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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