Choosing the Right Fuel Transfer Pump: What’s Best for your Application?

A fuel transfer pump moves fuel from one place to another. It is used to refuel vehicles, machinery or fill another tank using a nozzle. These types of pumps can also be used to move and dispense fluids such as AdBlue, oil and water. Diesel fuel transfer pumps can be used in a variety of applications such as fleets of vehicles, agricultural machinery, and plant equipment.

A fuel transfer pump dispenses fuel such as diesel or oil from one container or tank to another. Some diesel transfer pumps are rotary vane pumps, and some are gear pumps. There are different types of transfer pumps, such as electric diesel transfer pumps, battery powered pumps and hand fuel pumps.

There are many types of fuel transfer pumps that can be used with a number of different liquids and fuels, including diesel, oil, AdBlue and water. However, if you specifically buy a diesel transfer pump, you need to know these four things.

• Is there mains power or will you need a battery-operated fuel transfer pump?
• Do you know what voltage battery you will be using with the pump if it is not mains?
• What flow rate do you require? Flow rate is how many litres per minute the fuel transfer pump will dispense the fuel. How quickly you want to do this will depend on how big the tank is that you are refilling, as the larger the volume you need to transfer, the longer it will take.

• Do you want a complete refilling solution or just the fuel transfer pump? Ready to dispense diesel transfer pump kits include a nozzle and hose, whereas pumps purchased separately can be installed into an existing system.

You will need 2 separate fuel transfer pumps for diesel and AdBlue, as AdBlue pumps are made with compatible materials like stainless steel and polypropylene, which will not corrode on contact with the fluid. Most diesel transfer pumps are made from cast iron, which will corrode from AdBlue and cause your pump to fail and you AdBlue to become contaminated.

At refuelling stations where there is a static fuel tank in a fixed location, there is usually mains power available, so an electric fuel transfer pump can be installed onto the tank.

When there is no access to a mains power supply, mobile refuelling requires a battery-operated fuel transfer pump. These can connect to a vehicle’s battery via crocodile clips.

If diesel is only being transferred from drum to drum or in small amounts each time, it may be more cost effective to use a manual hand fuel transfer pump, due to the minimal amount that needs to be dispensed.

Fuel dispensing units can be mounted and installed if a refuelling point is in a permanently fixed location, for example, refuelling from a static tank in a company’s yard is common for fleets.

The best diesel fuel transfer pump is dependent on what application you require the equipment for. To pick the right fuel transfer pump you need to know if there is mains power or if you will need a battery-operated pump. You will need to know the pump voltage, the flow rate needed and if you need a complete refilling solution or just the fuel transfer pump. If you are unsure what you need, contact our sales team for advice.