By Dekek Casey

Experts agree - it all comes down to improving diesel housekeeping

Case Study 1

Rotech Ltd

Rotech based in Wexford is Irelands leading supplier of diesel and lube oil dispensing equipment. The firm can deliver next day service to any location. Managing director John Rowe comes from a farming background himself.
 

Rotech stocks many impressive filters, ranging in price from the basic water / dirt filter from €45 right up to a pump, coupled with a water and dirt particle filters hose and nozzle for €275, plus VAT. Those looking for the whole hog can get a pump, meter, auto nozzle and filters for €490.
 

I asked John if he has seen a big increase in filtration enquires since the changeover to the new low sulphur diesel " I cant say we've had a sudden jump" he revealed. " But farmers and contractors seem to be taking the whole issue of fuel storage and filtration much more seriously now" "

" I believe that is mainly the cost of tractor parts, like fuel pumps and injectors, has become very big. Farmers and contractors have now realised that it is far cheaper to use an extra couple of filters and have a good fuel storage system in place on the farm than it is to replace injectors for €4000 or €5000"

On the clogging and grime problems that the biodiesel fraction of the new low sulphur diesel can cause, John thinks Rotech can offer the solution with their magnetic field filters. The first type can be fitted  on the tap of your main fuel storage tank. The other type is a smaller filter and is fitted inline on each tractors fuel line befroe its filters.

John said the first option is cheaper because there is only one filter involved, but some contractors nonetheless opt for the inline filter on each machine as it is more thorough. The inline filter costs €149, plus vat, while the single filter option on the farm diesel tank costs €295, plus vat.

By Derek Casey

  Bacteria is the main problem in diesel – survey 02/07/2011

  A nationwide diesel quality survey commissioned by the IFA has identified bacteria as the main problem in
  agricultural diesel.

  This bacterial contamination is leading to clogged and slimy filters, excess smoke and loss of engine power.

  Alarming
  Pat Farrell, IFA environment and rural affairs committee chairman, described as 'alarming' the fact that almost
  25% of the samples tested did not achieve basic diesel quality standards.

  Diesel samples taken in Cork, Monaghan, Offaly, Wexford and Waterford all showed high levels of bacteria.
  In particular, the presence of yeasts and moulds were detected.

  Under the standards set by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), there should be no microbial
  contamination in the fuel. Such contamination results in the blocking of filters and injectors and in the
  corrosion of the holding tanks in farmyards. The survey also found the presence of sediment and dirt particles
  in samples analysed from Laois, Sligo and Waterford.

  And crucially, the farmer's own diesel storage arrangements could not be blamed for causing the
  contamination, because, in all cases, the samples tested were taken as the oil lorry was delivering diesel to
  the farmer.

  Concern
  ''This is particularly concerning and indicates that either the trucks delivering the diesel or the holding tanks in
  the ports are contaminated and need to be cleaned out,'' Pat Farrell said. ''This sediment contamination can
  lead to shortened filter and pump life and can cause problems with the flow and combustion of the diesel,
  which can lead to fuel starvation and power in the engine,'' he added.

  Based on NSAI standards, the colour of agri-diesel should be green. However, in some samples taken in Clare,
  Cork, Roscommon, Sligo and South Tipperary, the colour was brown, indicating that the diesel may be old and
  oxidised.

  The IFA are now seeking a meeting with the Department of the Environment and will present the finding of the
  survey and demand an increased level of monitoring of fuel quality standards.
 

