No Sta-bil for generator?

BillMFl wrote:

Crespro wrote:

mowermech wrote:
Diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, etc. does not "rot" and turn to varnish like gasoline does.
As long as the fuel is dry (NO water in the tank), no additives are needed, and no algae will grow.
If there IS water in the tank, the tank should be cleaned and dried to remove ALL traces of moisture.
I recommend that, before using ANY additive, look up the MSDS of the additive, then think about whether you want that chemical cocktail in your fuel tank!

Thanks very much. Excellent advice.

This is fine if you live in a low humidity climate and use your rig frequently. I can tell you most lobster men and cruising folks use stabilizers and algaecides especially during long winter layups. Its not unusual to get some water from a dealer, and in humid locations condensation can build up over time. Marine locations are worse of course but any of the major additive brands will do no harm when used as directed. Some raise cetane levels to old fuel Thats also why I have Racors with water seperators and sight bowls on my diesel engines and generator. If you add new fuel and run your rig frequently you would probably never need additives. But not all new fuel is clean and dry. Its bad luck but it happens.

The thing is that there are additives for this and additives for that. And not all those additives are good for your diesel's injector system. In this thread, I have seen additives recommended that do little to improve the quality of diesel fuel. Before using any additives, you want to know a bit about them. There are additives to improve celtane, additives to disperse water, additives to encapticle water (highly debated as to whether this is good or not), additives to kill Algae/bugs, and so on. BillMFl is talking about a coastal environment where diesel fuel in a tank can become contaminated with water. The water, being heavier than fuel sinks to the bottom of the tank. In that environment, algae can grow on the surface of the water. The best way to make sure you don't have water in your tank is to use water paste, such as Kolor-Kut, or others which are available on line. Put the paste on the end of a yard stick and dip it all the way to the lowest spot in your fuel tank. When you remove the stick, if the paste has turned color (usually red) there is water in your tank. If you do have water, then do something about it. If you don't get rid of the water, the algae will come back. There is no sense of using additives such as biocide if you don't need them.

Studies of fuel additives are hard to find. Here is one conducted by Diesel Place & A. D. Spicer: http://www.johnfjensen.com/Diesel_fuel_additive_test.pdf

Here is another pdf from Chevron which is very informative:
http://www.chevronwithtechron.com/products/documents/diesel_fuel_tech_review.pdf
Read the whole download and educate yourself!!! It isn't that heavy of reading, but very informative. One quote from their document that should be repeated is: "A large number of aftermarket additive products are available to meet these real or perceived needs. Some are aggressively marketed with testimonials and bold performance claims that seem “too good to be true.” As with any purchase, it is wise to remember the advice, caveat emptor, “let the buyer beware.”"