Water in the tank
A tank that shows water at the bottom, or that’s known to collect condensation, is a candidate for polishing before that water causes trouble.
Commercial & Industrial
Diesel Fuel Polishing Services
Standby generators sit for months on a tank of diesel that isn’t going anywhere. Left alone, that fuel picks up water, sediment, and microbial growth — and can clog filters right when the generator is asked to run. Fuel polishing cleans and conditions the stored fuel so it’s ready.
Active emergency? Call 412-335-3994
What it is
What fuel polishing is
Fuel polishing is the process of circulating the diesel in your storage tank through filtration and water-separation equipment to remove the water, sediment, and contamination that build up while fuel sits. The clean fuel goes back into the tank ready for the next run.
It’s different from routine maintenance on the engine itself. Fuel polishing treats the fuel — the thing a standby generator depends on but rarely uses. On a system that starts only during an outage, the tank can hold the same diesel for a long time, and that’s exactly where problems develop quietly.
How it happens
How stored diesel degrades
Diesel doesn’t stay the way it went into the tank. A few things work against it over months of storage, and they tend to compound.
- Water — condensation forms on tank walls as temperatures swing, and water collects at the bottom of the tank where it feeds corrosion and microbial growth.
- Microbial growth — where water and fuel meet, bacteria and fungus can grow into a sludge that blocks filters and fouls the tank.
- Sediment & particulate — solids settle out and build up over time, then get stirred back into the fuel when the generator finally runs.
- Age — diesel oxidizes and breaks down as it ages, dropping asphaltene-like deposits that add to the load your fuel filters have to catch.
What to watch for
Signs stored fuel needs attention
You usually can’t tell fuel is bad by looking at the generator. These are the practical indicators that the diesel in the tank is worth a closer look.
Filters clogging
Fuel filters that plug up faster than expected are a common sign there’s sediment or microbial growth in the supply feeding the engine.
Fuel that’s been sitting
Diesel that has been in the tank a long time, on a generator that rarely runs, is worth checking as part of your planned maintenance.
Standby readiness
Keeping fuel ready for standby systems
A standby generator has one job: start and carry the load when utility power fails. Clean fuel is part of what makes that possible. If the diesel in the tank is full of water and sludge, the engine can start and then stall as filters plug — during the exact event the generator exists for.
Fuel polishing fits alongside the rest of keeping backup power ready. It pairs naturally with load bank testing, which puts the generator under real demand and can surface fuel-related problems, and with regular planned maintenance, where fuel condition gets looked at. And if a generator does fail when you need it, our 24/7 emergency service is there.
FAQ
Common questions
What is diesel fuel polishing?
It’s circulating the diesel in a storage tank through filtration and water separation to remove water, sediment, and microbial contamination, then returning the cleaned fuel to the tank. The goal is fuel that’s ready to run rather than fuel that clogs filters when the generator starts.
How often should stored generator fuel be polished?
It depends on the tank, the environment, and how much the generator runs, so there isn’t a single interval that fits every site. Fuel condition is something we look at as part of planned maintenance, and we flag polishing when the fuel calls for it rather than on a fixed schedule.
How do I know if my stored diesel is bad?
Common signs are water collecting in the tank, fuel filters clogging faster than expected, and diesel that has simply been sitting for a long time. You often can’t tell by looking at the generator, which is why fuel gets checked as part of routine service.
What areas do you cover?
We’re based in Butler and serve commercial and industrial customers across Western Pennsylvania, including the Pittsburgh area. See our service area.
Service area
Diesel fuel polishing services across Western Pennsylvania
2G polishes stored diesel for standby generator systems across the Pittsburgh region and surrounding Western Pennsylvania. Based in Butler, we cover facilities in and around Pittsburgh and the broader Western Pennsylvania service area.
Request Service
Get your stored fuel checked
Tell us about your tank and generator and we’ll help you get the fuel clean and ready. Based in Butler, serving Western Pennsylvania.
Active emergency? Call 412-335-3994