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Searching for a fuel polisher for a generator bulk tank?

You may be looking for the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner, a permanently installed system that keeps stored diesel clean year-round, protecting backup power for your customers’ sites or your own.

Is a fuel conditioner the same as a fuel polisher?

It depends who you ask, and the requirements of your customer’s installation. Many permanently installed fuel conditioning units are called fuel polishers in the industry, even though they work differently. If you are looking for a permanently installed unit for a generator bulk tank, the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner could well be what you need. If you are looking for a periodic fuel polishing service or guaranteed ISO fuel filtering that is different, however, the two actually work well together. Here is how.

-	Contractor fuel polishing	CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner
What it is	A specialist service: mobile equipment brought to site by a fuel polishing contractor, typically annually or when fuel testing flags a problem	A permanently installed unit plumbed directly onto the bulk tank, running automatically every day on a set schedule
How it works	Fuel is drawn from the tank, passed through very large multi-stage filtration including centrifuge and coalescer stages, to strip out any water and return clean fuel. The tank may be cleaned at the same time. The contractor leaves when the job is complete	A magnetic conditioner breaks diesel bug down into filterable particles, and controls the colony forming ability of the diesel bug. Fuel then passes through two-stage Cim-Tek filtration (10 micron and 2 micron) before returning to the tank. Circulates circa 1.5x tank capacity every month automatically
Fuel cleanliness	Guarantees a single-pass ISO cleanliness standard on completion. Fuel is at its cleanest immediately after the visit. Without ongoing conditioning, it begins to degrade again straight away	Targets ISO 14/13/11 cleanliness via multi-pass filtration. Lab tested to below 60ppm water removal. Processes the fuel through the filters every day to preserve the fuel quality.
Magnetic conditioner	Not part of the service; focuses on filtration and water separation	Included as standard on all models to limit colony forming of the diesel bug
Control and monitoring	Engineer on site throughout. No permanent monitoring once they leave	Intelligent touchscreen with filter degradation monitoring, flow rate trends, event log and engineer login as standard. Two passive BMS outputs on all models. Modbus variants (CTS1081, CTS1083) send live structured status data to your BMS
Role in a fuel maintenance programme	The recovery and deep-clean element. Essential when fuel has already become contaminated or when adhoc / annual compliance testing requires it	The continuous prevention element is designed specifically for low-usage bulk generator tanks up to 40,000 litres. Aims to maintain fuel at a high level of cleanliness throughout the year, making any annual polishing visit faster and less intensive

Where does the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner fit into your fuel maintenance programme?

New tank installations: Fit the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner at installation. It targets ISO 14/13/11 from day one and prevents the diesel bug from establishing in the first place. Annual fuel testing will confirm whether a polishing visit is required; in many cases, with the conditioner running, it will not be.

Existing tank installations: Best practice is to have the fuel polished first to return it to a clean baseline. Then fit the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner to help maintain that clean fuel continuously and prevent the contamination from returning.

If you offer a fuel polishing service: The CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner is not a competing solution. It is what you recommend to your customers after the fuel has been cleaned. Fuel that has been continuously conditioned throughout the year is less contaminated when you arrive, making the fuel polishing job faster and less intensive. For critical backup power applications such as medical facilities and data centres, a possible solution could be an Advanced Fuel Conditioner on the tank with incremental fuel testing and ad hoc or annual polishing if testing indicates it is required.

Why stored diesel is a hidden risk

Today’s diesel contains higher bio-content than older formulations, which means small quantities of water are almost always present in any bulk storage tank, either from condensation or from the fuel itself. That water settles to the bottom or becomes suspended in the fuel.

In tanks used daily, natural fuel circulation helps keep contamination manageable. In backup generator tanks, where the same fuel can sit undisturbed for weeks or months, conditions are ideal for microbial growth. Diesel bug develops in the layer between the water and the fuel, feeding off the fuel’s hydrocarbons and multiplying until it forms a layer of sludge called biofilm. That biofilm blocks filters, damages pumps and gets drawn into machinery, causing equipment failure at the moment it is needed most.

Diesel bug begins to form colonies in stagnant fuel within as little as 28 days

How the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner works

The CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner is installed permanently on the bulk fuel tank and runs automatically, with no operator required. It is programmed based on tank size and circulates circa 1.5 times the tank’s total capacity every month, which is the point at which diesel bug begins to form colonies.

