Fuel Polishing Services in South Carolina

What Is Fuel Polishing?

Fuel polishing is a cleaning process that removes water, dirt and bacterial buildup from stored oil and hydrocarbon fuel. It involves pumping the diesel fuel through a series of filters and returning it to the tank.

Fuel polishing typically draws fuel from one end of the tank. It returns it to the tank’s opposite side to minimize contact with unfiltered fuel and limit mixing. Removing contaminants aims to restore your fuel to peak quality. As a result, you can ensure it’s safe for equipment and avoid clogged filters, failure, expensive repairs and downtime.

Many fuel polishing procedures include multiple phases of filtration. They may also operate automatically using a programmed schedule. Quality fuel polishing systems use advanced filtering technologies that typically target the densest matter first.

Furthermore, highly pressurized contamination can be hazardous. It usually occurs on the suction side of a diesel fuel tank. That’s why fuel polishing systems tend to target built-up matter near this area.

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1. It Saves Money

A successful fuel polishing treatment can bring your fuel to its original state or as close to it as possible. Therefore, you can recondition and use fuel that would have been disposed of otherwise. This provides savings in both fuel replacement and disposal fees.

Additionally, using clean, polished fuel reduces the risk of equipment malfunctions and failures. In some cases, diesel fuel polishing can save thousands in treatments and replacements for both fuel and equipment, potentially saving you up to 75% for an average-sized fuel tank.

2. It’s Environmentally Friendly

Diesel fuel is classified as hazardous waste, meaning it must be disposed of as such. Getting rid of contaminated diesel fuel isn’t as simple as tossing it in the garbage or pouring it down the drain — it must be brought to a special landfill equipped to handle toxic materials.

As with any hazardous substance, disposing of polluted fuel can harm the environment. Diesel fuel has damaging effects when it seeps into the ground. It can move through soil and enter underground aquifers, which deliver water to springs and wells. Polishing allows fuel to be reused to its fullest extent, leading to fewer hazardous waste disposals.

3. It Boosts Productivity

The last thing companies need during power outages is a generator malfunction due to contaminated fuel. Shutdowns significantly set back operations and reduce productivity in industrial operations.

Diesel fuel polishing removes impurities that can clog essential engine components such as injectors and filters. Eliminating these contaminants improves efficiency and performance.

By minimizing equipment breakdowns, repairs and downtime, fuel polishing provides a more consistent power supply. A reliable energy supply ensures a smooth workflow and maximized productivity, even in the midst of an emergency outage.

4. It Repurposes Consolidated Fuel

Over time, diesel fuel slightly condenses while in storage, developing condensed solids that are still viable as fuel. Fuel polishing can repurpose condensed solids by extracting and converting them back into liquid form.

Fuel polishing reprocesses consolidated solids rather than just removing them. Therefore, it offers a less wasteful and more efficient way to decontaminate fuel.

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