Where does all the knowledge come from ?
ENERGY
Where does all the knowledge come from ?
Quay Zander Petroleum Operations ( 952 ) 466-3727
quayz @ midcountycoop . com
We get asked , “ where do you get your information that you tell your customers ?” Naturally , we read bulletins and do research for information , which is helpful , but the most important learning experience we have is from you , our customer . Sometimes the textbook version just doesn ’ t work with Minnesota weather .
So what did we learn this winter concerning winter fuels ?
The cold blast in December prompted some phone calls from our customers that were experiencing filter plugging . Some of the issues we had were actually on the storage tanks . We immediately tested some of the fuel and cut open the filters to find there was generally nothing wrong , other than the fuel did not have the cold flow blend it should have .
The cause can be related to several things . The first is water . Naturally , the water in the bottom of the tank would be frozen , but if the filter was doing its job as time went on , there could be water collected in the filter , along with some rust or debris clogging it up .
The easy fix is to replace your filter just before freeze-up to make sure that one of the potential issues is eliminated .
Filters should be replaced at a minimum of 2 times per year . We recommend a filter change once late in the fall , and then again in the spring . If you are needing to replace filters on your storage tanks more often than that , it may be telling you it is time to clean out that storage tank . It is a good practice to clean your tank every few years .
But then we had cases where there were new filters on the tank or equipment , and it took several filters that just kept clogging up ; what then ? That would lead us to look at proper blending of # 1 fuel , # 2 fuel and additives . If we start out with a tank that is 1 ⁄ 4 full of summer fuel , and we top off the tank with winter fuel , that tank , along with all of your equipment is not prepared for a cold blast like we received in December . It may only be good to 10 below versus 30 below . The answer is to try , as hard as it is , to get winter fuel in your tanks and equipment as soon as possible in the fall .
Just like too much medicine is not a good thing , neither is too much additive . Or worse yet , 2 different types or brands of additive . Either additive may be good alone , but put them together and it may result in a counter reaction . We have actual cases whereby the fuel had to be disposed of .
During the coldest months of the year , we blend 70 % # 2 diesel , and 30 % # 1 diesel , plus our winter additive , and this has shown the best results .
FUELS • PROPANE • LUBRICANTS
Introducing Mark Kelzer Mark Kelzer ’ s family has been in the trucking
industry for decades , starting with his grandfather . For Kelzer , life has come “ full circle ” since he became a driver for Mid-County Energy Jan . 16 . His first time working at Mid-County was as part-time shop help in the 1980s .
Now that he ’ s back , he is enjoying reconnecting with customers in the area . As a Waconia resident ,
Kelzer is well-acquainted with communities and the people throughout the region .
Kelzer and his wife have two adult children , and one new grandson . “ I ’ m definitely looking forward to taking him fishing ,” Kelzer said , adding that his family enjoys spending time together at their cabin in Alexandria .
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