Fuel Polishing Service FAQ

What is fuel polishing?

Fuel polishing is a process which cleans fuel and removes matter such as water, microbial contamination and sludge, all which are detrimental to your machinery, vehicles and equipment.

What is a fuel polishing system?

A fuel polishing system consists of units that are attached to a fuel tank. Through an enhanced, mechanical process, it removes harmful sediment through filtrating and circulating it back into the tank.

Our fuel treatment system use advanced depolymerisation to break down particulates and ‘polish’ fuel back to its optimum condition.

What are the benefits of fuel polishing?

Cost-effective: When people discover their fuel is contaminated, the knee-jerk reaction is to get it replaced as a quick remedy. But with moderate contamination, fuel polishing and additives are a much less expensive, wasteful and eco-friendly solution.

Non-disruptive: The fuel polishing units are connected in a parallel fashion, allowing the infrastructure to continue functioning while the fuel is polished.

Polishing your fuel can save you the cost and inconvenience of having to replace your entire contaminated stock.

Is fuel polishing necessary?

The consequences of running your equipment, vehicles and machinery on dirty fuel are engine breakages, blocked filters and eventually operational downtime. From generators, storage tanks and marine vessels, fuel polishing is a quick, easy and cost-effective way to protect your fuel system from failure.

When fuel is left in storage, it degrades in quality and is at risk from diesel bug, sludge build-up and microbial attack, eventually rendering it useless. Fuel polishing allows you to clean your liquid fuels without having to dispose of them and pay for a full fuel replacement.

What fuels can be polished?

A wide range of fuels can be polished, including red diesel, industrial heating oil and heating oil. As the legislative FAME content of diesel continues to rise, diesel is more subject to microbial contamination, and fuel polishing is a cost-effective and straightforward solution.

Many businesses invest in regular fuel polishing for generators to give them complete peace of mind that their back-up fuel is 100% reliable.

How does fuel polishing work?

Before fuel can be polished, it must be sampled and tested to determine the level of the problem so we can deliver the best and most cost-effective solution. If the level of contamination is too severe, the fuel will not be able to be restored. That’s why we recommend annual fuel tests to help you avoid high cost and downtime implications.

We use a particle counter to look at the state of your fuel which measures any unwanted particles that have built up in your fuel storage. We analyse it against a traffic light system:

- green – compliant with legislation

- amber – just outside of legislation and requires polishing

- red – an intensive fuel polish is required

What does fuel polishing do?

The fuel treatment unit passes the fuel through different equipment to little by little to remove finer contaminants at various stages. This is key, as a single process is not enough to remove solid particulates, water and wet foreign matter.

How much does fuel polishing cost?

The cost of decontaminating your fuel depends on the quantity of fuel and the severity of contamination. Get in touch today for a competitive price.

How long does fuel polishing take?

There are numerous factors that can change how long the process of polishing your fuel your fuel takes including:

- The size of your tank

- Quality of your fuel

- The equipment used

- How much fuel is needing to be polished

Can I have my fuel polished without my tank cleaned?

Having your fuel polished and tank cleaning come hand in hand. There is no point cleaning your fuel to then put it back in a dirty tank – this would almost instantaneously contaminate your fuel again. Once we’ve taken fuel samples, we come to your site and deliver both services in conjunction to ensure you’re left with a pristine fuel supply.

Will fuel polishing disrupt my business?

The fuel is removed from the tank while it’s filtered and is circulated back into the existing tank, or new tank if needed, resulting in minimal downtime.

How often does fuel need to be polished?

We recommend investing in a specialist fuel test and tank clean every year as this can determine whether you need your fuel stock to be polished. Our engineers aim to find the most cost-effective solution for your business.

Is fuel polishing safe?

Yes, professional fuel polishing is a completely safe process but we always recommend to ensure you're having your fuel polished by experts.

Where can I find fuel polishing near me?

At Beesley Fuels, we offer fuel polishing service to businesses across the UK.

If you have any further questions about fuel polishing or would like to enquire about our fuel polishing services. Give our fuel services experts a call today on 0330 123 1144 to learn more.