Weather-Proof Your Fuel Tank: Maintenance Tips for All Seasons

An annual fuel maintenance programme for every season keeps your site or land safe, limits the likelihood of a fuel spill and prevents costly downtime and the inconvenience of not being able to use fuel equipment if it breaks or fails after refuelling due to issues from adverse weather conditions.

Here’s our suggested tips to keep your fuel storage tanks and equipment running smoothly, whatever the weather.

• Make sure to keep storage tank doors closed and secure, to stop them blowing open and debris going into the bund or tank.

• Secure all oil spill kits, rags and any paperwork around the site firmly so these do not blow into other fuel equipment, potentially causing a hazard.

• Look for any branches or debris that may have hit the fuel tank or landed in the bund if the tank has an external brick bund. Remove any debris as soon as possible.

• Check that any bund access is secure and that fuel tank vents are in good condition to stop water ingress and condensation forming in the bund. Fuel tank vent caps allow the fuel tank to breath whilst not having a gaping hole for water to get into the fuel tank.

• Fuel tanks with external brick bunds may need their bunds clearing out of any debris that has entered the bund in wet and windy weather. A bund alarm can also be used to alert you when the bund has fluid in it.
• Make sure any fuel or oil spills are cleaned up as soon as possible using the correct equipment like an oil spill kit, as they will make the area slippery and dangerous after rain.

• Keep fuel storage tank drip trays empty and fuel tanks clean of any spillages to limit diesel and fuel vapours in hot weather. A single fuel tank alarm level probe can be added to the drip tray to activate a fuel tank alarm if the drip tray gets full.

• Check fuel dispensing equipment and maintain fuel delivery hoses, ensuring they are put away correctly so they are not exposed to direct sunlight as they can swell in heat.

• Drastic changes in temperature can cause condensation in the fuel tank, which causes diesel bug sludge to form. A combination of fuel filters and an Aquafighter fuel tank water absorber can prevent water contamination in fuel and stop diesel bug damaging fuel equipment.

• Add an anti-gelling additive to your fuel. Diesel contains paraffin wax which crystallises or solidifies in cold temperatures. An anti-gelling additive prevents diesel fuel gelling by stopping the paraffin wax from solidifying.

• Check fuel delivery hoses for cracks or leaks that could worsen in the cold temperatures. When water gets into the cracks in the hose, it can freeze and expand, causing damage.

• Replace blocked fuel tank filters and have spare elements available on site. If you have a filter removing water from the fuel and the water in the filter element freezes, it may block and need replacing before fuel manages to pass through again and fuel dispensing can continue.

The changing weather in every season can put pressure on your fuel equipment, so being on top of your fuel tank maintenance programme is essential. We have a large stockholding of all fuel equipment on site, with almost all our products ready to dispatch with next day delivery, ensuring that whether you need fuel filters, fuel tank water absorbers, spill kits or diesel fuel pump replacements, you can get them when you need them.