By Sarah Haugen Freeze Warning Decrease the risk of cold-weather downtime with the right diesel. hen temperatures drop, a farmer’s work doesn’t stop. Keeping equipment running at its peak during colder weather requires a watchful eye on what’s in your fuel tank. Here’s the main problem that comes 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 fuel temperatures hit 4 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on where you buy your fuel, says Chad Christiansen, manager of product quality and additives for CHS. Running the wrong fuel past cloud point leads to performance trouble. “Putting fuel with wax crystals through equipment restricts fuel fl ow and plugs fi lters and fuel lines,” he says. 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. • Blend fuel 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above its cloud point to ensure proper blending. • 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 #1 diesel fuel with premium diesel additives, if it’s available in your area. • When the coldest weather hits, switch to Cenex® Wintermaster® premium diesel, which o ers operability to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit and has a typical cold fi lter plugging point (CFPP) of minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit. W Cold Protection Don’t let cloud point surprise you, Christiansen advises. Crystals can quickly accumulate in fuel during a cold snap and, even when equipment seems to run fi ne, the crystals will remain and may cause damage. That’s why an early season 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 30 degrees Fahrenheit, says Jon Woetzel, CHS Energy technical services manager. Cenex® Ruby Fieldmaster® Seasonally Enhanced premium diesel is one proven option. It’s a blend of Ruby Fieldmaster #2 premium diesel fuel and #1 diesel fuel with the Cenex premium diesel additive package. Ruby Fieldmaster Seasonally Enhanced diesel fuel prevents downtime by combining the Cenex premium diesel additive package with other additives, including a cold fl ow improver, specifi cally formulated to prevent cold-weather problems. The blend and additives are handled at the refi ned fuels terminal to eliminate risks that come from inconsistent on-site blending. Kyle Hiltibrand, certified energy specialist at Ag Partners Coop, Seneca, Kan., sees the importance of using Ruby Fieldmaster Seasonally Enhanced. “Blending is constantly monitored and calibrated at the terminal, so it takes out guesswork for producers. Plus, we are the manufacturer and supplier, so we stand by our product.” Most of the hundreds of fuel customers he works with plan for seasonal blending by October. “We look ahead to make sure they have seasonally enhanced diesel in > Your CHS Connection 25
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Freeze Warning
Sarah Haugen
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