Algae-X: fact or fraud?

[Norman Bernstein]

I suppose many of you have seen this device in marine supply catalogs and magazines... it purports to remove algae from diesel fuel through some 'scientific' principle, although the ads (and the websites) never really say what that principle is.

When I very briefly owned a powerboat, it's engines were equipped with this device... although it might have been installed by the previous owner of the boat; I don't know if it was a factory installation or not.

Some years back, I recall that the device manufacturer was claiming the principle to be 'magnetic'... without any further explanation. I can only assume that the idea was that magnets could trap the algae due to it's iron content (iron being important in the biochemistry of plant life).

However, when I inquired about service intervals, I was told specifically that the device never needed service. If so... where does all the algae go?

So, I put it to the members of the bilge: is it fact... or fraud?

[Stinkbug]

get yourself a good fuel filter and forget the gimmicks

[Norman Bernstein]

get yourself a good fuel filter and forget the gimmicks

This isn't for me, by any means. It's for a freind, who has had fuel contamination problems and is desperately looking around for a cure. He doesn't know if his problem is algae, or some other form of contamination, but I'm hoping to save him from spending big bucks on a worthless device.

I use a 10 micron Racor in front of the engine-mounted fuel filter on my Yanmar 75HP turbo, and change it regularly.

[Bob Adams]

After doing a considerable amount of research, and spending a considerable amount of time at Boatdiesel.com, I bought a pair for my boat. The Algae X units do seem to help. I run the fuel through them, then 20 micron Racors then the engine mounted spin ons. I think it is doing quite well, considering the tanks are 40+ years old.

[Norman Bernstein]

After doing a considerable amount of research, and spending a considerable amount of time at Boatdiesel.com, I bought a pair for my boat. The Algae X units do seem to help. I run the fuel through them, then 20 micron Racors then the engine mounted spin ons. I think it is doing quite well, considering the tanks are 40+ years old.

1) How do you know they're actually doing anything?

2) What is the principle of operation?

[Bob Adams]

As I recall, the magnetic fields somehow disperse the asphaltanes allowing them to pass thru and be burned in the engine. The filters definately don't foul as much as before, and I use no additives. Worth the price? Maybe. I'll see if I can find some of my research, The stuff dissapeared from boatdiesel about the same time they stopped handling Racor products.

[Norman Bernstein]

I'd be curious to see your research, if you can find it. From Google, the definition of 'asphaltanes' is:




heavy polyaromatics which are insoluble (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/insoluble.html) in n-hydrocarbon solvents, produced in oil (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/oil.html) refineries from the vacuum (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/vacuum.html) distillation (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/distillation.html) of virgin crude oils and processed petroleum. They form unit (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/unit.html) sheets which are arranged in stacks; the number of unit (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/unit.html) sheets which join together and the height of these sheets is strongly solvent (http://www.chemicool.com/definition/solvent.html) dependant.

Doesn't sound, to me, like it has a damn thing to do with algae.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

I read through the site and formed the strong impression that these are designed like fishing lures - to catch fishermen not fish.

I suspect that the "Algae" in the title is only in the title as every one I ever met needed light to photo-synthesise - Bacteria however are another matter.

[paladin]

as a note.....I had the same fuel in my tanks for several years (at least 5) and added biocide each year. I still had critters grow in the tank and stuff my dual filters. In the end I had to offload the fuel, clean the tanks and add fresh fuel. They strained the old fuel and used it elsewhere......then I smartened up a bit and added the diesel cooker and bulkhead heater.......and purchased fresh fuel every year...