Survival UK Forums

a quick note on diesel....


be VERY cautious of diesel stored in large tanks on farms etc,

I have, on more than one occasion, had to remove and completely drain peoples fuel tanks due to water in stored diesel,

if possible you should make some sort of separation device to take the water out of the fuel before adding it to your vehicle.

water in diesel fuel can cause the engine to stop running if its bad enough!

Spot on Vinnie, quite a few agricultural and commercial vehicles like my late lamented Transit had water seperator traps and warning lights fitted, ideally prepper diesel (and treated petrol) should be stored in sealed containers like Jerry cans and drums.

Its worth noting that almost all diesels have water seperators, but "farm" diesel, both white and red, can fill these up within 20 miles easily

What is the normal culprit, condensation?

Diesel is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, so if its stored in vented tanks fumes get out but moisture gets in, often though agricultural diel is sold to agri concerns from old fuel depots whose tanks are not fully sealed and have been in use for decades so they can have up to 10% water and sludge mixed in with the fuel.