Motoring Discussion > Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Twinkling Star Replies: 14
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 19:52 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Twinkling Star
Would anyone be able to advise me if there is a life span for red diesel? I have a generator which runs on red diesel to enable us to have a back up system as we do get quite a lot of power cuts. It is a very large generator which currently costs £2500 so I do not want to ruin it.
I had a big green tank fitted outside next to the tank for the Central Heating oil. I think the tank holds over 500 litres not sure exactly what size it is. I think the tank is designed so that any sludge or algae which may or may not develop and any water from condensation I think is supposed to run down the sides and sit on the very bottom of the tank. The tap is fitted a few inches up so that it is not possible for anything at the very bottom of the tank to come out. Some people keep telling me that red diesel last for well over 10 years One person I know who was in the army said that they used Red Diesel which was marked with the date 1939 and was still being used in the 1970's. Someone else told me if it was over 10 years old it would definitely need to be disposed of and that if we used in the generator it would clog it up.

My Carer brought in a glass of the red diesel. It looked just like my blackcurrant drinks after they have been diluted. It was completely clear, quite light in colour, not cloudy at all, no sediment or any bits in it at all and looked completely clean. What do other people think - should I dispose of it or use it?
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 19:57 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Duncan
Welcome Twinkling Star.

I think diesel fuel has a virtually unlimited life.

By the way, doesn't water sit on top of the fuel, rather than at the bottom? I may be wrong.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 20:18 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Dave
As long as it doesnt get infected it should be ok. But diesel is virtually the same as heating oil, so not sure why the need for seperate tank.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 21:44 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Bromptonaut
Diesel (red or not) and heating oil are very similar but not necessarily identical products.

Water is heavier than either, and will sink to bottom of tank. Ideally there would be a drain at lowest point of tank so that settled water could be removed as it is in aircraft fuel tanks.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 21:42 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Old Navy

>> By the way, doesn't water sit on top of the fuel, rather than at the
>> bottom? I may be wrong.

Oil floats on water. Most diesel fuel filters have a water trap in the bottom with a drain tap.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 21:46 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Zero
>> Oil floats on water.

And why the bottom of your domestic oil tank rusts out. (when they were made of steel)
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 16 Jan 15 at 21:47
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 21:51 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - henry k
>> >> Oil floats on water.
>>
>> And why the bottom of your domestic oil tank rusts out. (when they were made of steel)
>>
And why the bottom of my car fuel tank rusted ( when they were made of steel )
Cos I paid for some water not petrol. Plus having to get a new tank because evry one was chicken and would not patch it.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:08 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Bromptonaut
>> Cos I paid for some water not petrol. Plus having to get a new tank
>> because evry one was chicken and would not patch it.

Even if your petrol was free of water you'd still get condensation in the car's tank. In practice of course there's condensation in the fuel station's storage tanks too.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:27 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - henry k
A do not suspect condensation but water from a filling station.
The rust clogged the fuel line and got through the carb filter too.

Apart from break downs it was a pain to sort it out.
Plus having to cycle miles to get a new tank and strap it on my back for the return trip.
Then I was supplied with the wrong tank so a repeat trip ( both ways with a back tank).
It was right tank according to the VIN but the whole car was a pain as the VIN often pointed to wrong parts. The most obvious odd thing was two door tipping seats in a four door car.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:37 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Zero

>> he most obvious odd thing was two
>> door tipping seats in a four door car.

Sounds suspiciously like a BL product....
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:46 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Slidingpillar
Mostly ethanol I believe but you used to be able to buy some jollup to put in your fuel tank to take up the water and dry things out.
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:49 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Shiny
When I worked at a data-centre, the diesel was in two tanks and had to be renewed every two years by way of generator tests, and we added extra anti-oxidants. The tanks were filled at different times and one would be run empty before the other made 'live' and the other refilled. You can also get dewater additives for boats but we didn't used that and I presume there was a water trap but didn't get that involved.
Last edited by: Shiny Tailpipes on Fri 16 Jan 15 at 22:50
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New Fri 16 Jan 15 22:57 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Zero
>> When I worked at a data-centre,

We did one DR test that had three tanks, for continuity and resilience. When it was tested it sucked algae down the feed pipe. It was at that point it was realised there was three tanks joined to one feed as the genny started to fail. It was also realised that that the crowbar wasn't working and wouldn't release the mains feed back to the grid...............
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New Sat 17 Jan 15 00:06 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - henry k
>> Sounds suspiciously like a BL product....
>>
I know BL were famous for odd builds but it was my rather special Cortina MkII 1600e
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New Sat 17 Jan 15 16:21 
 Life Span of Red Diesel for Generator - Cliff Pope
This is the stuff you need.

www.force4.co.uk/force-4-marine-16-diesel-bug-treatment-100ml.html?gclid=CJDqz4-2m8MCFUzMtAod_B0A9Q#.VLqKRmemXh8

You know if you have the algi because there will be lumps in the fuel looking like coffee grounds, which can clog filters.
If you don't have it you should add a low dosage of the additive as a precaution. If you have, then it needs a larger dose to kill it, and then the oil needs to be filtered. It will quickly clog the ordinary filter, so you either need to drain or pump it all out through a much bigger filter, clean out the tank, and then refill, or do a simpler but much longer process of continuously pumping round a filter circuit until it has all cleared.

Once filtered clear, it works perfectly. It's a well known effect in the marine world, encouraged I think by damp storage. That's why it's standard practice to store fuel in full tanks over winter to reduce the air surface.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Sat 17 Jan 15 at 16:21
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