Buy Your Bulk Fuel Now?

Those with fuel storage tanks of any size will want to pay extra attention.  With the new administration and the prospects of purchasing our crude oil overseas the price of fuel can dramatically increase.  We have already seen the beginning of this, and no one knows for sure.

Many of our customers are wondering, “Should I stock up on bulk fuel now? And if not now, when?” These are great questions and with a little information you can make the right decision for your equipment and maybe save some cash in the process.

The Basics: Gasoline vs. Diesel

Let’s begin with 2 basic facts.  Gasoline and Diesel are made differently in the summer than they are in the winter.  Winter diesel is made to run at colder temperatures, and winter gasoline is designed to start in cold temperatures. These changes can be very helpful in the winter, the question is, are they problematic in the summer?

Let’s start with gasoline first.  To keep it simple, winter gasoline has a higher pressure called Reid vapor pressure: RVP.  Just for clarity it can be as high as 15 psi in the winter months. This is to help the gasoline ignite and engines start when the temperature drops.  The vapor pressure can vary by month, changes in octane and region it is sold.  Summer gasoline RVP should not exceed 9.0 and the higher winter RVP will result in a stalled vapor locked engine or extremely poor performance. This is more prevalent in carburetors but can even occur in fuel injected equipment.

So, the answer is that if you want to purchase fuel at a lower price now you can either purchase enough to get you through to summer or plan on sitting on any extra until it gets cold again, from June to October.

In short you cannot run winter gasoline in the summer months and summer gasoline does not start well in the winter.

What About My Diesel Fuel?  

With diesel there are a few more things to consider and some may be to your advantage.  First, consider the ability of winter blended #2 diesel is to run better in the cold but this will not cause any issues with your equipment in the summer months. This will allow you to fill up now and be ready for summer and next winter if needed.   You cannot do the reverse trying to run summer diesel in the winter. Our recommendation is that if you want to fill your tanks now, do it.

Besides avoiding an increase in cost there is one big potential benefit to doing this now so let me do my best to explain.

When crude oil is refined, they will make the lighter #1 diesel and then the heavier #2.  The #1 can be beneficial in the cold but is expensive and low on power and lubricity.  The #2 has more energy but is not always adequate in the winter months by itself.   So naturally the demand for #1 is higher during the winter months and when the crude is refined, the lighter #2 will be refined into a #1 product.  This will result in a heavier #2 diesel. This is especially true when the temperatures drop and demand for #1 is increased.

During the warmer summer months there is little need for #1 and much of the #2 can actually contain the lighter less powerful #1 product, there simply isn’t the market for this lighter fuel and it needs to be blended off into the #2.   In early winter months when there is little demand for the lighter #1, the #2 can still be lighter but as January February roll around the #2 can actually become a very desirable fuel for the summer.  Its heavier with more energy and great for your mileage and better for your equipment.  So, if you want to fill your diesel tanks now is a great time!

Now for the best news of all. If you choose to fill up now add one of our PFS gas of diesel treatment when you fill to the bulk tank and with several sizes available finding the right amount for your bulk tank is simple.

Not only will you get all the benefits our products provide like total cleanup, lubricity and much more but all PFS products have a high-quality fuel stabilizer for storage.  Our Gas Plus or Xtreme Marine for your gasoline at the regular 1 oz per 10 gallons of fuel rate is perfect.   With the diesel you may consider our Arctic Plus winter additive with anti-gel at 1 oz to 5 gallons.  It has all the benefits of our Power Plus summer additive plus the addition of anti-gel. This will keep you protected and running this winter and will keep you clean and protected all summer too. Let PFS be a part of your fuel maintenance program. We appreciate your business.

Questions or comments, as always please feel free to contact us by email, office @ fuelguy.net or call toll free 888-737-7767.

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