Hammonds HUM-Bug® Detector Kit for Microbial Growth in Fuel and Oils

Microbial Growth in Fuel?

Microbial growth in fuel poses a serious hazard to both equipment and fuel storage tanks. This growth can clog filters, fuel lines, and gauges. It can corrode pumps, injectors and tanks. It can cause seals, hoses, and connections to swell and blister. This growth can even prevent water and particulates from settling out of the fuel. Early detection of this fungal growth is absolutely critical for proper fuel quality control. Early detection can prevent costly downtime, equipment repair or replacement and even fuel waste.

Early Warning

The Hum-Bug Detector Kit® is a low-cost, easy to use early warning detection procedure that will identify "Hydrocarbon Utilizing Micro-Organisms" (commonly called Hum Bugs) in all hydrocarbon fuels. These "Bugs" are the villians that cause the serious hazards associated with fungal growth in fuels. The The Hum-Bug Detector Kit® will detect the fungal growth in its earliest stages if used in a planned quality control program.

How Do Microbes Grow?

When fuels are refined, the extreme temperatures ensure that the product is sterile and pure. But, once it has been delivered to a settling tank where it might encounter water there is a potential for Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microorganisms to grow. These HUM-Bugs, live in the interface between the fuel and the water. They utilize the hydrocarbons in the fuel or oil as their food source. As they feed and multiply, they chemically alter the fuel and produce acidic waste by-products which cause fuel tank corrosion. Under ideal conditions, they can double their size every 20 minutes. Detection of HUM-Bugs is imperative if costly problems are to be avoided. Although there are well over 250 types of organisms which might be found in hydrocarbon fuels, there are fewer than a dozen which may be considered harmful. Early detection will allow you to take positive measures with a biocidal additive to eliminate the problem. We recommend the use of BIOBORJF, the industry standard for the elimination and prevention of microbial growth in fuels and fuel oils.

Hammonds HUMBug Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

The Hum-Bug Detector® Kit consists of a sterile hypodermic sampling syringe and a bottle containing a hydrocarbon fuel, a nutrient and a dye indicator. A fuel or water sample taken from the fuel in question is injected through the sealed rubber cap into the solution in the test bottle. If the fuel sample is contaminated with Hum Bugs, the solution in the test bottle will turn pink to red in as little as 24 hours. Extremely mild contamination may take as long as five days to detect. If the sample is free of these micro-organisms, the fluid in the test bottle will remain clear. Detailed instructions are enclosed in each HumBug Detector® Kit