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FILTER NOW OR PAY LATER
Webster defines “contaminate” as to render something impure or unsuitable for use by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc. Webster defines “water” as transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O), that can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid upon freezing at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of ability to assume different forms, water contamination in fuel storage can be a serious problem and demands continuous attention. If ignored, the contamination in your fuel system will eventually take its toll on operating cost for unscheduled repairs as well as lost revenues associated with equipment down time. Also, new engine warranties do not cover damage caused by fuel contamination! Water is not only a major culprit in itself, but it also acts as a magnet attracting other contaminates commonly found in fuel storage systems. It is important to recognize the consequences of lax fuel management and how it affects your equipment. Knowledge of your fuel storage systems is the first step to dispel the mystery of how, where, and when you receive water contamination. You will then begin to understand how to regain control of your system.
Water invades fuel systems in a variety of ways, such as through vents, defective gaskets at sampling points, condensation from temperature change and exposure to air, and, last but not least, fuels delivered from the refinery containing water. Small quantities of water that mix into solution with fuel are referrer to as “dissolved water,” generally less than 100 ppm., or .01%. You can compare dissolved water in fuel to humidity in the air. There is a limit to the amount of dissolved water fuels can hold; above that limit or saturation point the fuel will begin to visually show the presence of water as a clouding of the fuel. As additional water is introduced to fuel, emulsification of the water into the fuel takes place, causing a general discoloration of the fuel. Excess emulsified water above saturation levels will separate out and settle to the bottom of the reservoir. It is then referred to as free water, which is easily detected.
By better understanding what is going on within your fuel storage system, you can begin your means of combating the degradation process of your fuel. Water contamination demonstrates destructiveness in the following terms: poor engine performance; pump and injector wear; reduced fuel economy; excessive exhaust emission; microbiological activity which causes filter plugging; fuel/water emulsion; tank corrosion; sediment and sludge formation, as well as fuel system freeze-ups during cold winter months.
Equipment and fleet managers realize that high-tech diesel and gasoline engines demand clean, dry fuel to operate efficiently. Electronic fuel injection systems depend on proper lubrication provided by clean, dry fuel. Without this, injection system wear accelerates and precision components are subject to serious damage and can result in catastrophic failures.
Water sensing and particulate filtration at the dispenser is your first line of defense in an applied preventative maintenance program. Pre-cleaning the fuel will extend the service life of primary and secondary filters installed on the engine. No fuel jobber will admit selling you contaminated fuel. However, as we all know, it happens whether they know it or not. To detect the presence of water, equipment and fleet managers take samples from the bottoms of their storage tanks. They also use a water finding paste to check for the presence of currently accumulated water. The results provided by the above means can give you a false sense of security because neither method thoroughly indicates the presence of emulsified water in fuels. Equipment and fleet managers are aware that most fuel storage tanks can and often do contain free water at the bottom of the tank. Therefore, the pick up point for their pumps is 4 to 6 inches above the tank bottom. However, when fuel is delivered, the turbulence caused during unloading causes water to mix with the new fuel.
Most often at this point, the fuel supplier will receive a phone call form his customer making him aware that since the delivery of fuel, all equipment is experiencing problems.
Now the fuel supplier must convince the customer that the fuel was not wet. Most veteran equipment managers will try to schedule their fuel delivery late on a Friday afternoon, allowing the recently disturbed fuel system a couple of days to resettle. Proper fuel storage tank installation procedures include the slight tilting of the tank, therefore allowing the pick up tube to be on the high end of the tank. Water, being heavier than fuel, will drop to the low point where it accumulates and can later be pumped or drained off. The airspace in the storage tank above the fuel level contains water I vapor condenses on these surfaces. In other words, what you can’t see can definitely harm you.
As you can see, nothing should be assumed with regards to your fuel management program. Water removing filters, such as the Pertro Clear Filter, are considered to be an excellent preventive maintenance tool for water sensing at the point of delivery. At the same time they alert the operator when it is time to service the filter. As the PetroClear Filter begins to reach its water holding capacity, the pleated media within the filter begins to expand, restricting the flow rate and alerting the operator to service the filter as the flow rate continues to diminish. What kind of filter life can be expected depends solely on the condition of the fuel. If you put a pencil to the economics, this customer will pay less than half a cent per gallon for clean and dry fuel. Insurance protection for pennies!
As long as you continue to practice good maintenance, combined with regular testing of fuel delivery samples, the result will be an excellent fuel management program.
Your efforts will result in improved equipment operation, lower operating cost, less down time and more profits on the bottom line.
