Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do filters work?
Answer: Filters can trap dirt and water, plus they can cause a "slow-flow" condition that alerts the tank owner of phase separation. They trap dirt by intercepting the particle in the filter media. A filter traps water by using a chemical that allows the gasoline to pass through while reacting with nd absorbing the water. For the alcohol-water "cocktail" liquid mix known as phase separation, a special chemical reacts with the liquid and slows the flow through the filter.
Q: What should I do when my filters are frequently clogging?
Answer: The filter is a sign that there are changes either in your fuel or in the tank. You should test the fuel that's in the filter when you remove it. Or you can call a fuel system service company and have them analyze the fuel.
Q: How long should a filter last?
Answer: Generally speaking, a well maintained system will allow the owner to change the filter every six months or 500,000 gallons.
Q: What is the trade-off between efficiency and capacity of a filter?
Answer: If a filter has a high efficiency rating, it will trap more contaminates. Therefore it has to have a high capacity to hold all of those contaminates. Based on the location of most filters, the size (capacity) of the filter is limited.
Q: What does the word micron mean?
Answer: The word micron is another term for micrometer (1 millionth of a meter). A micrometer is a unit of linear measure in the metric system used to measure distance from one point to another. The lower limit of visibility or the naked eye is 40 microns.
Q: Are there examples of micron sizes?
Answer: The diameter of average human hair is 40-70 microns, a red blood cell is 8 microns and bacteria is 2 microns.
Q: What is the micron rating?
Answer: A micron rating for a fluid filter is a generalized way of indicating the ability of the filter's media to remove contaminants by the size of particles it is exposed to. The two most popular reported media ratings are a nominal micron rating (50%) and an absolute micron rating (98.7%). A nominal rating usually means the filter's media can capture a given percentage of particles of a stated size. For example, a filter might be said to have a nominal rating of 50% for particles 10 micrometers in size or larger. An absolute micron rating can be determined by single-pass or multi-pass testing and is usually obtained by passing a test fluid containing particles of a known size through a small, flat sheet of filter media. Any particles that pass through the media are captured and measured. An absolute rating is also expressed in the form of a percentage of the size of particles captured.
Q: What are the basic parts that make-up a filter?
Answer: There are three basic parts: cannister (the container), the element (filter media) and the core (center tube).
Q: Is there much research going on in the filter world?
Answer: Because of today's fuel standards and options there is quite a bit of research being done. Bio-fuels, such as bio-diesel and ethanol-blended gasoline are a big challenge to fuel retailers who turned to the people at Petro Clear to help them keep their fuel clean in order to keep customers satisfied.
Q: Where can I buy Petro Clear filters?
Answer: Petro Clear has distributors around the world. The distributors are generally called "Petroleum Equipment Distributors". The may also service petroleum equipment, and/or they sell to companies who do service work on petroleum equipment, and people who own petroleum tanks and systems.
