Diesel Bug
What is this?
It is a virus that can grow in diesel and most often occurs in winter and spring.
The diesel in a tank is often cold, then the tanker driver will deliver diesel that can sometimes be warmer due to it having been sloshing around in the tanker – and this creates the environment for the virus – diesel bug to grow. Usually present in the tank is water – often natural condensation and the tank isn’t cleaned often or at all. It is important that all tanks are drained on a regular basis to avoid this happening.
How do you know if your tank has Diesel Bug?
To test for this you can put some diesel in a jam jar and add the same amount of water, then leave in the sun or a warm place for a couple of days if brown spots form then this is diesel bug. If they have taken a fuel filter off a vehicle because it was not running very well, then ask them to cut it open and if it has the brown spots in it – it is diesel bug. The brown spots can look like old Milo left in a mug.
Can Diesel Bug be easily treated?
Yes! It can be treated by a Wynn’s product called EDT algae treatment. It must be mixed well, so put it in prior to the truck filling the tank, or at the time of filling the tank. It is best to completely fill the tank, as the bug can be growing in the walls of the tank. 1 litre treats 1000 litres and if really bad then a follow up treatment is suggested.