How To Avoid Fuel Contamination In Forklift Trucks?
WHAT IS FUEL CONTAMINATION?
As the name suggests, fuel contamination refers to fuel that has become tainted or poisoned with algae, rust, sediment, water and organic matter. Usually, this material collects towards the bottom of a fuel tank found at a service station or in your truck.
It's not easy to avoid, but if you have no way of checking the quality of your fuel before you fill up your fuel storage container you are going to potentially be putting contaminated fuel into your forklift truck.
EFFECTS OF FUEL CONTAMINATION IN FORKLIFT TRUCKS & WORK TRUCKS
You need your forklift and work trucks to be working at an optimum level. Contaminated fuel can wreak havoc on any power tools that require fuel, and can cost you thousands to repair or replace. You have to minimize the risk of it happening to you so that you are not in the middle of lifting something with a forklift truck and the engine fails on you. Contaminants can form resins and gums in your fuel and that can be drawn through your fuel systems causing irreparable damage and potential casualty to life.
SIGNS THAT YOUR DIESEL IS CONTAMINATED
There are plenty of signs that your forklift fuel tank is showing contamination in the fuel. These include:
- The appearance, colour or consistency of the fuel doesn't look right anymore
- The tank itself is showing signs of corrosion or rusting
- The truck performance has deteriorated considerably
- You are replacing fuel filters more often than your baseline
- Your fuel injectors need frequent cleaning or replacement
- Infested fuel doesn't burn as cleanly, which means that you have an increase in your fuel consumption
- There is a rotten smell coming from your fuel tank. The sulfuric acid byproducts from the bacteria gives off a smell that you will notice
- You are noticing black exhaust smoke at the startup of your system.
HOW TO AVOID FUEL CONTAMINATION IN YOUR DIESEL FORKLIFT TRUCK
From maintaining your fuel tank to handling feel better, there are some good ways you can avoid contamination of your forklift truck diesel. You should never buy low quality fuel and you should learn to store your fuel as well as you can, but other options include:
- Filling up from a reputable service station: Instead of worrying that the fuel tanks at the service station are contaminated, make sure that you choose a brand with a high volume of traffic and then excellent reputation. Busy service stations have refueled tanks with fresh fuel much more often, which will mean you lower your risk of picking up any fuel that is stale.
- Don't fill up when the service station is also filling up: In ground service stations fuel storage tanks have protection in the form of sediment collectors. Usually, the fuel pickup from an inground tank will draw the clean fuel from well above these levels. Wait until a station has been refueled before you start filling your tank.
- Change your filters regularly: It's your first line of defense from contamination. The filters are quite effective at capturing contaminants when they are in good order, so keep a regular service schedule that includes replacing these filters as quickly as possible.
Fuel contamination in diesel trucks is a fairly common issue with work trucks and the best way of treating contamination is avoidance and prevention. You want to avoid diesel contamination by applying the preventative methods we have suggested. If you're unsure as to whether your diesel is contaminated then please don't hesitate to contact us and ask our experts to diagnose the issue at hand.
If you want to know more call us today on +44(0)121 500 5009, email info@atlasforklift.co.uk or fill in our online enquiry form here.
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We have a range of diesel, electic and gas forklifts and other work trucks that can be hired on a full term contract hire basis or a short term basis. We also offer a lease purchasing option for new and used forklifts and work trucks. If leasing a forklift truck isn't for you we also have multiple hire options including long and short-term forklift hire within the West Midlands