The Importance of Fuel Testing: Top 5 Reasons
Today’s diesel engine fuel systems are designed with tighter clearances and operate under higher pressure. For this, and many other reasons maintaining fuel cleanliness is instrumental for keeping the fuel system operating efficiently and preventing premature wear. Testing fuel at regular intervals and when an issue is suspected, avoids engine failure, minimizes expensive repairs, and ensures fuel quality. Following are 5 primary reasons to get fuel tested.
1: Quality Assurance–Cleanliness and Purity of Fuel Truck Deliveries and Fuel Stored in Tanks
Every new delivery of fuel needs to be tested to ensure quality and that it meets contract specifications. Fuel stored in tanks needs to be tested at least twice a year. Factors such as heat, humidity, and oxygen have an impact on the condition of stored fuel. Consider that fuel stored for long periods can start to degrade and lose combustibility in as little as three months.
2: Prevention of Catastrophic Failures
Contaminated fuel can damage the components and the fuel system. For example, fuel injectors can get clogged by impurities and fail. The impurities can also cause abrasion and increase the rate of component wear. This leads to early replacement of expensive engine components.
Serious contamination can be devastating — even simple fuel treatments cost $1,000s, and take critical assets out of operation during treatment.
3. Maximize Power Output
Impurities can prevent fuel from burning efficiently. This limits the machinery’s power output and can have a significant effect on productivity. It can also increase fuel consumption and ultimately drive down profits.
4: Diagnosis of Possible Conditions
The fuel may have a strange odor, the vehicle isn’t running appropriately, or a generator won’t start. This can all be caused by contamination of the product. But the cleanliness of the fuel is not the only thing that should be considered. The correct fuel test package can help identify the root cause of many issues, including:
- Engine performance concerns
- Reduced combustion efficiency
- Increased corrosion of fuel components
- Fuel filter plugging
- Injector damage
- Excessive engine smoking
- Lubricity concerns
- Bio fuel concerns
- Growth of bacteria, fungi, and mold
- Water and sediment contamination
- Impact of seasonal changes
- Sulphur content validation
- EPA compliance
5: Contract Requirements and Regulation Compliance
In accordance with the terms of the contract, some companies are required to test their fuel to maintain documentation of suitability for use. There are also EPA regulations that require compliance.
Stephanie Boardman, Eurofins TestOil Business Development Manager–Transportation, adds, “To remain cost competitive, operational costs need to be minimized and fuel testing is one way to do that. The bottom line is that using high-quality fuel is one of the best ways to maintain the long-term performance and life span of machinery. “
For more information on working with Eurofins TestOil for fuel testing, oil analysis and training visit www.testoil.com. Contact: 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
About Eurofins TestOil
With more than 30 years of experience in the oil analysis industry, Eurofins TestOil focuses exclusively on assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding unexpected downtime through oil and fuel analysis program implementation. As industry experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines, hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, Eurofins TestOil provides customers with same-day turnaround on routine oil analysis testing. For more information on partnering with Eurofins TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities visit https://testoil.com. Contact: Michael Barrett 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis
Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins is the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience Contract Research services. Eurofins is also a market leader in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in BioPharma Contract Development and Manufacturing. The Group also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products.
With over 61,000 staff across a network of 940 laboratories in 59 countries, Eurofins’ companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods. Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.