All diesel fuel contains some percentage of water, which unknown to you has been damaging your engine. Diesel and water are a lethal combination for your tank and engine because they provide a comfortable environment for bacteria and mold to thrive. Slime layers that can prevent fuel filters from working effectively are formed by these living organisms and the acidic waste product from them can corrode and damage fuel system components, which in turn shortens the lifespan of your engine.
How Water Gets Into Diesel Tanks and Engines
- Delivery from suppliers
- Water in diesel fuel Rainfall
- Mist in tanks caused by heat
- Condensation in tank
- Human error (unprotected vents, leaving tanks open, fill ports, etc.), and more.
What Water Does to Diesel and Tank Engines
Water can damage the diesel tank and engine parts which can cause your engine collapse. The water molecules remain part of the fuel until there are too many of them, reaching the point at which the fuel can hold no more water. This point is called the saturation point. If the water stays below the saturation point as dissolved water it is typically not too much of an issue, but when water start to separate from diesel and becomes free or emulsified water is causes problems. Emulsified water is another form of free water; the droplets are simply so small as so well mixed into the fuel that they remain suspended rather than dropping to the bottom. The damages water cause in diesel tanks and engines are:
- Rust
- Corrosion
- Cavitation
- Wears
- Abrasion
- Oxidation of the diesel fuel
- Microbial growth
- Spalling
- Etching, and more.
Solution to Removing Water From Diesel
Removing excess water or keeping it within acceptable limits in diesel fuel and tanks can be very difficult to achieve, therefore, it is advised to prevent water from entering your tank, use water monitor sensors to monitor the amount of water in the diesel or tank or use diesel solutions like Aquafighter to remove water and other impurities from the diesel fuel and tank.