When temperatures drop, a farmer’s work doesn’t stop. Keeping equipment running at its peak during colder weather requires attention to what’s in the fuel tank.
When temperatures drop, diesel fuel hits its cloud point — the temperature at which wax crystals begin to appear in the fuel, also known as gelling. Cloud point is reached in #2 diesel fuel when air temperatures hit 6 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on where you buy your fuel, says Charlie Carter, product quality and additives manager for CHS.
Cold weather fuel tips
- Use a diesel fuel with additives designed for cold weather, such as Cenex® Ruby Fieldmaster® seasonally enhanced premium diesel fuel.
- Stay ahead of the weather and begin using a blended fuel before temperatures drop.
- Work with your cooperative energy specialist to choose the best fuel blend for your climate and equipment.
- If you need to add #1 diesel to your tank, use Cenex Roadmaster XL® #1 or Cenex® Ruby Fieldmaster® #1 if it's available in your area.
- When the coldest weather hits, switch to Cenex Wintermaster® premium diesel, which offers operability to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Running the wrong fuel past cloud point leads to performance trouble. “Putting fuel with wax crystals through equipment restricts fuel flow and plugs filters and fuel lines,” he says.
Cold-season protection
Don’t let cloud point surprise you, Carter advises. Crystals can quickly accumulate in fuel during a cold snap. Even when equipment seems to run fine, crystals will remain and may cause damage. That’s why a seasonal move to winter-grade blended fuel is recommended, he says.
A good rule of thumb is to switch to a seasonal fuel blend when overnight temperatures dip near 32 degrees Fahrenheit, says Jon Woetzel, CHS energy technical specialist. Cenex Ruby Fieldmaster® seasonally enhanced premium diesel is one proven option. It’s a blend of Ruby Fieldmaster #2 premium diesel fuel and Ruby Fieldmaster #1 premium diesel fuel with a cold flow improver.
Ruby Fieldmaster seasonally enhanced diesel fuel prevents downtime by combining the Cenex premium diesel additive package with other additives specifically formulated to prevent gelling and other cold-weather problems. The blend and additives are handled at the refined fuels terminal to eliminate risks that can come from inconsistent on-site blending.
Josh Noel, a certified energy specialist at Garden City Co-op, in Garden City, Kan., sees the importance of using Ruby Fieldmaster® seasonally enhanced. “Winter blending via terminal injection is constantly monitored and calibrated at the terminal, which takes the guesswork out of the equation for my producers. Plus, we are the manufacturer and supplier, so we stand by our product.”
Noel says most of the fuel customers he works with plan for seasonal blending by October. “We look ahead to make sure they have seasonally enhanced diesel in their tanks before cold weather hits, which allows time for winter-blended fuel to reach their equipment and do its job within critical engine components before it’s too late.”
If more protection is needed, Carter says producers can blend in an additional #1 diesel fuel containing the Cenex premium diesel additive package, like Cenex Roadmaster XL #1 or Ruby Fieldmaster #1.
“For every 10% of #1 diesel added, the fuel cloud point will generally drop by 3 degrees Fahrenheit,” he explains. “Make the decision in partnership with your cooperative energy supplier so you don’t overbuy #1 diesel.”
Additive advantage
For optimal cold weather protection, Cenex® Ruby Fieldmaster® Seasonally Enhanced premium diesel fuel and Cenex Wintermaster® premium diesel fuel use an advanced additive package to optimize power and engine performance and minimize downtime.
- Start fast. Wax crystal modifiers create a porous, pin-like wax structure on the fuel filter to provide continued cold flow until the engine heats up.
- Protect your engine. Deicers help prevent water from freezing in the fuel system.
- Minimize filter clogging. Wax anti-settlement agents reduce settling of wax crystals in equipment and storage tanks.
- Improve cold flow. Cold flow improver lowers fuel CFPP to help prevent gelling.
Prevent plugging
In addition to cloud point, producers need to consider the cold filter plugging point (CFPP).
“When temperatures keep dropping, wax crystals continue to collect on the fuel filter, effectively starving the engine of fuel,” Woetzel says. The CFPP is the lowest temperature at which diesel fuel can pass through the equipment’s filtration device without problems.
For most #2 diesel fuels, which don’t have a cold flow improver additive, CFPP is within a few degrees of the cloud point, he says. Seasonally enhanced fuels have extended cold weather operability.
“As equipment sits out in cold weather, fuel will get colder than if it’s in a tank, even dropping to the air temperature, so using a fuel with a cold flow improver additive can increase your chances of an efficient startup,” says Woetzel.
“Using Ruby Fieldmaster® seasonally enhanced increases operability and decreases downtime, and is more cost-effective than just using a #1 diesel fuel,” says Noel, who works with several feedyards and dairies throughout the winter to assist with their fuel needs. “It’s a no-brainer if you want to keep your operation running through colder weather.”
Preparing for zero
If multiple below-zero days are in the forecast, it may be best to switch to Cenex Wintermaster® premium diesel, a blend of 70% #1 diesel and 30% #2 diesel, which guarantees equipment will start in air temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Wintermaster is the ultimate protection in the coldest weather,” says Carter.
Fuel blending is a scientific process that adjusts to expected temperatures and equipment needs. Your cooperative energy specialist can answer your questions and provide recommendations for fuels throughout the seasons.
Winterizing fuel by degrees
Choosing a premium diesel fuel with a cold flow improver additive is the first step in fully protecting your diesel against cold-weather gelling and filter plugging. As temperatures continue to drop, you’ll want to replace #2 diesel with increasing proportions of #1 diesel, which is free of paraffin wax and offers the best operability on the coldest days.
While all these fuels are compatible, don’t make the switch all at once, says Jon Woetzel, energy technical services manager at CHS. Gradually transition equipment from #2 to a #1 diesel using these steps:
- Below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, use a blend of about 70% #2 diesel and 30%#1 diesel. Cenex Ruby Fieldmaster® seasonally enhanced premium diesel fuels are blended to this level at the terminal with a complete seasonal additive package, including cold flow improver.
- As temps near zero Fahrenheit, use a fuel that is 30% #2 diesel and 70% #1 diesel. For enhanced low-temperature operability, up to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, try Cenex Wintermaster® premium diesel fuel.
- When temperatures fall below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, use straight #1 diesel. To keep additives at proper levels, use Cenex Roadmaster XL #1 or Cenex Ruby Fieldmaster #1, if available in your area.
Find information on Cenex® premium diesel products for all seasons at cenex.com.
