Red Diesel

[NB Willawaw]

I read in one of the earlier replies that a reader had experienced problems with an Eberspacher using red diesel and I think somebody else had noticed problems running a genset on red diesel. My boat has an Eberspacher and a genset, which both run on red, without any noticeable problems. I think the person concerned reported their genset was a Victron Whispergen - isn't that a Sterling engine rather than a conventional diesel ?

 

Experiences of using red dielsel for auxiliary machinery welcomed !

 

Best Regards

 

Mark

 

NB Willawaw

 

Kings Langley GU (Northbound)

[Amicus]

Some more opinions here

http://www.narrowboatworld.com/

Under equipment

Edited January 31, 2005 by Amicus

[NB Willawaw]

Interesting. Does anybody know the name of the fuel additive ?

Does anybody have any experience of whether it works ? is it expensive ?

 

I have not been following every twist of the red/white diesel debate as I'm cruising during the day and my internet access is rather expensive during the dark hours when moored up (mobile), but I assume that the goverment are trying to stop red diesel for boats in favour of the more expensive white stuff. Will the farmers still be allowed to use red and if so, whats to stop boaters getting their diesel from agricultural outlets (apart from the fact that its probably illegal) ?

 

Regards

 

Mark

 

NB Willawaw

Kings Langley GU (Northbound)

[awatsonbcp]

has anyone looked into using cooking oil to run their engine on? there was a piece on tv about it a few months ago which aroused so much interest in the bolton/wigan area that Asda had to ration its customers to 5 litres per visit.

 

i believe you can even use used oil so you could do a deal with your local chippy and get it even cheaper .there is a form you get from customs to declare /pay the duty but it still works out cheaper than derv.and you get the lovely smell of home cooking for free as well !

 

alan

[David Schweizer]

Don't even think about it. I was forced to sit behind a car being run on cooking oil in a traffic jam recentlty and the smell was like sitting next to a plate of burnt chips. It was not very pleasant.

[maffi mushkila]

has anyone looked into using cooking oil to run their engine on? there was a piece on tv about it a few months ago which aroused so much interest in the bolton/wigan area that Asda had to ration its customers to 5 litres per visit.

 

i believe you can even use used oil so you could do a deal with your local chippy and get it even cheaper .there is a form you get from customs to declare /pay the duty but it still works out cheaper than derv.and you get the lovely smell of home cooking for free as well !

 

alan

 

There is always a form.

 

Given that those that are using this are recycling why should they pay duty.

 

And besides do we really want the canal to smell like a fire in a chippy?

[dor]

.

Will the farmers still be allowed to use red and if so, whats to stop boaters getting their diesel from agricultural outlets (apart from the fact that its probably illegal) ?

 

Yes the derogation allowing pleasure boats to use red diesel is due to be scrapped. Farmers will still be able to use red diesel, for their agricultural operations. This means agricultural vehicles (as licenced) and only within a certain distance of the base farm (I think 15km or 15m).

 

C&E are currently having a purge on farmers who exceed this distance - particularly relevant to contractors and also people using "agricultural vehicles" (fast tractors) for what is essentially a road haulage operation.

 

You may find a farmer willing to let you have some red diesel after the change, but if caught they would throw the proverbial book - this can happen now if they supply someone with red diesel and they use it in their road vehicle. Diesel suppliers are unlikely to supply red diesel in jerry cans or deliver to people who are not bona-fide farmers, just as boat suppliers have been forced to tighten up on who they supply - hence the sign by many pumps now that they will only supply directly to boats.

 

 

Just to raise another question, how different is central heating oil to red diesel? If an engine will run on used chip fat, surely it would work better on CH fuel?

[Richard Bustens]

boilers can usually be set up to work on ether red diesel or kerosene some use one others use the other

[Chrissie]

.

 

Farmers will still be able to use red diesel, for their agricultural operations. This means agricultural vehicles (as licenced) and only within a certain distance of the base farm (I think 15km or 15m).

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Would fish farming be an option???

[roger]

We can all claim to be fish farmers, keeping the canals in a state that is optimal for the fish and encouraging healthy fish breeding. And since we'll be 'on base' all the time let's carry on boating with that red diesel! Now's the time to stock up on 'goldfish' food!

[David Schweizer]

You may find a farmer willing to let you have some red diesel after the change, but if caught they would throw the proverbial book......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was told by a farmer friend of mine that once you have put red diesel into a tank, it doesnt matter how much white diesel you put in afterwards, there will alway be some dye in the tank, which is how C&E catch ocassional illegal users. SO if your boat preceeds the cut off date there will be some residual dye in your tank, if you then half fill with white and half fill with red, it will be incumbent upon C&E to prove that you have been mixing the fuels, which without appropriate usage records would be exteemly difficult, and probobly not worth their while.