The addition of FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) is better for the environment (reduces emissions by 28%) but a lot worse for your Fuel storage tank.

The addition of FAME or Bio Fuel is the leading cause of the growth of “Bugs in Fuel”….

A science lesson! – Water gets into Oil Storage Tanks by many means.  Rainwater through the vent, delivered with the fuel and the very nature of fuel in that it contracts and expands with changes in temperature means that your tank is quite literally breathing and pulling in nice moist air.  When this air cools when in contact with the surface of the tank, water droplets form and run into the heating oil.  The density of water means that it quickly sinks below the Fuel and forms a layer of water between the sludge at the bottom of the tank and the stored heating oil.  This interface between the water and oil contains microbes that only need a tiny amount of water for survival and they feed on the Hydrocarbons in the fuel.  As these microbes reproduce and form larger colonies they create a Bio film that is thick and sticky which contaminates the interior of your tank. Their waste produces -You’ve guessed it! – MORE WATER!, sludge and acids.

These bi-products can lead to blocked filters and severe contamination of the fuel.  This fuel is then pumped into machinery, vehicles or heating boilers where it can cause untold damage to injectors etc.

This leads to downtime of boilers, machinery and vehicles and severe disruption to productivity. Imagine we are in the depths of Winter and your boiler stops working due to a build up of sludge in your tank that has passed through to your Boiler… COLD days and nights ahead!

We have a solution to removing water in your tank, reducing the aqueous environment in which these BUGS survive and reproduce.

Tank Dryer

• Versatile – Fits in most 2″ fill points on both Steel and Plastic storage tanks
• Highly Absorbent – Reduces the risk of bug formation and contaminated fuel that can cause machinery, vehicle and boiler damage
• Cord and Weight attached – Quick and Easy to Use
• Cheap – At only £13.60 + Vat and Delivery – This small cost far outweighs the cost of replacement boiler, Machinery and vehicle parts and the downtime and loss of productivity.

Please call Centre Tank Services on 0121 351 4445 and order yours today

A typical victim of the current spate of domestic heating oil theft is Carla Armstrong and her family who live in rural, off grid Cheshire.  Recently, the Armstrongs lost around 700 litres of fuel from their 2000 litre plastic tank – a theft, say Police, which probably took less than ten minutes to perpetrate.

“Our last refuelling was at the end of January when we had 500 litres delivered.  There was already around 300 litres in the tank,” Mrs Armstrong told Oil Installer.

“Several days later, we noticed that the heating had not come on one morning, and , after checking the timer and boiler, we used our highly technical fuel measure – a garden cane! We were shocked to find that all the oil had gone, leaving just sludge at the bottom of the tank.  So we estimate that 700 litres had been taken.”

Mrs Armstrong immediately reported the theft to the Police who sent an officer to investigate.   However, because there were no witnesses and no evidence of tampering or damage, the Police closed the case, although they promised to keep the crime on file as intelligence for any future thefts.

The tank – located close to a rustic wooden fence, separating the garden from a country lane – was also inspected by an insurance company specialist, looking for evidence of leakage.  However, it was agreed that the fuel must have been siphoned out – with the thieves having taken off the unprotected filler cap, and probably using a hose draped over the fence, leading to the back of a vehicle.  The Armstrongs’ insurance claim is currently being processed.

Spinsecure Tank Lock is designed to secure the fill point on steel and plastic tanks. Utilising Spinsecure technology, Tank Lock spins freely when locked in place making it virtually impossible to remove.

Have you or anybody you know been the victim of theft from a fuel tank that was not secured?

And on top of this when we do outlay the cash to keep our day to day lives going, there are always some criminal minded individuals (We shall call them Scum), looking for the free ride.

