Fuel Polishing and Fuel Filtration Service

Fuel polishing and filtration services are critical for fuel stored for long periods of time. During this service, a Megawattage Technician will pump the diesel stored in a fuel tank through specialized filters that clean dirty fuel of microbes and other contaminants. The technician will test the fuel and confirm whether there is water that can be removed. A fuel polishing service can turn opaque, nearly-black diesel back to transparent red, making it viable for use once more.

There is a lot of water in South Florida. Being so near the ocean, the humidity levels are always high. Rain falls heavily during all seasons. Moisture is in the air, under the ground, falling from the sky; it is all around your diesel fuel tank. If the tank is old, it might have cracks, which allows water to enter the fuel. If the tank is new, the constant change of temperature and weather on the outside of the fuel tank can cause condensation to occur on the inside. Water finds its way into everywhere, and it is a constant threat to stored diesel fuel.

A small amount of water in diesel fuel is not a total catastrophe, but too much will damage the fuel. Not only can diesel fuel be damaged by water alone, but the two chemicals tend to emulsify, with water sinking to the bottom. Water near the bottom of the tank and moisture atop the fuel and in the condensation around the top of the interior of the tank can quickly grow algae, mold, and bacteria. Once these contaminants have begun to form, pieces of it saturate the fuel. Microbes and particulate matter, as it is called, darken and thicken the diesel that passes through the fuel system, which in turn can cause damage to the engine and, ultimately, cause a generator to fail.  

Contaminated diesel fuel becomes one of the most common causes of failure in standby generators because the fuel sits unchecked and unused for periods of time that the fuel becomes a thick, black/green sludge. This is a common occurrence in, for example, underground fuel tanks that hold thousands of gallons of fuel for months or years. In these instances, the moment a generator turns on and starts pumping fuel out of a contaminated tank, such bad fuel will clog the filters and hoses, ruin the injectors, and wreak havoc throughout the fuel system. Droplets of water in the fuel will remain throughout the fuel system after running through an engine and then rust the fuel lines and the water pump from the inside-out. Put bluntly, this common problem among poorly maintained fuel tanks can instantly bring a fully operational generator to the point of thousands of dollars in repair and parts replacement. Luckily, there are preventative maintenance solutions to this problem, and Megawattage provides them.

 Megawattage Diesel Fuel Preventative Maintenance Schedule:

·         Regularly treat fuel with maintenance and conditioner additives that prevent breakdown of the fuel and impede the growth of microbes

·         Regularly perform diesel fuel testing services, which allow time to take action to resolve fuel issues while they are still minimal.

·         Regularly inspect the fuel tank to ensure that rust and cracks have not formed, ensuring that water intrusion is limited or entirely prevented.

·         Schedule a Rust Remediation service when the fuel tank does appear to be severely damaged by rust and other environmental damages.

·         Schedule a Fuel Filtration and Fuel Polishing Service in the event that fuel tests bad, which will ensure greater longevity and reliability of your standby power generator set.