The best time to do a deep clean of your fuel tank is at the end of the heating season. Just consider the damage that an accumulation of waste and grime could cause if you ignore it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that the fuel you use is pure and that you won’t experience any disruptions as a result?
As springtime arrives, both the length of the days and the temperature are rising. Unfortunately, spring comes with a higher chance of moisture in the fuel tank due to outside temperature changes. The warm days are followed by cool nights which cause your fuel tank to warm up during the day and decrease its temperature rapidly at night, which might result in moisture building inside. Water makes the ideal environment for impurities and bacteria to grow, lowering the quality of the fuel.
Firstly, let’s see how the contamination is formed in your fuel tank.
The outside of your tank frequently develops a layer of ice due to the combination of the warm days and cold nights. In a similar way it occurs to our cars, the outside frost evidence generally melts by lunchtime. However, as the temperature changes, the inside of your tank may experience the same conditions, at which point the damage has probably already occurred.
Water may build up within your tank as a result of condensation that forms as it cools down at night and warms up during the day. These are the ideal circumstances for the growth of bacterial microorganisms, sometimes referred to as “diesel bugs,” which swiftly proliferate and consume the hydrocarbons in your fuel, leaving behind a greasy residue or biomass.
These microbes deteriorate the quality of your fuel and eventually find their way into your machinery and equipment, causing damage to boiler elements. But damage doesn’t only happen to your equipment. Fuel deterioration results in both internal and external corrosion, corroded and fractured dispensers, clogged filters, and ultimately an interruption in the activity process. Furthermore, a rusty tank may leak, letting the liquid inside escape through a fracture or hole and harming the surrounding area.
Is there a way to identify the contamination?
All fuel loses its quality after long periods of storage, and your tank’s condition deteriorates along with the fuel. Closely examining the interior of your fuel tank is the only method to determine whether there are issues before you encounter a total failure.
You may notice a slippery surface at first, which indicates there is a significant amount of water inside. However, as diesel bugs are invisible, you won’t be able to notice by eye any issues with your fuel until there is serious contamination formed.
Rather than cleaning the fuel tank yourself, you’ll need to get in touch with an expert who can perform a thorough inspection, either manually or by using specialized tools. It will help prevent any problems, before they get out of hand. Our OFTEC licensed technicians can take a proper look inside the tank and perform a regular tank cleaning twice a year – in spring and before the start of winter. It is strongly recommended not to wait until the problem symptoms appear, but to take action to prevent any costly replacements of fuel and appliances.
However, If the equipment is highly contaminated, you’ll need to have the tank polished or replaced. The fuel would rapidly deteriorate in quality once more if clean fuel were to be added to a polluted tank, creating a continuous process of contamination.
Although chemicals can address mild contamination, professional tank cleaning is the only way to eradicate and interrupt the cycle of contamination once it becomes severe.
What services do we offer to help you?
At Eco Tank Services, we offer innovative tank cleaning solutions to optimize the performance of your fuel. Our goal is to cause as little disturbance as possible in most cases our professional personnel can finish the fuel tank cleaning in a day.
Call us today on 0800 2922 020 or email info@ecotankservices.co.uk to learn about our services and how we can help with your fuel tank cleaning.