If you are here to know how best to deal with water contamination in your car or generator tank, you are on the right page. In this article, I will be sharing with you my personal experience on how to handle water contamination in diesel fuel.
Water contamination in diesel fuel takes many forms, but I will do my best to explain how you can handle each of them. Without much ado, let us get started.
what are the Effects of water on Your diesel fuel
Water is not in any way friendly with your diesel because it is the bedrock of most contamination you could imagine. Here are a few problems water tends to create for your fuel:
Water contamination of diesel fuel encourages the growth of diesel bug. The condensation in your diesel tank generates some water, which in turn allows diesel bug to reproduce at a faster rate. However, I will like to say that all diesel fuels contain a certain percentage of water that is not harmful to your engine but, if the water content exceeds the permitted volume, problems are inevitable.
Also, it facilitates the rusting of the steel tank and several engine parts. For instance, if you fail to take care of water contamination in your diesel fuel, it will slowly dissolve the fuel tank and degenerates into corrosion. Additionally, the increased water content will lead to acid build-up, which is not in any way good for your engine.
Furthermore, water contamination may damage your injector if you fail to deal with it as and when due. The presence of excessive water in your diesel fuel may cause the injector tips to explode when it becomes super-heated during combustion, thereby making your engine to lose its efficiency. Also, such damage will attract some avoidable expenses when you eventually contact a mechanic.
It leads to the formation of gums and resins: Gums and resins are potential havoc wreckers if you fail to deal with them on time. They are likely going to stick to the side of fuel your fuel tanks and injectors. Furthermore, they may result in sediment build up inside your tank, and invariably consequently become a problem to the fuel system.
However, we can group all the above-listed problems into three: the breeding of diesel bug, corrosion of machine components, and reduction of the cetane rating of your fuel.
What are the three different forms of water contamination?
Water contamination in diesel takes different forms, which include free water, emulsified water, and dissolved water. Let me explain each of them for a clear understanding.
Free water: As the name implies, free water is a body of water that has completely separated itself from your diesel fuel and settles at the bottom of your fuel tank. Having free water in the fuel tank is risky to your engine because it will eventually damage your vehicle when it rises above the level of the fuel take-off pipe.
Another negative side of free water is that you may not be able to detect by casual inspection, and it may start breeding diesel bug over time.
Emulsified water: As defined by Noria, Emulsified water is microscopic globules of water dispersed in a stable suspension in the oil.
Although all states of water in oil can cause damage to the oil and machine, emulsified water is the most destructive because it often causes hydraulic pump cavitation (vaporous cavitation). Also, unlike free water, you will not be able to separate emulsified water without the help of experts.
Dissolved water: The dissolved water is a form of water contamination on the extreme side. It means the water has mixed and evenly blended with the fuel. It is a mixture of diesel fuel and water that have become inseparable, and that will amount to fueling your diesel engine with varying quantities of incombustible water.
How can you prevent water contamination in a diesel?
It is better to prevent diesel contamination, and the best-proven approach is to be proactive. You can read up my detailed article on how you can prevent contaminants in diesel here.
However, here are a few safe practices that can save you from diesel fuel contamination trauma.
My first recommendation is that you should always patronize trusted diesel suppliers who are committed to ethical business practices. Remember, buying diesel from reliable business owners that prioritize their customers’ satisfaction over profit maximization will give you the desired peace of mind.
Also, periodically carry out fuel testing to monitor contamination levels. It will let you know whether you should continue with the usage of the contaminated diesel or not.
Furthermore, if you are a long-range traveler and have an additional tank, cultivate the habit of a rotation system in which case you use up old fuel before the new one. Moreover, you do not want to create room for fuel microbes to breed in any of your fuel tanks.
Also, never allow diesel fuel to have contact with acids or catalysts such as copper because they are agents of oxidation. Avoiding oxidation is essential because it usually causes a chemical change that often results in oil thickening and formation of sludge and deposits. Also, it will deplete any additive you might have added to the fuel.
How Did I deal with water contamination in my diesel Tank?
I promised to share my personal experience with you, and I will like to do that right away.
My first consideration was safety, so I put on my gloves and protective glasses to guard against personal injuries and oil poisoning.
Second, I drained the tank of leftover diesel fuel into a clean container and kept the contaminated fuel in a safe distance. The essence of keeping it far away is to prevent unnecessary spillage.
Third, I noticed that the upper side of my tank is dirty, so I used a hand brush to remove some dust surrounding the fuel pump. I knew I had to do it because I didn’t want to let more particles into the tank.
Fourth, I detached the fuel pump from the tank and subsequently removed the tank for the needed clean up.
Fifth, I initially thought of using methylated spirit but changed my mind at the last minute, and decided to use water and dish soap. I thought it was going to be an easy task, but as I poured the soap solution into the tank, it became a bit heavy for me.
However, I managed to swirl it for at least two minutes before I emptied the content. The next thing I did was to wipe the inside of the fuel tank with a dry towel and expose it to the sun for proper drying.
Sixth, I checked and discovered nothing was wrong with the tank, so I fix it back and fill it up with new diesel fuel.
I hope this will be of good help to you when fixing your contaminated diesel problem.