How do I know if my fuel is contaminated?
The most common signs of fuel contamination are clogged filters, and reduced engine performance. However, the absence of these conditions does not necessarily imply that your fuel is not contaminated. Fuel pick-up tubes, where the engine draws fuel from the tank, typically sit about three-quarters of an inch off the bottom of your fuel tank floor. This placement is designed to protect the engine from contamination that has settled to the bottom of the tank. Consequently, you may never realize that you have a fuel contamination problem until the fuel is agitated in some way - such as when you are in rough waters in your boat, or lift the bow up when accelerating to get the boat on plane. Emergency power generators are particularly vulnerable after they have been operating for an extended period of time and need to be refueled. If the storage tank is not properly maintained, all of the bottom sediment will be disturbed upon refueling and be suspended in the fuel supply. It is critically important to keep your tank floor free from contamination.
How did water get in my fuel?
It is possible to acquire water in your fuel by buying it from a station that has it's own contamination problem. However, it is more common to acquire water in your fuel from the effects of condensation. Day to day temperature changes in our climate causes your fuel tank to "sweat" on the inside walls. This condensation falls to the bottom of your tank, accumulates and becomes problematic over time.
Will my fuel filters control my contamination problem?
Well, yes and no. Filters in general have limited operational effectiveness. When your filters and fuel are clean, fuel is properly delivered to the engine allowing it to run efficiently. When your filters start clogging, they increase fuel restriction to the engine which does not allow heat from the fuel injectors to be properly carried away and returned to the fuel tank for cooling in diesel applications. The original equipment manufacturer has engineered your entire fuel system to operate optimally if maintained properly, providing years of dependable service. When fuel problems arise, adding filters to a system design is not a recommended solution. We recommend that the underlying fuel contamination problem be addressed and corrected by cleaning the tank floor and polishing the fuel.
Will using a biocide additive help?
Yes, absolutely! Using a biocide will combat the build of biological organisms in your tank, These micro-organisms naturally exist in your fuel, and if given a dark environment in the presence of water, will feed and grow into colonies in your tank. These micro-organisms commonly exist in the form of bacteria, fungi and mold, and produce their own organic waste while living in your tank. When killed by the biocide, they fall to the bottom of your tank and contribute to the organic waste sediment. This solid waste accumulation is commonly referred to as "algae" and if left unmanaged will eventually clog your fuel filters.
What is gasoline? What is diesel fuel?
Gasoline and diesel fuel are essentially light distillate products, or hydrocarbons, that are acquired by the process of distillation of crude oil. Modern refineries accomplish this by heating crude oil to various boiling point temperatures. When the necessary boiling point is reached, various fractions of crude oil are evaporated and later condensed as a hydrocarbon product. Since gasoline and diesel fuel hydrocarbons are produced at different distillation temperatures, they posses different chemical structures and molecular weights, consequently giving them different operational characteristics and applications.
What problems occur with stored diesel fuel?
Diesel fuel is naturally unstable. Its quality and chemistry are continuously degraded by transportation and storage from the refinery to the end user, oxidation, heat, water, and micro-organism contamination. Even when diesel fuel is still clear and bright, microscopic fuel components will polymerize over time and form larger clusters of organic compounds. Eventually fuel filters will clog due to the accumulated gum, tar, and wax compounds formed in the fuel. Additionally, polymerization effects the hydrocarbon's volatility characteristics such as flash point and cetane number. If these qualities should drop out of the required specification, the fuel will not ignite properly and cause increased engine wear, carbon deposits, reduced horsepower, abnormal smoke, and damaged fuel injectors.
What effect does the ethanol have in gasoline?
Ethanol is an alcohol made from corn, grain, sugar cane, switch grass cellulose, and other common farm produce. The state of Florida allows a maximum of ten percent ethanol in gasoline (E10). There are benefits to using ethanol in gasoline as well as drawbacks. Currently, although very small, ethanol does show the potential to offset our dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol effectively increases the octane level two to three points, and is also a particulate-free burning fuel which helps to combat greenhouse effects. However, ethanol is a solvent that can degrade rubber and plastic fuel system components if present in high concentrations. Ethanol also attracts water, and when an excess amount of water is present, it will pull the ethanol out of the gasoline and settle to the bottom of the tank as a water-ethanol mixture. This separation leaves the body of gasoline with a reduction of two to three octane points. E10 fuel must be keep free of water and typically has a shelf life of no more than three months.
What is biodiesel fuel?
Biodiesel is a non-petroleum-based fuel made from plant oils, animal fats, or vegetable oils. The state of Florida allows for a maximum of twenty percent biodiesel in diesel fuel (B20). Like ethanol, biodiesel is proving to be a promising renewable domestic energy source. Biodiesel burns cleaner than traditional diesel fuel thus limiting greenhouse gases. However, biodiesel has a tendency to attract water due to persisting monoglycerides left over from its production process. Excessive concentrations of biodiesel will also degrade rubber and plastic fuel system components.