What is the “stuff” that clogs my filter?
Filter clogging can have several causes. For example, low temperatures can cause wax crystallization, which can lead to filter clogging. An example would be using summer diesel in cold weather. Wax or paraffin is part of the diesel fuel. Chemical incompatibility may cause dramatic filter clogging. This may happen when fuels with incompatible additive packages are mixed together. Contaminant build up resulting from excessive microbial growth and bio-degradation of fuel can cause filter clogging. Microorganisms, bacteria and enzyme activity, fungus, yeast and mold cause fuel degradation and the formation of waste products. The process is similar to milk turning into cottage cheese, a different form of milk. Even though microbes may cause and accelerate the process of fuel degradation, it should be noted that the waste products clogging your filter are not the microbes, but fuel components which have formed solids. Frequently, the application of biocides aggravates the situation and turns