As fuel is drawn from the tank, it passes first through a magnetic conditioner that breaks diesel bug down into particles small enough to be captured by the filter stages. It then passes through two-stage Cim-Tek Ultimate Defence filtration before being returned to the tank:

Stage 1: 10 micron water and particle filter

Stage 2: 2 micron finishing filter

The system targets the ISO 14/13/11 diesel cleanliness standard via multi-pass filtration, with lab tests showing water removal to below 60ppm.

Watch the video

It does not just condition the fuel. It self-monitors it too

The touchscreen control panel provides continuous visibility of system health, alerting the relevant person before problems occur rather than after something fails.

Secured engineer mode: Log-in credentials prevent tampering once commissioned. Run times are set automatically based on tank volume.
Filter degradation monitoring: Live flow rate trend charts predict when filters are approaching end of life. A warning is issued before any block occurs, with a QR code linking directly to filter ordering.
Leak and low-level protection: Accepts input from an external alarm, or gauge for low fuel level identification - the system pauses at this point, and when the fuel level returns, automatically resumes. Included drip tray leak sensor shuts the pump off automatically and will not resume until the leak issue is resolved and panel reset.
BMS outputs (all models): Two passive clean contact outputs are standard on every variant, providing a remote warning signal to your BMS when a filter block or (shared) low level/leak is detected.
Full event log: Every pump cycle, engineer log-in, filter block and alarm is recorded with date and time stamp.
Modbus integration (CTS1081 and CTS1083 only): Sends live system status to your BMS via Modbus protocol: pump running, filter degraded, filter blocked, low level/leak, and litres in tank (gauge variant). More detailed than the standard BMS outputs and suited to sites where the BMS is actively monitored.

Watch the video

Who uses the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner?

Whether you are specifying the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner for your own site, installing it for your customers, or offering it as part of a fuel maintenance package, the product and support are the same.

Generator service companies: Specify or install a fuel conditioner as part of a generator maintenance package to keep customers’ fuel clean between services and reduce callouts caused by contamination. An additional revenue line with a recurring filter and pump replacements.
Fuel system engineers: Install onto existing tanks or specify for new installations. If you offer a fuel polishing service, the conditioner supports that service. Fuel that has been regularly conditioned throughout the year is less contaminated when you arrive, making the polishing job faster and less intensive.
Tank manufacturers and installers: Offer the fuel conditioner as standard or as an intelligent upgrade on bulk tanks. Easiest to install at manufacture stage. Branding of the unit casing and control panel is available, with customisable QR codes directing filter and pump sales to your website.
Facilities management companies: Protect backup power reliability across your estate. Relevant for any site with a diesel generator, particularly data centres, medical facilities, commercial buildings and utilities.
Design consultants and specifiers: Specify fuel conditioning as part of a complete fuel maintenance programme for new builds. The CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner is suitable for any site with a diesel backup generator and bulk fuel storage.

Reseller branding: The unit casing and touchscreen control panel can be branded for resellers. Customisable QR codes can direct end users to your own replacement filter ordering page rather than CTS directly.

Four versions to suit different installation requirements

All versions are built on the same core system: Piusi Panther 56 pump, magnetic conditioner, two-stage Cim-Tek filtration and the intelligent touchscreen control panel. The variants add to this base.

Code	Model	What it adds over the standard unit
CTS1080	Standard	The full system. Touchscreen control, two-stage filtration and automatic run scheduling. No additional hardware required
CTS1081	With Modbus	Feeds system status and alerts directly into your Building Management System via Modbus - no manual checking required
CTS1082	With Gauge	Shows tank fuel level on the touchscreen as a bar chart and in litres. No separate gauge installation needed. Note: this version does not store engineer login or logout data. Tanker driver function to show enlarged data on the screen
CTS 1083	With Modbus and Gauge	Combines BMS integration and the integrated level gauge in a single unit. Tanker driver function to show enlarged data on the screen

Note: All models are also available without the Piusi pump installed on the plate, for customers sourcing the pump separately or purchasing outside the UK. All versions: 230v, max 3,000 litres/day, tanks up to 40,000 litres, diesel and HVO compatible, dry weight 24kg.

For full technical specifications, product codes, variant options and replacement filter accessories, visit the CTS Advanced Fuel Conditioner product page.