Editing Diesel fuel (section)

=== Algae, microbes, and water contamination ===
{{main|microbial contamination of diesel fuel}}
There has been much discussion and misunderstanding of [[algae]] in diesel fuel. Algae need light to live and grow. As there is no sunlight in a closed fuel tank, no algae can survive, but some [[microbes]] can survive and feed on the diesel fuel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://criticalfueltech.com/faq.html|title=What is Diesel Fuel "ALGAE"?|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|year=2012|website=criticalfueltech.com|publisher=Critical Fuel Technology, Inc.|access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref>

These microbes form a colony that lives at the interface of fuel and water. They grow quite fast in warmer temperatures. They can even grow in cold weather when fuel tank heaters are installed. Parts of the colony can break off and clog the fuel lines and fuel filters.<ref>{{cite tech report|title=Microbial Contamination of Diesel Fuel: Impact, Causes and Prevention|number=253-01246|institution=Dow Chemical Company|year=2003}}</ref>

Water in fuel can damage a fuel [[injection pump]]. Some diesel [[fuel filter]]s also trap water. Water contamination in diesel fuel can lead to freezing while in the fuel tank. The freezing water that saturates the fuel will sometimes clog the fuel injector pump.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afssociety.org/automotive/93-water-contamination-in-fuel-cause-and-effect|title=Water Contamination in Fuel: Cause and Effect - American Filtration and Separations Society|author=AFS admin|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323111230/http://www.afssociety.org/automotive/93-water-contamination-in-fuel-cause-and-effect|archive-date=2015-03-23}}</ref> Once the water inside the fuel tank has started to freeze, gelling is more likely to occur. When the fuel is gelled it is not effective until the temperature is raised and the fuel returns to a liquid state.