Start the New Year Clean, Why It’s Time to Service Your Fuel Tank

With the start of a new year, companies in any industry are making plans for the following months. We work out budgets, decide on the time for fleet maintenance, and plan logistics to achieve both efficiency and profitability. But, amongst the resolutions to renew the equipment or to simplify the way the business works, one very important thing is quite frequently the fuel storage tank that gets totally ignored.

The fact is, fuel is not a “store it and forget it” kind of product. The inside of a fuel tank can become very different, especially when temperature changes of autumn and winter are taken into consideration. If this environment is ignored, the result will be contaminated fuel, which will cause the engines to be damaged and expensive downtime to be in action.

1. The Invisible Threat: What’s Hiding in Your Tank?

Even the best quality fuel can be a source of contamination through the storage container if it is left unattended. The main culprit is condensation. As the temperatures fall at night and rise during the day, moisture appears on the inner walls of your On Site Tank. This water eventually drips down and collects at the bottom.

Such a water layer is the breeding ground for the “diesel bug”, microbial bacteria and fungi that develop at the interface between fuel and water. These microbes create a sludge that is very harmful to fuel quality. Besides that, rust and sediment from the tank walls can settle gradually. If there is no regular cleaning or “polishing,” this sludge and sediment will eventually be taken up with your pumps, thus clogging filters and entering your equipment.

2. Protecting Your Engines and Reducing Downtime

Diesel engines of today are amazing, they are built for maximum efficiency and minimal emissions. On the other hand, this accuracy makes them extremely sensitive to the quality of the fuel.

The condition of your On Site Fuel Tank should definitely not be ignored. The health of your fleet is like a house of cards, as contaminated fuel only leads to:

• Clogged Filters: require frequent and costly replacements.
• Injector Failure: Engine overhaul and repair costs are increasing substantially.
• Reduced Efficiency: Fewer miles per gallon, and your vehicle will feel heavy and slow.
• Unexpected Downtime: Equipment breaking down in the middle of a critical job.

It is a wise decision to have a professional tank cleaning and fuel polishing service scheduled at the beginning of the year. 

3. Regulatory Compliance and Environmental Safety

In addition to the risks of the mechanics, a tank that has been neglected is a source of considerable environmental and legal risks. The water that collects at the bottom of a steel tank not only damages the fuel, but it also rusts the tank itself from the inside.

Corrosion from inside the metal creates a few places that are very fragile and eventually could be the source of leakage. The situation, which is the leakage of fuel, is the worst-case scenario for a business, thus, it may bring very high environmental cleanup costs, penalties from the EPA, and considerable losses to the company’s reputation. A comprehensive Fuel Management plan includes regular tank testing and inspection.

4. Maximizing the Value of Your Fuel Investment

Most probably, fuel is among your top operational costs. Allowing it to go bad in a dirty tank is, in fact, wasting money. A fuel that is degraded will be less efficient in burning, so to say, you will get less power and work for every gallon you buy.

Keeping good quality diesel fuel is your first step through partnering with a reputable diesel fuel supplier. The second step is to maintain that fuel. A clean tank is the best way to guarantee that the high-quality product you bought keeps its cetane rating and stability. It is the main thing that every dollar spent on fuel is turned directly into productivity, instead of being spent on maintenance

Conclusion

A new year is a perfect time to reset and raise the standard for your operations. Don’t allow the hidden fuel tank liabilities to decrease your productivity in Q1. By giving the highest priority to tank maintenance now, you are creating the atmosphere for a year of trust and efficient operations.

Nevertheless, you are not supposed to take care of this maintenance by yourself. Such a level of support is what distinguishes partner companies from regular bulk fuel suppliers. At Ricochet Fuel Distributors, we know that clean fuel cannot exist without clean infrastructure. We can help you assess the health of your current system and set up a schedule for reliable on site fuel delivery to keep your operations running smoothly.

Get in touch with Ricochet Fuel to schedule your tank service and start the New Year clean.