Valuable commodities such as Water, Heating Oil, Petrol & Diesel are now being targeted by thieves for their own personal gain at your expense

Here is a Top 10 List of actions you can take to limit the ease of theft:

1. Keep your Heating Oil Tank secure by fitting a Spinsecure Tank Lock
2. Guard against water theft with the Innovative Spinsecure Taplock
3. Avoid Fuel evaporation from your heating oil tank in summer by fitting a Tank Lock
4. Dig a moat round your house
5. Keep any Drums & Containers locked and out of sight
6. Hire the A-Team
7. Don’t lend the “Other Half” the car so they can’t bring it back with the Tank empty!
8. Buy a boat and declare the island in the middle of the local pond “Your Own” and bring in laws to say that theft is punishable by death!
9. Become a thief!
10. Subscribe to Guns & Ammo!

Joking apart, you really need to do all you can when it comes to security and here at Spinsecure we are here to help.

With a range of Unique and Innovative security solutions for Home, Garden & Business we have the product to fit.

Visit www.spinsecure.co.uk for more information.

What lengths have you gone to, to secure your commodities?

Please comment

Many Thanks

But, winter is the most common time for the fuel thieves to strike as they know that the tanks are full and people are wrapped up nice and warm inside.

What can you do to deter them and at what cost?? – Tanklock™ is the answer to your fuel theft nightmares.

Using Spinsecure technology, Tanklock™ locks the 2” fill point on your tank, and its clever design means that when it is locked in place the cap spins freely and is almost impossible to remove.

Most existing locks are supplied in two pieces and are often secured in place using low quality padlocks which can be easily removed or broken.

Tanklock™ eliminates this problem due to its one piece padlock free design and a result there are NO torque points for forced entry using crow bars etc ensuring your Heating oil tanks contents are safe and secure as possible.

Tanklock™ can be sourced from one of our many suppliers – please see www.spinsecure.co.uk for contacts.

What are you doing to deter the Fuel thieves this winter?, please leave your comments below…

I have read a few posts on the internet giving ideas on how to secure your fuel, from Big Dogs (which you have to feed), guns (Still Illegal to shoot people!), Electric Razor Wire (A hazard to yourself and family), and 24 hr security (again very expensive), you are then limited to what you can do to make your fuel harder to steal.

So if you are having trouble finding a solution to deter potential thefts from your premises we have found it for you..  If you visit www.spinsecure.co.uk we have a unique Fuel Tank locking cap utilising our Spinsecure technology removing the need for a padlock and as there are no Torque points our TankLock is almost impossible to remove.

We have dedicated retailers of TankLock who can be found on our website.

Have you been the victim of a Fuel theft and if so what have you done to stop it happening again?

Please leave your comments below…..Thanks

So, I decided to open it and yes it was as bad as I thought it would be. Water is expensive and it’s a commodity we can’t do without. It got me thinking that it’s time I did something to do all I can to conserve the water used in my home and make the process of opening the Water Bill a little less painful.

So now my daughter smells, my partner wishes she didn’t have to look at yesterdays dinner every time she uses the toilet and the bathroom has now been locked never to be opened again!!…. Not really but it shows that we have to do what is within our capabilities without being too detrimental to our comfort.

So take a look at our Taplock product, a unique outside tap locking device that will save you just a few pounds on your next bill as it stops the misuse and theft of water from your outside tap.

Find out about saving your money and water by visiting www.spinsecure.co.uk

It’s got to be better than your family smelling!

It may seem like a small drip, but looking at the bigger picture it is a massive problem. Water is becoming an expensive commodity and we could all do with saving money in hard times like these.

Although we have had a wet summer, there have been hosepipe bans in various counties for a while now. Resevoirs are only 70% full and we have to fulfil our social responsibility to save this precious resource.

Most homes are now on a water meter so making sure our own supply is secure is of upmost importance, But how do we do it?

From dripping taps and children playing pranks, to members of the public stealing water from outside taps there are a lot of different ways in which water is wasted. Taplock© has a unique patented design and secures taps and hose bibs from miscellaneous vandalism, unauthorised use and water theft.

Save money and do your bit for the environment.

Comment on problems you are experiencing in your area and visit our website to find out more about water security. www.spinsecure.co.uk