Specialist company Diesel Clean can help with everything, from testing for diesel bug and preventative maintenance to ongoing monitoring and fuel polishing
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Preventative maintenance is part of the Diesel Clean service
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Commonly known as diesel bug, rather than one specific bug, this is actually a collection of more than 120 different microbes (comprising bacteria and fungi), which often coexist.
Scientifically, this little bug is subject to some interesting research because of the possibility of using it to clean up oil spills. However, for a farmer or machinery operator, diesel bug can cause unnecessary trouble and so need to be exterminated as early as possible.
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Moulds, yeasts and bacteria can be found in diesel fuel
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Diesel bug thrives in the layer between diesel and water, which is almost impossible to eliminate due to condensation when the tank cools down after use or when moisture-laden air is sucked in as fuel is burned up. Even something as simple as a fuel cap not being secured properly can result in some water in the bottom of a fuel tank.
Diesel bug organisms cause a number of problems, including corrosion of fuel tanks and fuel lines, fuel system component failure (such as injectors and fuel pumps), and eventual filter blockage.
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Diesel contamination is an issue that requires ongoing attention
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It’s this last aspect that’s likely to cause the most grief in the short term, as the engine becomes starved for fuel due to clogged filters. Upon inspecting the engine, you may find a layer of black or dirty brown slime covering the element. Evidently, the filter element has to be replaced, since it’s almost impossible to clean this muck off.
Unfortunately, there’s no simple one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. If detected in its early stages, the organisms can be eradicated, but the chemicals used to do this are highly toxic, with warnings to keep at least 30 metres away from the fumes. As diesel bug infestation worsens, the only solution is to completely drain and clean out the fuel tank. This is both messy and time-consuming, but specialist company Diesel Clean can help with everything, from testing for diesel bug and preventative maintenance to ongoing monitoring and fuel polishing.
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Diesel contamination is an issue that requires ongoing attention
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Fuel polishing is the process of removing contamination such as water and particles from fuel and will ensure that the fuel is ‘clean and dry’ so less likely to be contaminated by diesel bug.
Whether in tractor fuel tanks or on-farm storage tanks or generators, fuel contamination is an issue that deserves ongoing awareness, helping protect valuable vehicles from unnecessary damage or underperformance. Over time, sludge fouls filters, strainers, nozzles, and injectors and causes pitting corrosion in fuel tanks and fuel filter housings. Sludge formation has little to do with the initial quality of fuel; even the best fuel produces sludge when biological contamination and condensed moisture get together.
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Diesel Clean specialises in the remediation of contaminated diesel
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Offering more than a decade of experience specialising in contamination in diesel, the team at Diesel Clean are available for consultation nationwide.
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