Fuel Oil News July 2019 | Page 25

Storage Matters Engineered to perform Following FPS EXPO 2019 Stuart Bratt of Specific Oil Solutions (SOS) reports ‘much interest in all three of the company’s filter products’ which are designed to suit all budgets. Launched at the event, Premium OFV now ‘boasts significant upgrades against current offerings due to little having changed over the past 20 years’, says Stuart.  “As the biofuel element of gasoil rises our unit has been specifically designed to safely handle today’s biofuel blends. “The filter bowl, operating lever and retaining bolt are stainless steel giving less deterioration out in the field, plus there are green Viton rubber seals throughout and a green fifty-micron strainer. “This new product is assembled and tested by our valve manufacturing partner Cottam & Preedy, an ISO 9001 accredited company based on the outskirts of Birmingham. Competitively priced, the Premium OFV is a direct service replacement for everything else currently out there.” Also launched was the Ultra Compact Spin-on filter system which ‘significantly raises the bar with its ten-micron filtration rate’. With Viton seals, it has th added advantage of “speed of fitting” and a significant “reduction in risk” of leakage, especially post servicing. This product range is available with bespoke client branding at no extra cost.  Our Ultra Compact filter system has also undergone a few subtle changes with filter bowl and retaining bolt now stainless steel. The client branding service is becoming very popular, as fuel distributors appreciate Among those on the competition podium was Scottish fuel distributor Graeme Bryce, pictured 2nd from left with Paul Flanigan also of Bryce Oils on his left, Stuart Bratt and Marie Southall of SOS the benefits of personalised branding in their quest to retain regular customers, especially following a new fuel tank installation.  A competition was held to see who could swap the black production filter cartridge with a pre-production white cartridge in the least time, with SOS producing a Top Gear style leader board. Quite a few visitors got very competitive. Kingspan powers behind double-skinned bunded tanks Created to advise homeowners to replace their single skin oil tanks with the superior quality and safety of double-skinned bunded tanks, Kingspan is fully behind OFTEC’s bunded campaign. OFTEC’s campaign highlights important messages including just how costly accidental oil spillages can be, how they’re often not covered by insurance, are extremely harmful to the environment and are the homeowner’s responsibility. Published in 2018, the OFTEC technical evaluation of the oil tank market in Ireland report drew attention to the potential remedial costs of an oil spill, with insurance expert Arachas giving cost predictions ranging from €400 for a very minor spill to multiple 000’s for an extensive oil spill at a domestic home. Not forgetting the environmental impact and potential for oil pollution within the water environment, and the costly loss of expensive home heating oil. “With approximately 700,000 homes fuelled by oil heating, it’s essential to treat oil tanks with the same care and attention as you Homeowners are #BetterOffBunded with Kingspan would treat your heating system, commented David McDonagh, Ireland national sales manager, Kingspan Water & Energy. “We are fully in support of OFTEC’s call for a warranty passport scheme to protect the end user from potential cracks or leaks from their oil storage.” Kingspan, which offers a ten-year guarantee on all bunded tanks, encourages homeowners to ensure their warranty is registered. A free downloadable Tank Health Check Pack is also available from Kingspan – www.kingspanenergymanagement.ie/ tankhealthcheck – providing a simple guide for homeowners to assess the current health of their oil tank and make informed decisions if a replacement tank is necessary with Kingspan’s expert team always on hand to offer guidance. Fuel Oil News | July 2019 25