NA: diesel sludge removal

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
Asking for a friend... Today I learned about diesel bug and the sludge that results. It's a plastic tank with no cleanout, so I doubt pressure washing is an option. Moving forward, it appears that there are fuel treatments to prevent it from occurring, but is there any way to dissolve 20 years worth of sludge without replacing the tank?
 
It's got a fill and outlet so why can't you open both and stick the pressure washer in there?
 
Based upon my experience with fishing boats he will have to pull the tank and either scrape out the residue or hot pressure wash it through the fill port. On the boat tanks (200-300gal each) we had access ports in each baffle chamber and could scrape out/vacuum out the asphaltenes/solidified organic detritus.
 
35 year fuel business vet.
Unless the tank has a manway to get good access it is very hard next to impossible to pressure wash out a tank and do a decent job.
If you do then methanol is used to rinse and dry out the tank after steam pressure washing.
Water is what feeds the bacterial growth, keep the water out and the sludge won't accumulate.
The growth is corrosive and many times after cleaning a tank it will begin to leak or have shorter life. The corrosion is usually at the bottom where the water lies. Can't tell the condition of a tank by looking at the outside of it. Because they corrode/rust out from the inside out. Edit I see you said plastic...so I don't think rust out is in your future.

The prevention is keeping a tank full. The additives won't prevent it if there is water present. Most additives do not have a biocide in them which is very expensive.
This is what is used to kill it and can be used as preventive. It is very expensive like already said, so keeping your tank full and dry is a better route.
Once you use this stuff, it kills the growth but it is still in your tank. I use it as a preventive in our bulk plant and have 5 gallon buckets of it which is a couple thousand bucks.
1693E045-BF8C-4927-8E2F-043CE337D98F.jpeg

https://shop.cummins.com/CSSNAStore...mTBCxqSFvrFYi9zOhQ2BTQsOcrYb1L8RoCkY0QAvD_BwE
 
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Wait a minute, it's petroleum, that stuff lasts forever, nothing eats it!! :stirpot:
 
robin ardoin said:
Based upon my experience with fishing boats he will have to pull the tank and either scrape out the residue or hot pressure wash it through the fill port. On the boat tanks (200-300gal each) we had access ports in each baffle chamber and could scrape out/vacuum out the asphaltenes/solidified organic detritus.
Click to expand...
Those are some big words!!! Lol I agree with what you are saying.
 
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Gary Ward said:
35 year fuel business vet.
Unless the tank has a manway to get good access it is very hard next to impossible to pressure wash out a tank and do a decent job.
If you do then methanol is used to rinse and dry out the tank after steam pressure washing.
Water is what feeds the bacterial growth, keep the water out and the sludge won't accumulate.
The growth is corrosive and many times after cleaning a tank it will begin to leak or have shorter life. The corrosion is usually at the bottom where the water lies. Can't tell the condition of a tank by looking at the outside of it. Because they corrode/rust out from the inside out. Edit I see you said plastic...so I don't think rust out is in your future.

The prevention is keeping a tank full. The additives won't prevent it if there is water present. Most additives do not have a biocide in them which is very expensive.
This is what is used to kill it and can be used as preventive. It is very expensive like already said, so keeping your tank full and dry is a better route.
Once you use this stuff, it kills the growth but it is still in your tank. I use it as a preventive in our bulk plant and have 5 gallon buckets of it which is a couple thousand bucks.
View attachment 117861

https://shop.cummins.com/CSSNAStore...mTBCxqSFvrFYi9zOhQ2BTQsOcrYb1L8RoCkY0QAvD_BwE
Click to expand...
Biocides in jet fuel have caused a bit of a problem in recent years; they tend to make fuel filters into bricks. I think only one was banned, Kathon. Had to redo every ops and installation manuals for all of our product line.
 
Sorry for the aside. I keep thinking about the Mythbuster episode when they cleaned out a cement mixer. . .
 
25 years ago my brother and I shoveled out sludge out of a 30000 gallon underground tank. The tank was 12 foot in diameter and we filled 50 some 55 gallon drums with 5 gallon buckets at a time.

George I would treat the tank with biocides and then pump out what you can through the fill opening and see if you can save the tank that way.
Depends on how it is used, sometimes you can modify the way the fuel is drawn out to keep sludge at bay.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Biocides in jet fuel have caused a bit of a problem in recent years; they tend to make fuel filters into bricks. I think only one was banned, Kathon. Had to redo every ops and installation manuals for all of our product line.
Click to expand...
Don’t they use prist in jet fuel/kerosene?
 
This is a 30 or 40 gallon tank so probably more economical to replace. Thanks, everyone.
 
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