There’s a chill in the air and winter weather is just around the corner. After last winter’s extremely cold temperatures, it’s especially important for diesel fuel users to make sure they are ready.

That means winter treatment for diesel fuel, according to GROWMARK marketing manager for refined and renewable fuels Mark Dehner. “Diesel fuel is impacted by cold temperatures. There are paraffins, or wax, in diesel fuel and as the temperature decreases these paraffins start to precipitate out of the fuel and may get large enough so they’ll plug filters or fuel lines,” Dehner says.

As a diesel fuel supplier, GROWMARK takes pains to make sure that doesn’t happen for their customers by blending number one diesel fuel into number two to dilute the wax, or they will use chemical treatments. “Chemistry usually involves wax modifiers that will not allow them to conglomerate,” he explains.

GROWMARK also sells biodiesel blends in the winter. “A lot of our customers use biodiesel throughout the wintertime, but we have to manage it differently,” Dehner says. “We may use a combination of cold flow chemistry along with some blending of number one.”

Dehner says it all comes down to fuel quality maintenance.

Listen to my interview with Mark Dehner here: Mark Dehner with GROWMARK