Analysis for Tank Maintenance Problems

Perhaps the greatest enemy of diesel fuel and gasoline is water. Even though a minuscule amount of water naturally occurs in the molecular structure of petroleum hydrocarbons, the incremental amount of water is not the villain compared to factors like poor tank maintenance and the water.

Changes in weather usher in temperature variances which cause condensation to form on the inside walls of a tank. Since water is heavier than hydrocarbons, the condensation falls to the bottom of the tank, where it accumulates over time. Additional maintenance issues are loose, missing, or cracked fill caps and fill manholes that lie in low areas. Low lying fill manholes collect rainwater on or around the manhole. When the manhole is accessed the standing water can easily migrate into the tank. All of these situations create a water environment that acts as the “host” to microorganisms, thus, causing fuel degradation.

Long term storage of diesel fuel, as in the operation of a generator, is another maintenance situation that can cause fuel to break down. Fuel that is not “turned over” in a reasonable period of time becomes susceptible to oxidation, causing fuel to destabilize.