When we are called to a site to address fuel issues, our techs do a full system inspection to look for any areas that may allow water or other contaminants to enter the storage tank. During a recent site inspection, techs discovered a broken fill cap on an access point to an underground storage tank. It appeared that instead of replacing the faulty cap, someone had been periodically removing the liquid from the fill containment. In doing so, they had neglected to inspect the motor well. When we removed the lids, we saw that the motor well was full of water. Presence of water in the motor well can destroy equipment over time and can also allow water to access the inside of the fuel tank.
In the thousands of site inspections we perform each year, we regularly encounter faulty equipment that people have created workarounds for or repaired incorrectly. Too often, this leads to large scale, costly issues with the fuel. To prevent fuel contamination, it is essential to be diligent about maintaining all aspects of the fuel system. The Clean Fuels National team helps customers identify and eliminate potential issues with the system, thereby reducing risk, downtime, and service calls.