Canal Boat Fuel Treatment: Get Your Diesel Ready for Winter Lay-Up
As the boating season begins to wind down, many canal boats and narrowboats will soon spend longer periods moored up and their engines running far less frequently.
Winterising normally means thinking about batteries, antifreeze, water systems and frost protection, but the diesel sitting in your fuel tank deserves just as much attention.
Leaving untreated diesel sitting for months can create the conditions for water accumulation, fuel deterioration, sludge and microbial contamination, better known to boat owners as diesel bug.
A little preventative fuel management before winter lay-up can help ensure the fuel you leave in the tank this autumn is ready when you turn the key again.
Why Winter Can Be Hard on Canal Boat Diesel
Diesel is often stored onboard canal boats for extended periods, particularly over winter.
Unlike a car that may receive fresh fuel regularly, a narrowboat could enter winter with diesel that has already been in the tank for some time, and then remain relatively undisturbed until cruising increases again in spring.
During this period, several things can affect fuel condition:
- Water and condensation can accumulate
- Fuel can deteriorate during prolonged storage
- Sediment and deposits can develop
- Microbial contamination can establish itself
- Existing contamination can become more problematic
- Sludge can settle within the tank
The engine might not be running, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening inside the fuel tank.
Condensation: The Winter Problem You Can’t See
One of the biggest concerns during winter storage is water.
As temperatures fluctuate, the air inside a partially filled fuel tank can heat and cool. Moisture within that air can condense on the cooler internal surfaces of the tank, eventually making its way into the fuel.
Repeated temperature cycles can mean repeated opportunities for condensation.
Water can cause problems in its own right, but it also creates the conditions required for microbial contamination.
This is one reason why good winter fuel management should consider more than simply whether there is enough diesel in the tank.
What is Diesel Bug?
Diesel bug is the common name given to microbial contamination involving bacteria, yeasts and fungi that can develop where fuel and water are present.
The fuel/water interface is particularly important because microorganisms require water to survive and can use components within the diesel as a food source.
Left unmanaged, microbial contamination can contribute to sludge and deposits within the tank.
Eventually, that contamination can find its way into the fuel system, potentially causing blocked filters and creating problems when you try to get the boat moving again.
And spring is a particularly inconvenient time to discover that something has been developing in your fuel tank all winter.
Prevention is Better Than Finding Diesel Bug in Spring
Fuel treatments are sometimes thought of as something you reach for after discovering a problem.
Aderco V25 takes a different approach.
V25 Fuel Conditioner & Lubricity Improver is designed for continuous preventative fuel management, helping maintain the condition of diesel while it is stored and as it passes through the fuel system.
Importantly, V25 is not a conventional biocide.
Rather than chemically attacking microorganisms, V25 physically conditions the fuel and helps separate water from the diesel. By separating the water phase, microorganisms lose access to the fuel/water environment they require to remain active and can subsequently be removed through water drainage and filtration.
For a canal boat spending weeks or months relatively inactive over winter, managing water and maintaining fuel condition can be particularly valuable.
Treat Your Fuel Before Winter Lay-Up
For canal boats and narrowboats entering winter storage, we recommend treating the fuel before the boat is laid up, allowing V25 to be distributed through the fuel and fuel system.
V25’s standard preventative dosage is:
1 litre of V25 per 10,000 litres of diesel
For winter lay-up, however, we recommend a double dose:
1 litre of V25 per 5,000 litres of diesel
The initial double treatment helps thoroughly condition the existing fuel and fuel system before the longer storage period.
For continued preventative protection, V25 can then be added whenever you refuel, helping maintain a consistent fuel-management programme throughout the year.
How Much V25 Does a Canal Boat Need?
V25 is highly concentrated, so most canal boats only require a relatively small quantity.
That’s why Premier Fuel Solutions supplies V25 in convenient 100ml and 1 litre bottles for leisure and inland-waterway users.
A 100ml bottle at the standard dosage can treat up to 1,000 litres of diesel, making it particularly convenient for smaller canal boat and narrowboat fuel tanks.
When double dosing for winter, the same 100ml bottle treats up to 500 litres of diesel.
For larger tanks, multiple boats or owners who want enough V25 available for future refuelling, the 1 litre bottle treats up to 10,000 litres at the standard dosage or 5,000 litres when double dosing.
There’s no complicated dosing equipment required, simply calculate the amount required for the volume of diesel being treated and add V25 to the fuel.
More Than Just Winter Protection
While winter lay-up is a particularly good time to think about fuel condition, V25 isn’t intended as a once-a-year treatment.
It’s designed to become part of your boat’s normal fuel-management routine.
Alongside helping manage the conditions associated with diesel bug, water, sludge and deposits, V25 also incorporates a lubricity improver and helps support fuel stability, injector cleanliness and more complete combustion.
That means the same product used to help look after your stored diesel during winter continues working as the fuel moves from the tank to the engine.
A Simple Addition to Your Winter Checklist
Before leaving your canal boat for longer periods this autumn, it’s worth adding the fuel tank to your winter preparation checklist.
Check for existing water or contamination, drain water where your fuel system allows, inspect your filters and make sure the diesel you’re leaving onboard is properly managed for the months ahead.
Then treat the fuel with V25 at the recommended winter double dosage.
A few minutes spent looking after your diesel now could help avoid discovering water, sludge, diesel bug or blocked filters when you’re ready to get back onto the water.
Get Your Canal Boat Ready For Winter
100ml V25
Ideal for individual canal boats and narrowboats. Treats up to 1,000 litres at the standard dosage or 500 litres at the recommended winter double dose.
1L V25
Ideal for larger fuel requirements and ongoing treatment. Treats up to 10,000 litres at the standard dosage or 5,000 litres when double dosing.
Prepare now. Protect your fuel through winter. Keep treating whenever you refuel.
Discover Aderco V25 from Premier Fuel Solutions and make preventative fuel care part of your canal boat’s year-round maintenance routine. Get in touch today.