Aren’t they all the same? Isn’t a pump just a pump?
These misconceptions are commonplace when purchasing fuel pumps and management systems. However, there’s been a decline in standards and quality of fuel pumps over recent years. When a decision to purchase is heavily driven by cost, there’s a serious risk of the equipment failing to meet the expected durability, performance and accuracy that fleet operators will depend upon.
It goes without saying the price of a product will always impact someone’s decision to purchase, but many other factors with fuel pumps should be considered. Fleet operators must assess the nature of usage and their fleet before settling with the cheapest option. Pumps with higher standards of build quality will ensure a longer service life and be more durable compared to commonly found low-cost light-duty pumps that flood the market today. Although these seem like the cheaper option at first, their performance falls woefully below standards and ultimately result in frequent repairs or an early replacement.
Different types of fleet may require a specific type of pump. Many manufacturers put emphasis on pump delivery speed, but a fast pump is not always the best answer. If a fleet consists of a mixture of HGVs, vans and cars a fast delivery pump would only partly serve its purpose. Cars and vans will not accept a high-flow input, or the nozzle type fitted on fast-flow pumps. Therefore, it would be better to compromise on the fueling time of an HGV and opt for a pump of approximately 70LPM which can be used on all three vehicles. Better still, dual-hose pumps are now widely available which provide both a high-flow and standard-flow output from a single outlet.
Arguably, the most common flaw with low-cost pumps is accuracy. Rightfully, many fleet operators expect fuel data to be as accurate as possible with the need to monitor and account for each litre of fuel being as vital as ever. Unfortunately, basic fuel pumps fail to provide accuracy of no better than +/-1%, even before age and wear starts to take effect. At worst, an accuracy rate of +/-0.5% is the least that should be considered, with the very best pumps, such as Merridale’s MX range, offering an even greater accuracy of +/-0.25%.
It is now a requirement under DSEAR that all fuel installations are assessed for risk, this has become ever more important since diesel was recategorised as flammable. Failure to purchase a pump that adheres to all requirements, as well as being ATEX certified, could put fleet operators at risk or void their insurance should any issues arise.
Inevitably, finance will always be a factor when investing in a fuel pump and management system. However, rather than having misconceptions in mind when shopping the market, it may be wise to be thinking ‘you get what you pay for’.
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