We're Growing!

July 12, 2008

As we expand our service throughout the Southern and Greater US, We hope to educate and build a customer base successfully utilizing alternative fuels.

With Ethanol being so new to many retailers in the South, We have received numerous questions regarding tank cleaning, its importance and what is the best way to have it done.

Simply put, 80% or more of contamination in a fuel storage tank is usually at the bottom or below the fuel level. We have found it only makes sense to remove this contamination from the bottom.

Other systems utilize a high pressure nozzle spraying down the sidewalls of the tank after shutting the tank down and removing the majority of fuel. The problem is, how do you get it out once it's pressure washed off and sitting at the bottom? The majority of tanks have raised strike plates throughout the tank bottom which act as dams, holding contamination behind them. You should still have the tank bottom cleaned using our system.

Another method is sticking a PVC pipe down 1 or more openings and sucking water until you think you have removed all of it. This is a crapshoot at best knowing that the remaining water in the tank can still cause phase separation.

Another method of tank cleaning that actually introduces water into the tank bottom! This water, after being injected across the tank bottom is removed using a PVC pipe.

The water cart. This system is useful once the low end of the tank has been determined and only water removal is necessary.

There are other camera systems entering the market. We even considered purchasing one. They utilize an electric camera being sent into the fuel. We feel, Until futher testing is done, the design of this electric camera would be vulnerable in a fuel tank cleaning application.

We have found the most important factors in tank cleaning are:

• Safety- Make sure the company is insured, licensed and has a current EPA number. Ask to be listed as a certificate holder and additionally insured. Ask to look at their system and see that the components are rated and made for use in petroleum. Homemade systems are  dangerous. Anything with plastic or PVC will cause static electricity and the possibility of arcing. Anytime petroleum products are moved through plastic static electricity is produced. This is a dangerous combination. The entire system must maintain continuity to ground. Look for eyewear, spill kits, cones, barricades, eyewash and first aid kits.
• Quality- References are always helpful in making your decision on who to have clean your tanks. Wecleantanks.com prides ourselves on having happy and prosperous customers throughout the US. Our number 1 marketing tool is word of mouth! Our customers appreciate professionalism, cleanliness, on-time service and safety.
• Time Frame- Have a schedule to provide for your service company including accurate addresses, names and phone numbers for each site to be cleaned. Make certain that the tank cleaning company you hire can work with your schedule. Many terminals give short notice on the availability of ethanol. Make sure you're ready!
• Waste Documentation- Does your tank cleaner provide any type of documentation with their service? This is very important in regards to tracking waste with proper manifests, notes on site conditions and potential problems identified while the tank was being cleaned. We provide detailed reports for each tank cleaned. Our trained technicians look for problem areas and notify customers promptly.
• Recovered Fuel- We have developed a system to recover 90% of the good fuel and return it to our customers tank. We are consistently being told of other companies disposing of hundreds of gallons of good gasoline at their customers expense! Make sure your tank cleaning company utilizes a fuel recovery system.
• Continued Service- Out of the thousands of tanks we have serviced we pride ourselves on having very few call-backs for problem tanks. When a customer does have a problem we do what it takes to assist them. By having technicians positioned throughout the South we are able to assist our customers in a timely manner. It makes sense to hire someone who can be there when you need them.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

www.wecleantanks.com

Chris Runge
info@wecleantanks.com