If your diesel engine keeps clogging fuel filters, losing power, stalling, or pulling dark sludge from the tank, you may hear someone say you have “diesel algae.”
That term is common, but it is not technically correct.
Diesel fuel algae is usually not algae at all. True algae needs sunlight to grow, and fuel tanks are dark environments. What people call diesel algae is usually microbial contamination made up of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, mold, and biofilm living in the fuel system.
This contamination is often called diesel bug.
The problem starts when water enters the fuel tank. Microbes live in the water and feed on hydrocarbons in the diesel fuel. Over time, they create dark, slimy sludge that can plug filters, restrict fuel flow, damage injectors, corrode tanks, and leave equipment stranded.
Continue reading Diesel Fuel Algae: What It Is, How to Treat It, and How to Prevent It
