Downtime caused by cold weather-induced fuel and filter issues can be costly to your operation. Implementing a fuel quality management program can help you avoid the headaches.
Start with your storage tanks. Water and wax hold in suspension in all diesel fuel and biodiesel blends. As temperatures drop, both water and wax separate from the fuel and fall to the bottom of the tank. This can sometimes cause problems by restricting fuel flow through filters.
Draining out the free water in the bottom of the storage tank and changing the filter prior to this can help. After all, a dirty, half-clogged filter that has been doing its job is much easier to plug than a brand new one.
Using a quality cold flow improver is another way to help eliminate problems. Well-formulated cold flow improvers contain a non-alcohol-based deicer component and a couple of wax-control components.
FS SURE-FLO contains the following benefits in its formulation:
- A deicer component that suppresses the freezing point of water in the fuel. It protects fuel lines and filters from freezing, which often occurs when equipment sits idle overnight.
- A wax modifier component that keeps wax crystals from sticking together. This keeps crystals from becoming large enough to plug filters and restrict fuel flow.
- A wax anti-settling agent that keeps the wax particles dispersed and suspended to prevent them from falling to the bottom of the tank.
Mixing cold flow improvers with fuel before temperatures cool down provides optimum performance. Cold flow improvers work by reacting with the wax crystals as they form. Mix additives into the fuel at 10-15°F above the cloud point. Incorporate cold flow improvers into your fuel as soon as ambient air temperatures begin dipping down to 32°F.
Mixing multiple chemicals/additives in the fuel or overtreating with cold flow improvers can also cause problems. Following treat recommendations closely and understanding if the fuel you receive is pre-treated for cold weather is important. Before adding additional additives, discuss fuel tank condition and the additives already in your fuel.
If equipment is down because of fuel gelling or plugged filters, rescue treatments are an option to “re-liquefy” fuels. Red Alert, available from your local FS retailer is one such product. Rescue treatments with these products can be effective, but we do not recommend long term use of alcohol-based additives. Prolonged exposure can lead to internal engine and fuel injector issues.
Contact your local FS Energy Specialist to ensure better cold temperature operation of your equipment.