I hope you have all read the two sources of information about this that I gave links to in my last post. Since then, I've had conversations with River Canal Rescue, Canal and River Trust and Marine 16, to get their expert opinions. This is what I have got from it... I may be repeating myself occasionally, but I don't want to leave anything out.
Fuel additives are available, but manufacturers don't mention sticky-diesel in their sales pitches. Marine 16 tell me that RCR have for some time claimed that additives break down (in the tank and in the bottle) over time, but Marine 26 deny that theirs do, except to say that the shelf life of their products is two years. No-one denies that diesel itself deteriorates with time, and this may be the delight of the bacteria responsible for the sticky infection.
To minimise the likelihood of falling foul of this bug, we are advised to drain or pump water from the bottom of the fuel tank on a regular basis, though no-one would explain what's meant by "regular". Kit is available to pump with a long tube reaching down to the bottom of the tank where water may lie. I'm lucky in that I have a tap from which I can run that water off.
The smell of our diesel can help us in determining if it contains the sticky substance. If the smell is like turpentine (turps),which is very different from diesel, there may be trouble ahead.
It's always been considered good practice to have our fuel "polished" once or twice a year. This involves pumping it out of the tank, through a filter, and back into the tank. Of course, it takes several hours before the diesel is completely clean. However, two guys local to Kantara's home marina, who each provide this service, tell me that the manufacturers of the filters make no claims that they remove this specific infection.
Webasto don't have a clue whether or not their fuel filter catches the sticky substance. The makers of Eberspacher and other similar diesel-burning heaters may be equally ignorant.
Most of you have at some time been told that it's a good idea to fill fuel tanks right to the very top when topping up, particularly when the boat is going to be left unattended for a longish time. Unfortunately, those who claim they know about this new bacterium say that this practice is good for the sticky-diesel bug, especially in cold temperatures.
Farmers Weekly Magazine has reported that hundreds of agricultural vehicles suffering from 'fuel problems' At the moment, most boaters have not had any of these problems, but bear in mind that RCR "have seen an uncharacteristic peak in fuel-related component breakdowns not linked to diesel bug."
I wish you well.