By Derek Casey   A blocked filter is a working filter  16/07/2011   There's no need to panic   Are you aware that, if you ordered a fill of green diesel for the farm since 1 April, by law you are meant to be   getting the new ultra low sulphur diesel? Called ULSD, for short, the main difference from the old type of diesel   is that ULSD has 100 times less sulphur in it. I've been getting a lot of enquiries over the past few weeks from   farmers who don't know much about this new low sulphur diesel.   Below I've summarised the main queries I've been getting, along with the answers.   Why the change to low sulphur?   Put bluntly, concern over the environment is what has brought about this different diesel. New tractors have   to have very sophisticated and expensive engines in order to meet strict European emissions standards.   But the thing is, these new engines are also much more sensitive to dirt or water that might be found in the   fuel. That's why we are now all using ULSD diesel; it is needed to keep these modern sensitive engines ticking   over smoothly. But while the good news is that ULSD will increase the service life of fuel injectors, the bad   news is that it is unfortunately about 2c/litre more expensive than the old grade.   Is ULSD harder to store on farm?   The thing about ULSD diesel is that if it contains biofuel it will attract more water. Now, by law, marked gas oil   is allowed to contain up to 7% biofuel, yet it is also allowed to be supplied without any. This sounds crazy   and, of course, it would be better to have just one standard, but we are where we are, and that basically   means you need to check with your oil supplier to see if they are including biofuel in the diesel and, if they   are, at what percentage.   Some suppliers are supplying low sulphur diesel without any biofuel. From what I'm hearing, farmers seem to   get fewer problems with this specification.   But the new diesel is blocking my filters?   The problem here is not the new diesel. In fact, the new diesel actually has a higher specification than the old   stuff; it is effectively the same diesel as you use in your car except that it has the green dye. The real   problem is dirt and gunge that has built up inside the tank over a period of years and is now being loosened   because the low sulphur diesel is more of a solvent than the old stuff.   Be prepared to go through a couple of extra filters; in the scale of things they are by far the lesser cost   compared with injectors and fuel pumps.   Good fuel storage technique must be seen as a farming skill because, like any other on-farm skill, it has the   potential to save you significant amounts of money.   I'm getting water in my diesel - help!   Water can only get into the tank if it is allowed to do so in the first instance. If you have the right filtration in   place (inlet and outlet ends), and you have a good farm storage tank with a proper breathing inlet, then you   should be fine.   An old tank can still be a good tank provided it is not leaking or rusting and provided that it has a water bung   for draining off water on a regular basis.   The tank needs to be gently sloping towards the rear (where the bung is) to achieve this because water will   always sit under the diesel and collect around the bung. When draining the bung, keep draining until you get   some diesel out; that's when you know you've got rid of the water for now.   Should I get anew diesel tank?   This depends on the condition of your existing one. You will know yourself if the existing tank is in trouble; it   might be leaking or rusting badly, or perhaps it's more than 30 or 40 years old and it has become full of dirt   and water and it doesn't have a bung for draining off the water.   Tanks are not cheap, but the other side of that coin is that replacing injectors and fuel pumps on modern   tractors can easily cost €5,000 plus, so get your priorities right. But if the tank isn't leaking and all that is   really needed is for you to pull up your socks in terms of proper inlet and outlet filtration and general fuel   housekeeping, there is really no point in buying a new tank.   I've heard about bugs in the new diesel?   There will be bugs in all diesel as long as there is water getting into your tank. These bugs can cause untold   damage in terms of blocking tractor and fuel tank filters, but what's the point in changing filters over and over   again if you don't nick the real problem in the bud? The water has to be getting in somewhere, so find out   where it is.   I heard a good story from a farmer who had an old steel diesel tank that he thought was the bee's knees.   He was generally good in terms of filtration and housekeeping, but every time he drained the water bung he   was still getting at least a gallon of water out. He just couldn't figure out how the water was getting in.   One night he got the idea of checking the roof of the tank to see if it was leaking. He did this by putting his   hand into the tank opening and shining a torch up against the roof of the tank. When he saw rays of light   coming through, the penny dropped; that's where the water had been getting in all along, slowly but surely   dripping. He replaced the tank and that was that.   Does diesel stagnate after a few months?   It is recommended that you turn over the contents of the tank every six to eight months to stop the diesel   from getting stale. Now, when I say turn over the tank contents, I don't mean that you insist on using every   last drop before filling up the tank again.   While it's a good idea to keep your tank as close to full capacity as you can (this prevents condensation,   water, forming on the inside of the tank walls), it's a very bad idea to use the last drop of diesel from your   tank because you are literally scraping the barrel and getting the dirty stuff off the bottom of your tank.   In addition, if you suddenly fill the tank after emptying it completely you will disrupt any dirt that was lying on   the bottom. That dirt will take weeks to settle again and, if you're lucky, will make its way into your tractor   filters, or worse, into your injectors. So, best practice is to keep the farm tank topped up and get out of that   bad habit of completely depleting the tank.   What should I have in terms of filtration?   Farmers should replace fuel filters on storage tanks and tractors as a one-off exercise after two or three fuel   tank throughputs of the new low sulphur diesel. In addition, you should always have one or two spare filters in   the farm workshop.   Inevitably, old dirt will be loosened by the new diesel's solvency properties, so be prepared to go through a   couple of filters as this dirt is mobilised.   And remember; don't be dismayed if you find yourself going through three filters in as many weeks; a blocked   filter is a filter that is doing its job. Better to have the dirt in the filter rather than in the tractor's injectors.   My supplier says I can still use the old diesel?   Your supplier is not allowed to sell you old grade, high sulphur diesel anymore. They are breaking the law by   doing so and you now actually risk a fine of up to €5,000 if you are found using the high sulphur diesel.   More worryingly is that tractor manufacturers will not cover damage to modern tractor engines that results   from continued use of high sulphur diesel, even if the tractor is still under warranty.   Oil suppliers need to explain to farmers that the new low sulphur fuel is the only show in town now for running   farm machinery.   High sulphur diesel can only be used in stationary equipment like generators. If your supplier won't supply the   new grade for whatever reason, it's time to switch.