biocide?

[Kodiak]

Is a biocide necessary for preventative maintenance, or just when bugs start blocking things up?



I live in the south, and it's warm a good part of the year.



Thanks.

 

[swamp rat]

Probably not absolutely mandatory, but if you get a bad load of fuel and let her set up for an extended length of time as I did it would definitely be smart preventive maintenance.



After sitting still for several months, my fuel had the appearance of Coffee, heavy on the cream and sugar with an extremely foul smell with little critters swimming around. Had to drop the tank and swab it out, clean/change both of the prescreen filters, and it still ain't quite right yet.

 

[illflem]

Diesel algae needs water to form and lives on the fuel-water interface. Unless you are getting poor quality fuel somewhere the most common source of water is from condensation in the tank. Condensation can be prevented by keeping the tank full, especially if the truck will be parked for awhile. If you ever do get an algae bloom in your tank you should flush out all the fuel, tank included, and use biocide for at least 4 tanks. There is really no other reason to use it unless you experience a problem or can only get low quality fuel.