We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
asda diesel freezing? compensation??
Comments
-
Makes me chuckle when I see these "additive" posts. Please do put the additives in. All you like. They will make about 1 degree C difference to the CFPP (Cold filter plugging point) of the diesel, which is the problem that the OP is having.
An explaination for you: Diesel being a heavy fuel oil goes waxy when cold and can plug up the diesel filter. By waxy I mean it can go to quite a thick gloopy state to the point where it cannot be sucked through the diesel filter. By nature diesel does this at 0 C. For reference petrol does as well, but it's at about -150 C +.
To combat this CFPP additives are added to drop the waxing point as the diesel is leaving the final refinery process running down to tank storage. The ASTM standard winter for diesel in the U.K. is -15 C for CFPP and it is monitored very closely by continous online analysis (I know - I look after the kit that does the analysis!) as well as 6 hour laboratory samples and on the spot sampling of road / rail / ship tankering before it leaves the refinery for use in the big wide world.
I am not going to mention the refinery I work for, however I see many different branded transporters pull up and load up, including supermarkets. Some do have a specific detergent additive that they add prior to loading most however do not and that includes some of the leading branded forecourts. I do apologise for going off a bit however the additives you all mention are predominatly for cleaning engines and whist will drop the CFPP 1 degree max because of the methanol content if you're in a wind chill factor of -20 with the tank exposed to the wind you're better off warming the tank or buying a Japanese import with a winter pack heated diesel filter.
Back on topic here: To the O.P. if the actual temperature including the windchill factor was below -15 then your diesel will get waxy and cause you problems. It's not the fault of the refinery, or the vendor of the diesel. It's the weather... And the fact that the U.K. standards people whom are controlled by the government has been caught with it's pants down... again!
PsiNear a tree by a river, there's a hole in the ground.
Where an old man of Aran goes around and around....0 -
The CFPP is adjusted for area and season though, for example the northern scottish diesel is adusted down to an seasonal average lower than -15 in winter.0
-
Agreed, The highlands have a harsher winter, however for most of the U.K it's -15.
The point I am trying to make here is the body that govt. body mandates the standards should have seen this cold snap and done something about it.Near a tree by a river, there's a hole in the ground.
Where an old man of Aran goes around and around....0 -
Agreed, The highlands have a harsher winter, however for most of the U.K it's -15
Post #17
Can't really blame the goverment though, it's not their fault they didn't make all the oil companies go out to all the petrol stations and re-treat the diesel, which is what they would have to do if the temperature drops to less than -15. A standard is just that, a standard, it won't work with exceptions.0 -
Post #17
Can't really blame the goverment though, it's not their fault they didn't make all the oil companies go out to all the petrol stations and re-treat the diesel, which is what they would have to do if the temperature drops to less than -15. A standard is just that, a standard, it won't work with exceptions.
Nor would it help people who might have filled up before the cold weather was forecast and still had most of a tank left...0 -
Agreed, The highlands have a harsher winter, however for most of the U.K it's -15.
The point I am trying to make here is the body that govt. body mandates the standards should have seen this cold snap and done something about it.
I think it would probably be fairer to blame the met office (again).
No one can reasonably predict the weather. If they had insisted we treat down to say -25, then they'd be slated for the extra cost of the additve adding a penney of two per litre for the next 5 months.0 -
Makes me chuckle when I see these "additive" posts. Please do put the additives in. All you like. They will make about 1 degree C difference to the CFPP (Cold filter plugging point) of the diesel, which is the problem that the OP is having.
An explaination for you: Diesel being a heavy fuel oil goes waxy when cold and can plug up the diesel filter. By waxy I mean it can go to quite a thick gloopy state to the point where it cannot be sucked through the diesel filter. By nature diesel does this at 0 C. For reference petrol does as well, but it's at about -150 C +.
To combat this CFPP additives are added to drop the waxing point as the diesel is leaving the final refinery process running down to tank storage. The ASTM standard winter for diesel in the U.K. is -15 C for CFPP and it is monitored very closely by continous online analysis (I know - I look after the kit that does the analysis!) as well as 6 hour laboratory samples and on the spot sampling of road / rail / ship tankering before it leaves the refinery for use in the big wide world.
I am not going to mention the refinery I work for, however I see many different branded transporters pull up and load up, including supermarkets. Some do have a specific detergent additive that they add prior to loading most however do not and that includes some of the leading branded forecourts. I do apologise for going off a bit however the additives you all mention are predominatly for cleaning engines and whist will drop the CFPP 1 degree max because of the methanol content if you're in a wind chill factor of -20 with the tank exposed to the wind you're better off warming the tank or buying a Japanese import with a winter pack heated diesel filter.
Back on topic here: To the O.P. if the actual temperature including the windchill factor was below -15 then your diesel will get waxy and cause you problems. It's not the fault of the refinery, or the vendor of the diesel. It's the weather... And the fact that the U.K. standards people whom are controlled by the government has been caught with it's pants down... again!
Psi
Beautifully explained! You can't beat a good expert on a forum.
Back to the OP. Why must it always be somebody's fault? I'm sure the whole episode was damn inconvenient, but did anyone die? was anyone injured? doubt it. Lets all just take a chill pill and accept !!!!!! happens.0 -
Agreed, The highlands have a harsher winter, however for most of the U.K it's -15.
The point I am trying to make here is the body that govt. body mandates the standards should have seen this cold snap and done something about it.
Thanks for the original post Psi, most informative.
The one I quoted above, I have a question for you. If the body you speak of DID see a cold snap coming and acted as soon as they knew, how long would it take to get the treated diesel into an average family car. Taking a novices guess, I'd have to estimate at least a week?Pants0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.3K Spending & Discounts
- 245.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 259K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards