Confusion Over E85 Pump Certification
Reports from the Detroit Free Press about E85 pumps losing their safety rating from Underwriters Laboratory are causing quite a bit of confusion in the ethanol world.
Justin Hyde of the Free Press Washington Bureau followed up his first report yesterday with another one today giving further information, as well as an article in USA Today.
The initial report had no comment from UL, the nation’s largest product safety testing group, but today’s story quotes UL’s manager of consumer affairs John Drengenberg and says it was on October 5 that “the UL said it was suspending its listings for any fuel system that handles E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.”
The articles claim this “means that most of the roughly 1,000 stations that carry it likely violate fire codes. It also means that in most states, stations that want to install E85 pumps will need waivers from local or state fire marshals.”
Two stations in Columbus, Ohio have been closed so far, but each state has its own jurisdiction regarding safety approval ratings.
The story quotes Michelle Kautz, a spokeswoman for the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, as saying stores that offer E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, are “allowed to sell it until they’re told not to.”
Although there is no official information about the UL decision on the company’s website, UL reportedly said in a statement that it had no reports of problems with E85 systems, but withdrew its certification due to concerns about how ethanol can corrode parts of the fueling system. The issue concerns pumps that have been converted from regular gasoline with up to 15 percent ethanol additive, to up to 85 percent ethanol.
UL is reportedly moving quickly to examine the pumps for ethanol use and set new standards.
2 Comments »
Martin Tjossem
I find UL’s testing very suspect. All of the ethanol ADM markets and I think everybody else has an anti-oxidant additive(stops corrosion) injected into the 200 proof as it is pumped into the storage tank. This info comes from a friend that works at a very successful plant. I have been doing my own test by blending a 50/50 mixture using E-85 and fueling my 92 Toyota 4×4 and a 95 Ford Aspire. The Toy has used this blend for over 5 yrs. and the Ford for 4 yrs.—no problems. I also have a jar test going that has aluminum and rubber seals that represent parts from my airplane in E-85. That has been going for over two yrs with no visible deterioration. If I didn’t do these tests myself, I might believe UL.
Martin Tjossem
Domestic Fuel » Archives » UL Reports Progress on E85 Pumps
[...] Underwriters Laboratories reports progress toward developing safety requirements for E85 ethanol dispensers after a two-day forum at headquarters in Chicago last week. Concern over the safety of pumps for 85 percent ethanol was brought into question after a notice Oct. 23 that UL had suspended authorization of E85 dispenser components and that it would be updating its requirements. The technical forum, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, featured 32 national experts discussing E85 fuel-dispensing system materials and the development of safety standards for E85 dispensers. Participants included automobile and petroleum company representatives, ethanol producers, dispenser and component manufacturers, industry associations, government agencies and researchers. [...]
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