As with any product that you are adding to your fueling system, there are a few frequently asked questions about HydrX and it's integration into your daily operations.
The Veeder-Root HydrX™ Fuel Conditioning System helps busy gas station owners and operators solve the problem of corrosion in a diesel Underground Storage Tanks (UST). HydrX unique design removes water from the lowest point in the tank, preventing water from stagnating on the tank bottom and breeding microbial contaminants. The integrated filtration removes entrained water, rust, sand, and microbial particulate from the fuel, polishing it before returning clean fuel back to the tank.
What fueling environment is the HydrX Fuel Conditioning System for?
HydrX is designed for removing water and particulates from diesel underground storage tanks. It is not currently offered in configurations for regular gasoline. Having said that, the system was designed to install in most existing Submersible Turbine Pump (STP) sumps. There is a list of sump criteria, including minimum height and diameter, and the system requires one spare bung for exchanging fluids. Provided that the site meets the requirements, HydrX retro fits to existing sites and works with new-to-industry sites.
Additionally, while the system was designed for typical fiberglass underground storage tank sump configurations, it can also be used with steel tanks provided its STP sump meets the criteria. Determining fit with a steel tank is usually more difficult because steel tanks have more variability and customization in their design, so determining part numbers for the HydrX Fuel Conditioning System may require consulting Veeder-Root technical support.
Finally, the HydrX Fuel Conditioning System was designed with the typical UST sump and manway configurations in mind and, as such, was not designed for aboveground storage tanks. Fit with any given aboveground storage tank is going to depend on the tank’s configuration and ability to meet the system requirements. At this time, manifolded tanks and manifolded STPs are not supported.
How does HydrX integrate with existing fuel system equipment?
A TLS-450PLUS Automatic Tank Gauge is required to support HydrX. The gauge needs to be on software version 9R or later and must have the HydrX software feature enhancement installed; both of which are available free of charge. The HydrX system uses two of the standard intrinsically safe inputs, one low voltage external input and, if the site has mechanical line leak detection, one output relay. It does not require the installation of any new or unique modules within the TLS-450PLUS ATG, provided the existing modules have the spare I/O to support the system.
Installation of the HydrX Fuel Conditioning System does not require any changes to the magnetostrictive probe already installed. The probe does not need to be within the same sump space as HydrX. HydrX is compatible with both Veeder-Root and FE Petro® 4” Submersible Turbine Pumps up to 4 HP provided they have the necessarily spare ports available to support operation.
What are the maintenance requirements of operating HydrX?
The HydrX Fuel Conditioning System removes water from your diesel underground storage tank. During this process, a probe within the HydrX water reservoir provides a reading of the amount of water removed. Once the reservoir is full (5 gallons), the wastewater will need to be drained and added to your oil-water collection system at the site. While the pumping process takes about 4 minutes to empty the reservoir, additional time should be allowed for removing the sump cover, connecting the hose via quick connect fitting and replacing the cover once finished.
HydrX also monitors and displays the anticipated filter life, making the filter replacement schedule predictable. The filter life experienced at any given site is going to depend on the amount of sediment and water in the tank and will vary by location. In typical installations the expectation is that the filters should be changed one or two times per a year.
Scheduling a tank cleaning prior to installing the HydrX Fuel Conditioning System is a best practice. This allows HydrX to start with clean fuel and tank environment and allows the customer to start from an understood baseline. Once in operation, HydrX lessens the maintenance burden for sites by eliminating the need for frequent tank cleaning or the application of biocides. These tactics can still be used at an owner’s or operator’s discretion but are not required for HydrX operation.