Summer Fuel Maintenance Is Essential for Reliable Operation

Diesel fuel maintenance is an essential part of your operations. If neglected, bad fuel can damage your mobile power generation systems and derail your schedule. At Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists, our EGSA certified technicians service many generators each year that were needlessly damaged by poor-quality fuel. Thus, we recommend making the time to perform the basic fuel maintenance tasks that we know will help protect your systems from catastrophic failures.

Shield Storage Tanks From Heat & Light

Heat and light exposure will degrade fuel quality. As sunlight illuminates the tanks, they heat up and diesel fuel begins to break down. As the fuel warms, it initiates a chain reaction that accelerates the formation of sludge, asphaltene, and varnish deposits. If you use above-ground tanks to store your diesel fuel, make sure they are shielded from the sun. Alternatively, if shielding is not an option, make certain to add fuel stabilizers, as these can significantly slow the natural chemical reaction inherent to all diesel fuels.

Guard Against Moisture Intrusion

While a light rain is usually viewed as a welcome reprieve on a hot day, each drop that falls can cause significant degradation of your diesel fuel supply. Water that is able to contaminate the fuel tank will initiate hydrolysis that will break down the polymers into monomers. This can occur even on warm days when it’s bone dry outside, as water condenses on the inside surfaces of the tanks.

Moreover, as the moisture builds up within the tank, it creates optimal conditions for microbes to multiply and further degrade the quality of your diesel fuel. Keeping your diesel fuel storage tanks full, adding fuel stabilizers with biocides, and regularly testing your fuel is the best way to protect your mobile diesel power generation systems from unexpected breakdowns.

Invest in Good Quality Diesel Fuel

When it comes to fuel maintenance, the results you want to achieve starts with the quality of the fuel you purchase. If you buy poor quality fuel, you will have poor quality fuel. Nothing you do and no treatments you add can improve the quality of the fuel once it leaves the refinery. Saving a few pennies on every gallon of diesel is penny wise, pound foolish, and guaranteed to cost you more dollars and cents in the long run. Always purchase diesel fuel from a trusted source with reliable quality. Your mobile power generator is an expensive piece of equipment and an investment in the future of your business. It’s worth spending a little more to protect it a little bit longer.

The EGSA certified team at Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists can help you establish an effective fuel maintenance routine for your operations. Contact us at (800) 625-8324 to speak with our technicians and learn more about the services we offer that will keep your mobile power generation systems in peak condition.

Posted Under: fuel maintenance