Ever since the coronavirus hit the ground running in the United States and continues to devastate the entire globe, healthcare facility leaders have been scrambling to provide new resources, policies and procedures. One item on your checklist that you should pay close attention to is to make sure your stored fuel systems are in proper working order and top-notch condition. Additionally, the stored fuel system should be able to provide power to critical equipment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
JPT’s team of professional Architects and MEP Engineers recommends the following points to prepare and safeguard the efficiency of your stored fuel.
Water in your Tanks
People ask how often they should check for water as water is the biggest issue that all tanks eventually develop over time. Every 30 days is the general rule of thumb used by many. Yet a lot of place don’t follow this rule at all. Checking for water is relatively simple; the only things you really need are a tank-dipping stick (preferably with measuring gradations) and some water-finding paste. Once you check out the water situation in your tank, if you have a decent sized water layer at the bottom of your tank, that is a sign to look out for possible issues.
Check the Exactitude of Your Fuel
The steps needed to check the clarity of you fuel are below:
- fuel sample should be pulled and put in a clear container.
- Take a few minutes to let the fuel sample settle.
- Once the sample is settled, use your sense of sight and smell to make a determination if something looks or smells off.
- If something does seem off based on the look and smell, this is another sign that there is some type of issue.
- This issue could indicate that the performance of your tank in an emergency situation is vulnerable.
Are Your Test Records Current?
Healthcare facility and maintenance personnel who have the access to the regulations needed for keeping test records for fuel and tank(s), should take some time to go through those regulations to make sure you are doing everything that is needed. This checkup on your fuel and tanks will ensure that you are fulfilling all of your specific healthcare facility’s’ regulations and make sure everything is in good working condition.
Fuel Health Check Tool
Among some recent research that members of the JPT team were performing, we stumbled across a very helpful tool that we thought our clients might find useful when it comes to keeping your healthcare fuel and tanks healthy.
Please click here to access this free Fuel Health Check Tool from Bell Performance.
You could even incorporate this Fuel Health Check Tool into your regular facility housekeeping routine if you have stored fuel.