Haigood & Campbell has been providing commercial fuel solutions in Irving TX since our humble beginnings in 1947. You don't stay in business for that long without understanding your customer's needs and doing everything you can to ensure their complete satisfaction with your services.
Diesel fuel polishing is actually a two-part process where particulate matter and water are removed from the fuel, while the sludge build-up is removed from inside the tank. This ensures that fresh diesel loaded into the tank does not become immediately contaminated.
But first, why should you ever need to clean your diesel fuel?
Simply put: modern refining techniques have reduced the shelf life of diesel fuel to only 6 to 12 months under ideal conditions. The introduction of biofuels has shortened the fuel life even further.
If your business is always using the fuel in your storage tank and receive regular deliveries, then your fuel should be in great condition.
Problems present themselves in situations where the fuel is sporadically needed, but perhaps in a very critical situation such as emergency backup generators.
Fuel degradation is unavoidable and if you have diesel fuel that sits in a storage tank, we recommend your fuel to be tested every 12 months. The last thing you need is fuel quality being the reason why your generator does not perform at its peak in an emergency situation.
Even if you cycle through fuel on a consistent basis, you still may be suffering the costly effects of dirty diesel.
As fuel makes its way from the refinery to your storage tank, it comes into contact with the air at various points along its path. The temperature of the fuel also fluctuates, depending on the time of year and mode of transportation.
As we all know, changes in temperature lead to the fuel expanding and contracting - thus humidity from the air is slowly absorbed into the fuel and over time can accumulate significant water deposits.
If you cycle through your fuel on a regular basis, you do not have the same worries of fuel degradation; however, your fuel tank may suffer the same fate as moisture in the tank becomes a breeding ground for algae and microbes that build into tank sludge.
This is not an overnight process, or even over a few months - but we see customers where we have been delivering fuel for decades into their fleet fueling station and never cleaned the tank.
A quick sample from the bottom of the tank can confirm the potential issues that lurk beneath - issues that could be costing major dollars in terms of fuel injector and fuel filter replacements, lost fuel efficiency, and excess wear and tear on engines.
This entire process begins with testing the fuel to determine the extent, if any, of degradation of fuel quality. We will send a out a fuel testing specialist to your facility or job site in Irving to take a sample of the fuel from the bottom of your storage tank. If you would like, we can send the sample to an independent lab that will send you back a report on your fuel.
However, for 9 out of 10 customers, the independent lab testing is not even necessary. If you have never had your fuel polished or tank cleaned, then it is very common to see the diesel fuel sample look like the image above. This dirty diesel obviously has issues and is definitely affecting the performance of your engine. More than likely, your mechanics will have confirmed to you that they have noticed clogged filters or engine wear prior to our specialist ever pulling the sample.
What's the next step?
Haigood & Campbell has a division of our company serving Irving dedicated to the pristine restoration of Diesel Fuel and Storage Tanks - The Fuel Professionals. On the website for The Fuel Professionals, you can learn more about the signs of dirty diesel fuel, the environmental and regulatory reasons that this has only become a problem in the last few years, and watch an on-site demonstration of us polishing and cleaning a diesel storage tank. See for yourself how this process works and know that you've got a team of fuel pros experienced at solving problems like yours.
If you know your fuel or tank have issues and you are ready to schedule your Fuel Sampling visit, just call our office and we'll put you in contact with a Fuel Professional to answer any of your questions and get you on the calendar.
Irving, Texas
(817) 318-7645
Haigood & Campbell
9911 E Bankhead Hwy
Aledo, TX 76008
(817) 318-7645