How to prevent water from contaminating a diesel fuel tank

How to care for your diesel tanks

–        Scheduled maintenance is one solution to prevent water contamination in diesel tanks. The government and private groups have set standards recommended for maintenance, and private groups have been monitoring the rapid behavioural change of fuel in storage. They concluded that tanks should be completely drained annually. Although some fuel suppliers avoid maintenance of the tanks using the high cost as an excuse, the repercussions are more costly.

–        The chemical reaction that takes place in stored diesel may change the quality of the fuel. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that takes place when fuel is unprotected from oxygen, while hydrolysis is a reaction caused by fuel unprotected from water. These two chemical reactions cause the colour of diesel to change and may result in explosions.

–        The presence of water in diesel tanks will also determine if the tank is free from microbes which are found on the water-diesel surface. The multiplication of microbes depends on water alone, microbes add more problems by creating acid that leads to corrosion of the diesel tank. Moreover, they block filters and are difficult to remove. It is good practice to use a biocide every three months to avoid microbial growth.

–        Another way of managing the water issue is to drain it, depending on the type of storage tanks used. Ground tanks seem to be more user-friendly for this process. Some companies have even created their own technologies that suck out the water.
–        The extra precautionary measure of purchasing fuel from a reputable supplier and making use of a filtration system when transferring fuel, can also help to completely avoid contamination.
–        You can also ensure the diesel tanks are always at a level where there is a lower risk of condensation.

What tank is right for you?

Different types of tanks are used to store fuel. Horizontal storage tanks are more suitable for liquid goods, they are good quality and last five years or longer.

RotoTank guarantees our customers an 8-year UV protection warranty and a 5-year structural warranty. We manufacture polyethylene water and chemical tanks of high quality. Each tank is correctly measured with the required width for your specified purpose.

Plastic water containers and flat water tanks are ideal and convenient for storing water, although the quality is of a high standard, synthetic chemicals and plastic used to manufacture the products raise the hygiene matter. Even plastic containers need periodic cleaning!

You can wash it with normal household detergent and hot water. Rinse the container as many times as you can until it is clear of the soap. You can also dilute a teaspoon of bleach in water to clean the containers (amounts will vary according to the size of the container). Rinse it continuously until the smell of bleach is completely gone and the water runs clear and your container will be ready for use again.

It is not worth taking shortcuts with diesel or any other material you are storing by neglecting maintenance or forgoing it altogether. Contact RotoTank™ today to find out how we can help with your diesel tanks, flat water tanks and plastic water containers.