Tank Cleaning
Water, Sludge and Diesel Bug: The Silent Threats in Your Fuel Tanks
Many companies don’t realise just how vital clean fuel is to the smooth running of their operations – until something goes wrong. Contaminated fuel can cause serious issues for vehicles and critical backup generators, leading to costly downtime and even dangerous failures. From rail and aviation industries to hospitals, retail parks, and data centres, the impact of dirty fuel can be widespread and severe – especially when those backup systems are needed most.
Fuel contamination can happen more easily than you might think. Sometimes the problem starts right at the source, with tankers delivering fuel that’s already dirty. Other times, it develops in storage tanks due to water ingress from rust, damage, or displaced breather caps. Once water enters the system, bacteria begin to grow, creating what’s known as “diesel bug” – a thick, jelly-like substance that clogs engines and generators, bringing them to a standstill when reliability matters most.
Tank Cleaning Services – ClearTank diesel cleaning
Got a question about your fuel tanks?
Tank cleaning is your first step to removing the problem of fuel contamination.
The ClearTank diesel fuel tank cleaning service:
- removes water down to 200 parts per million or less as specified in EN590.
- disposes of solid particulates such as soot, rust and colloid carbon.
- removes microbial growth (aka the diesel bug).
- breaks down and filters out any sludge that may have settled at the bottom of the tank.
- removes the biofilms that form on tank surfaces. These are often immune to standard fuel polishing techniques.
Once complete, we certify that your fuel storage tanks are clean and your fuel meets the 18/16/13 level of cleanliness as defined by ISO 4406 and EN590 standards set by the Directive 2009/30/EC.
You need one thing from your standby and primary power systems: dependability. You need the assurance that they will function perfectly when they’re needed. However, fuel storage is a potential point of failure that’s easy to overlook. Your bulk storage tanks could be harbouring contamination that impacts the reliability of your backup systems and pollutes any clean fuel they receive.
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After more information about our fuel services? Our 3 handy PDF handbooks are here to help.
Fuel Maintenance Handbook
Overview of how IPU’s products can improve the reliability of your assets.
ClearTank diesel tank cleaning service
The ClearTank service addresses the three main forms of fuel contamination: water, solid particulates and microbial growth (a.k.a. the diesel bug).
Watch our short animation to learn more about contamination.
Safe, convenient and discreet
IPU look beyond the mechanical process of cleaning fuel storage tanks; we understand the commercial implications of dirty fuel and have adapted the ClearTank cleaning service to address them.
ClearTank diesel cleaning runs from an unmarked van to avoid unsettling customers.
- ClearTank avoids health and safety problems by not requiring man-entry into the toxic interior of your day tanks. All cleaning happens outside the tank using IPU’s specialist tank cleaning technologies and our unique cleansing additive, ADV Energiser.
- ClearTank fuel cleaning does not always require you to take your generators offline, so there’s no need to disrupt day-to-day operations.
- The ClearTank service operates from an unmarked van to avoid unsettling customers. Even though tank cleaning is a prudent precautionary measure it can be misinterpreted.
- Outdoor tanks at fuel depots, indoor tanks in commercial buildings and tanks located in confined spaces can all benefit from the ClearTank service.
After cleaning...
Unfortunately, cleaned fuel does not stay clean for long. It’s under constant attack. Grit and dirt can enter from the tank surroundings. Rust falls off the inside of the tank. Water enters via the atmosphere and from new deliveries. This encourages bacterial growth. In short, biodiesel degrades unless you maintain it.
ClearTank restores your fuel to a clean and dry condition. To keep it that way we recommend a Diesel Defence fuel polishing system. Through single and multi-stage filtration Diesel Defence provides you with long-term protection.
IPU’s fuel additives work directly to kill tiny bacteria and neutralise the ingredients they need to grow. The fuel additives are the vitamin boost that keeps your stored fuel bug-free and gives your gen-sets extra performance.
IPU’s four step fuel conditioning process
ClearTank is the second stage in IPU’s Fuel Conditioning Programme. The four-part programme is the simplest and most economical route to clean, dry, reliable fuel. It includes:
- DieselCheck Fuel Testing
- ClearTank Fuel Cleaning
- Diesel Defence Fuel Polishing
- ADV Fuel Stabilisation