What is Diesel Bug?

Stored fuel can deteriorate over time, as it reacts with the oxygen in the air. Usually, fuel can stay in a usable condition under storage for months, after which it may begin to develop sediments. Fuel is not just affected by these residues, but also bacteria and fungi.

Water which forms in fuel tanks due to condensation (when the tanks heat up during the day and cool down at night), which creates the perfect conditions for these bacteria. One of the most common microorganisms that can grow under these circumstances is diesel bug, which will deteriorate your fuel and create a sludge which can damage your engine.

Symptoms of Diesel Bug

If you do not test your fuel regularly, and you have a diesel bug infection, you may not notice at first:

Poor engine performance

Increased fuel consumption

Blocked filters

Exhaust emissions

Leaking fuel tanks (caused by corrosion)

Engine failure in severe cases

Who is most at risk?

Any business which has diesel tanks for its vehicles and equipment but has a low turnover of fuel. That is not to say that just because a tank is refilled regularly, that it is immune from diesel bug.

Boat owners who only use their boats for holidays and/or do not keep their fuel tank full throughout the winter when condensation is likely to strike.

How to test for Diesel Bug

Many people decide to polish their diesel on a regular basis, as they would when it comes to servicing their vehicle/boat.

Alternatively, Ezi Jet Limited offer a diesel test service which forewarns of infection. A sample of fuel is taken from the bottom of the tank where microbes and organisms thrive. The sample is then incubated and within 48 hours you will have the results.

There is of course a charge for this test however, if as a result of the test, you then book to have your tank cleaned and diesel polished, the charge is then off-set against the overall invoice amount.

How Do You Get Rid of Diesel Bug?

If you have diesel bug in your fuel, you will need to have your diesel polished, there no point in adding new fuel to an already contaminated tank.

In order to remove the diesel bug completely, it’s important to ensure it has been thoroughly cleaned by putting it through a fuel polishing system to eliminate the diesel bug.

EZI JET will ensure the quality of your fuel and the state of your fuel tank are at their optimum level for healthy engines.

Please contact us for a quote.