Solving Fuel Water Problems...

Water is always present, to some degree, in your fuel system or bulk storage tanks. This water may be a result of condensation when temperatures rise and fall by more than 7 degrees, or by leaky storage tanks or by other means. Water can cause stalling, diesel gelling, fuel line freezing, corrosion in the fuel tank and lines, and injector and engine damage.

The natural properties of diesel fuel make moisture related problems more critical in diesel equipment. Diesel fuel is heavier than gasoline, therefore the volatility (ability to vaporize) of diesel fuel is much lower than gasoline. This lower volatility allows air and moisture to infiltrate the diesel fuel in both vehicle and bulk storage tanks much faster than gasoline. Water condensation in diesel fuel storage tanks is a routine problem that must be solved by all users of diesel fuels. The longer the fuel is stored the larger the problems become.

Being less refined than gasoline, diesel fuel will hold a much larger amount of water in suspension. This suspended water can cause severe problems with everyday water separators installed on the vehicle as well causing the fuel injector tips to explode resulting in extensive repair costs.

A type of algae grows at the fuel-water interface if there is any water in the storage tank. It doesn't take much water. The algae clogs filters and has a high sulfur content and causes sulfur corrosion in the fuel pumps and injector nozzles.

Many diesel equipped vehicles and off road equipment usually have a factory installed fuel/water separator. A primary filter should have a see-through bowl with a drain so that WATER can be rapidly detected and removed. A sample should be taken from the filter at regular intervals. A visual inspection with a flashlight may show the water in the bottom of the bowl. Water will be clear and the fuel will have a color. Drain if necessary. Usually this can be done with the engine running to allow any air bubbles to work through the engine without stalling.

A gasoline engine can pass a small amount of water and just run poorly while it's doing it. A bottle of "Heet" and a new fuel filter takes care of things. However, a diesel engine has high pressure, very close tolerance, fuel injection pumps. Water in the fuel causes damage due to lack of lubricity and cavitation damage. New injection pumps can be an expensive proposition.

While many fuel/water separators do an adequate job of water removal, not all are created equal. Increased efficiencies of water & impurities removal are realized by using 'centrifugal' type separators.

In a centrifuge designed filter separator, fuel enters the centrifuge, separating larger particles of dirt and droplets of water down to 30 microns. The centrifuge does not spin. The filter spins the fuel in a circular motion as it passes through the channels of the centrifuge. Elements are generally available in 2, 10 or 30 micron rating.

Next, as the fuel comes out of the centrifuge it will then hit the side of the bowl allowing the dirt and water to settle to the bottom of the bowl. In advanced designs, the fuel flows through a second centrifuge stage and passes on the outside of the centrifuge. At this point the small droplets of water and dirt particles are thrown to the center of the bowl, moving around and forming larger droplets of water. There, the larger vane will catch the particles and bring them down through the vane. This is produced by the vacuum on the lowest part of the second vane.

What happens next is almost blissful, as the continuous circular motion of the fuel, the dirt, and water droplets, continue to grow together, they become heavier and fall back into the bowl again, thereby removing harmful particulates and water in a way that blows away conventional debris/water removal. Once again, in advanced designed units, specially treated water resistant paper will filter out all remaining dirt and water.

Installation of these units can usually be done in a couple of hours or less, and save many man hours, as well as other valuable resources spent trying to revive down-timed equipment. For additional information about fuel/water separators, visit our website @ www.filtakleen-usa.com.