Heavy Equipment Does Not Like The Cold – Do You?

As a general rule, the machinery that forms the category of heavy equipment is pretty hardy. They are tough beasts and afraid of no one and nothing – except perhaps the bitterly cold temperatures that have invaded us.

Nearly all heavy equipment machinery come with one similarity – they run on diesel. Diesel is a fuel that provides plenty of grunt for machinery and trucks alike, it also has one bad habit. As the temperature drops, the wax naturally found in diesel fuel begins to form crystals. These crystals can, and often do, clog the fuel filter eventually starving the engine of fuel and causing it to stall – if it starts in the first place.

The point at which wax crystals form in diesel fuel is known as the cloud point. As the fuel gets colder beyond that cloud point, more and more wax crystals form. As a heavy equipment operator, do you know at what temperature your fuel will form these crystals? Do you know how to fix the problem, or better yet, how to avoid it?

As you learn how to operate heavy equipment you start to get a feel for the engine and how it is performing. You also learn to trust certain fuel additives that help prevent these problems, in this case, additives that dissolve the wax crystals as they form, or prevent them forming in the first place. The last thing you need is to have your machine towed to a workshop to have the filter replaced and the lines cleaned out. Down time costs money.

You would be surprised at all the little things you need to learn to become a top class heavy equipment operator. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can get you started on a career as an operator through their first class training programs.

Just like us, heavy equipment doesn’t always appreciate the cold. There are some tricks to avoiding costly problems – if you’re really interested, ask one of our trainers when you start your training.