator under the hood, the unit with the internal filter, if there is a red plastic ring floating that means there is water in the fuel.
Water is abrasive and it also doesn’t “burn” so it diminishes the engines performance.
Water also allows warm weather fuel issues such as mold and mildew and algae to grow,
Its very important to enhance the diesel fuel quality. In diesel fuel, Cetane is a measure of the fuels ability to produce power much as Octane is in The higher a diesel fuels cetane, the easier the fuel will ignite. Speaking of igniting, let’s talk about what happens when you attempt to start the diesel engine in very cold temperatures.
Many diesels have either Glow Plugs or “Pre Heaters” to heat up the pre combustion chamber so when the diesel engine is cranked, the diesel fuel hopefully will start. In order to maximize the engines likely hood of starting, you need .
In summary, you should always increase the quality of all diesel fuel, you have purchased for use in your machine. In fact, follow these key points
Make sure to purchase Petro Diesel Fuel whenever possible as Petro Diesel has higher cetane ratings, but it also has less moisture in suspense which is water.
Always add a good diesel fuel treatment year around to your diesel fuel.
If your area experiences cold climates, add the cold weather treatment to the diesel so it provides the best
Always purchase diesel fuel from stations which turn over their inventory at least weekly. This helps to assure the fuel will be fresher.
Don’t assume the stations brand is also the diesel fuel brand, many stations sell different fuel depending upon which supplier last delivered to them,
Avoid buying BioDiesel as its often a lower quality and produces less power. This will require more fuel to be burned to produce the same output. This means the fuel sold as B5, B20, B40 and B100 at the diesel pumps, should not be used. The number following the “B” tells the percentage of Blended BioDiesel.
Keep the tractors fuel tank filled after each use. This provides less room for moisture and condensation to form.
There is a lot of unused diesel fuel when the diesel engine is running at less than full power. Although the injector pump is pressurizing the fuel for the engine’s fuel injectors, the injector pump pressurizes more fuel than the engine needs. This results in the high-pressure fuel being returned to the tractor's fuel tank. If you want to see first hand the impact on the fuel tank’s fuel temperature from the pressurized fuel being added to the tank. Use an infrared heater to measure the fuel in the tank’s actual temperature. You will be surprised just how much the fuels temperature increases, even though the outside air temps are below freezing. Imagine the tractor runs for an hour and the fuel temperature is 30 to 40 F warmer than the starting temps in the fuel tank. That’s how condensation is formed in the tank due to the warming and cooling of the fuel as the tractor runs.
This is another reason why its important to keep the fuel tank full. When you have 6 gallons of diesel in the fuel tank, the unused and heated diesel being returned to the fuel tank minimizes condensation. On the other hand, if the fuel tank only has 1 gallon of diesel, when the fuel is returned, the temp of the fuel increases rapidly.
In summary, to get along the best with your diesel-powered tractor in the winter weather, make sure to take these steps
Purchase Petro diesel fuel which does not have the Bio Blend components in it.
Make sure to purchase your diesel from a station that turns over their inventory so the fuel is fresh
Treat all diesel fuel YEAR AROUND with a product like the Hot Shot EDT with winter protection
Thanks for reading and I hope you and your diesel powered machine have a wonderful, productive and safe relationship.