Why Preventative Maintenance is the Key to Reliable Fuel Systems

Fuel storage and dispensing systems work hard every day. Pumps, gauges, nozzles, and monitoring equipment all face constant use and exposure to the elements. Without planned maintenance, even minor issues such as blocked filters or worn seals can cause delays, inaccurate readings, or fuel loss.

Preventive maintenance identifies and resolves these problems early, avoiding costly breakdowns and keeping your systems at peak efficiency. For businesses where every minute and litre count, this reliability is essential.

What Preventative Maintenance Involves

Preventative maintenance covers a range of practical checks and services designed to protect your investment. When you choose Fueltek, your preventative maintenance includes:

Annual preventative maintenance visits: where your systems are thoroughly inspected, tested, and recalibrated if needed.
Pump calibration: carried out once a year at discounted rates for contract customers, to maintain accuracy and compliance.
8-hour response time: during core hours for reported faults, helping you get back up and running quickly.
Ongoing phone and technical support: offering help with software queries, user training, and day-to-day operational guidance.
Electronic calibration: reduces wear and tear in general and compensates for any wear in the meter.

These steps work together to keep both hardware and software performing correctly. For example, routine calibration ensures every litre dispensed is measured accurately, helping you prevent waste and maintain accountability.

What’s Included in Fueltek’s Aftercare

All Fueltek equipment comes with a 12-month parts and labour warranty as standard, along with access to expert technical support. For businesses seeking ongoing protection, you can choose from our tiered service contracts, ranging from essential support to our most comprehensive Level Three plan.

Under the Level Three plan:

Normal wear and tear issues are repaired at no extra cost, covering parts, labour, and travel.
You’ll receive annual preventative maintenance and calibration visits, ensuring everything continues to work as it should.
Full software support is included, enabling remote diagnosis and resolution of any monitoring issues.
Faults are typically responded to within eight working hours, during standard operating times.

This combination of proactive maintenance and responsive support helps you minimise downtime and maintain efficiency, especially in industries where vehicles and fuel are in constant use.

Example: T&M Plant Hire

T&M Plant Hire faced problems with fuel accounting and client invoicing due to manual processes and the risk of fuel misappropriation. We initially supplied their team with FT4000 systems using handheld fueller tags, then developed the Datanozzle following their feedback.

The Datanozzle is a proximity tag fixed to the fuelling nozzle that automatically identifies authorised vehicles and disables the pump if the nozzle is removed mid-transaction. This upgrade eliminated manual keypad entries and saved time by reducing the need for round-trip labour associated with handheld tags.

As a result, T&M Plant achieved more accurate fuel throughputs and complete accountability of usage, improving client confidence in invoices and reducing the risk of pilfering. Our team also provided training on the Datanozzle to help them operate securely and efficiently.

Avoiding Common Issues

Without regular maintenance, small issues can quickly escalate:

Blocked filters can restrict flow and strain pumps.
Worn hoses or seals can cause leaks or air ingress, which can affect accuracy.
Uncalibrated meters can result in mis-dispensed fuel and inaccurate reporting.
Electrical or communication faults may disrupt data transfer between pumps and monitoring software.

Under your Fueltek maintenance contract, our engineers check these areas during scheduled visits and resolve any issues before they affect daily operations. If problems occur between visits, callouts are handled quickly and transparently, with costs clearly stated. For instance, callouts for faults caused by foreign objects, blocked filters or poor mains supply are charged at £85 per hour, plus any applicable callout fee.

Long-Term Reliability and Cost Control

With your Fueltek fuel monitoring software, you can identify performance issues early, such as increased fuel usage that may suggest a pump calibration issue or a leaking line. Preventative action avoids downtime and reduces unplanned repair costs.

Investing in regular servicing protects your margins by reducing fuel loss, extending the lifespan of your pumps and tanks, and maintaining accurate fuel tracking and reporting.

Fueltek’s Commitment

At Fueltek, we design, manufacture, install, and support every system we supply. Our aftercare services are part of that long-term commitment to you. Whether you run a single depot or a nationwide fleet, you’ll receive straightforward, reliable support from engineers who know your system inside out.

Our goal is simple: to keep your fuel systems performing at their best for many years.

Find out more about our aftercare and servicing packages or speak to our team today.