Offers diesel cleaning for pleasure boats

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

- We have bought a large diesel cleaner that can clean up to 200 liters per minute, which is equivalent to 12,000 liters per hour. If any pleasure boat owners suspect diesel animals or dirty diesel in the tank, they can contact us, says John W. Nilsen, general manager of FFS.

The diesel cleaner is on the FFS quay in Lundevågen, and was primarily acquired for own use.

- But we have the capacity to help others, says Nilsen.

HE HAS EXPERIENCED getting bad diesel on all of the company's towboats. It is often when the boats bunker fuel abroad that the water content sometimes becomes too high.

- The consequences for the engine can be catastrophic, if this is allowed to remain in the tank and develop, says Nilsen.

Diesel animals is a collective term for bacteria, fungi and algae species. They are microscopic in size, live in the diesel, eat diesel oil and multiply rapidly by cell division which can happen once an hour or even faster.

A SINGLE CELL can turn into a biomass of ten kilograms in just twelve hours, resulting in a tough dark mass that can be several centimeters thick.

- In the end, these masses become like a large lump of jelly. It looks absolutely terrible. If it is not detected in time, the diesel pump will fail and the nozzles will be destroyed. On a pleasure boat, we are quickly talking about repairs of a couple of hundred thousand kroner, says Nilsen.

Too high a water content in the diesel tank often results in uneven running of the engine and clogged filters. Then it might pay to inspect the tank. If you then discover a gray mass at the bottom, the alarm bells should ring.

If you need to clean the diesel in the tank, contact workshop manager Ronny Christoffersen on mob. 909 74 739.