Fuel Pulse Show | Bell Performance

Episode 044 - Fuel Polishing Considerations with Brian Hartley (Part 1)

Written by Erik Bjornstad | Mar 27, 2024 10:00:00 AM

Today we are joined by Brian Hartley, owner of Diesel Dialysis, for a two-part conversation on fuel maintenance—particularly fuel polishing. Brian has many years of experience in the field and has seen how fuel maintenance (or lack thereof) can impact how effectively people are able to do business. He has some great insight to share when it comes to properly maintaining fuel, dealing with gelling, the best uses for fuel polishing, and more.

Listen in as Brian breaks down the importance of knowing what’s going on with your fuel, as well as how he educates his customers to ensure they make the best decisions for their fuel storage needs and the needs of their businesses. You'll learn what he’s been seeing in the industry, the specific concerns his clients have been dealing with, and how to determine whether fuel polishing can help you.

Listen to the Full Episode:

What You'll Learn:

  • What fuel polishing is and what it can do.
  • Why tank cleaning is different from fuel polishing.
  • How to determine if you need tank cleaning or fuel polishing.
  • When to treat cold flow.
  • Understanding cloud point and dealing with gelling.
  • The importance of having a better understanding of the state of your tank and the needs of your fuel.
  • Issues in the fuel industry and common mistakes to look out for.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

  • “The tank itself may not gel, but if you have a half-inch fuel line coming off of it that’s running 100 feet outside, you could have a problem with the fuel in that line. You could easily gel that.” - Brian Hartley
  • “We have a few different practices we’ve developed to clean different types of tanks and we’ve found that you have to know your limits of when polishing is a tool that can help you, or if you’re just spinning your wheels.” - Brian Hartley
  • “If your tank is really bad, and you have tons of sludge and rust, then polishing may not be as effective.” - Brian Hartley
  • “You’re not getting heavy particulates or cleaning rust out by polishing.” - Brian Hartley
  • "A company in the general field may take on fuel polishing as part of their business to help them generate revenue, but they don’t do it all the time and you end up seeing a lot of mistakes being made." - Brian Hartley

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