Easy Diesel Fuel

what is the shelf life of diesel fuel?

Captain Dave asked:

I have a chance to buy a few thousand dollars worth of diesel fuel but it is about eight years old. It’s been stored in a fueltank of an old tugboat. Is the fuel still good?

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 25th, 2008 at 4:42 am and is filed under Diesel Fuel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “what is the shelf life of diesel fuel?”

1. Raymond H on January 15th, 2008 at 6:57 am

   Not likely unless it was stabilized with a commercially prepared stabilizer. Eight years is a long time.

2. oklatom on January 17th, 2008 at 5:56 am

   Assuming it had a good fuel stabilizer added to it, it would have a shelf life of 2 years. I’d pass.

   Significant part of the above page is this:

   Diesel fuel is the safest fuel to store. It takes a lot to make it burn. It can usually be stored in a Fuel Oil tank much like you use for heating oil. This can be stored in your basement, garage, or outside. It’s easier to negotiate a “No-Road Tax” purchase with your local distributor, as No. 2 diesel and No. 2 heating oil is virtually identical. Although the Road grade diesel fuel does have some additives which are often introduced in winter climates, otherwise they are the same. Diesel fuel does have a shelf life, but can be extended by adding fuel preservatives. With the preservatives, life expectancy is about 2 years maximum. Fuel oil tanks can be purchased used rather cheaply, as they are often replaced when converting home heating units to propane or natural gas.

   The down side of diesel, is that it has a limited use. Either for heating or for running your diesel engine equipment. If you purchase bulk quantities of diesel fuel, make sure you are going to use it within that 2 year period. Diesel fuel can be affected by bacteria, and is affected by direct sunlight.

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