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Algae-X Reseller's Guide: Providing Fuel Solutions to Marina Customers

Posted September 30, 2020 by Caleb Courville

Attention full-service marinas: Adding fuel maintenance to your ever-growing list of offerings has never been easier. Algae-X is back with a comprehensive guide on how you can capture more revenue without venturing beyond your dock.

Since the invention of diesel fuel, fuel quality has been an unrelenting headache for many yacht and diesel-craft owners who struggle with the dreaded “diesel-bug” or “algae” that often manifests in their tanks. Frequent filter changes, damaged injectors, and variable engine performance are only some of the symptoms that arise from poor fuel quality. This problem is all the more prevalent for seasonal owners who elect to store their vessels for many months at time.

As their trusted marina, you can offer highly effective technology to prevent/remediate fuel contamination and better ensure optimal performance regardless of how long their vessel may sit.

Existing Algae-X resellers have identified four sources of revenue for their businesses and we are going to break each one down in this complimentary guide.

Revenue Source #1: Fuel Testing

Without a solution in place, it is inevitable your diesel customers will experience fuel contamination in their tank(s). In some cases, these customers will opt to have samples from their fuel tank tested to confirm the severity of the issue.

Historically, fuel testing involved taking samples from the bottom of the tank and sending them off to a lab where they would measure the level of microbial growth and water contents. Unfortunately, these measurements would almost never be accurate due to the time lapse between drawing the samples, shipping them, and waiting for the lab to get around to testing them. This reality created a perfect scenario for many mobile polishing companies to convince customers to service their tanks more frequently by intentionally delaying the testing process, giving the microbes in the sample more time to proliferate.

Algae-X provides a more honest solution to fuel testing that can be administered on the spot. In just 15 minutes with three simple steps, customers can receive information on just how contaminated their fuel tanks are.

Our resellers have been providing these instant fuel tests as both a service and a sales tool towards more permanent solutions in lieu of the reactionary mobile polishing services.

Revenue Source #2: System Sales

System sales may be one of the more obvious streams of revenue for a provider of fuel filtration equipment. Algae-X resellers have access to exclusive pricing to ensure revenue can be made on the initial sale while also keeping prices competitive with other providers.

An Algae-X automated filtration system can range anywhere from $3,000 to $14,000 and resellers can expect to profit 20% of the retail price without any markups of their own.

Determining what system is right for each vessel is largely determined by the tank size(s) and available room for installation. To make it easier, Algae-X has created a table which matches the ideal system with different tank sizes.

System Name Flow Rate Recommended Tank Volumes
FPS Compact 1.3 GPM (5 LPM) < 250 Gallons (< 946 Liters)
FPS DX-S 1.3 GPM (5 LPM) < 250 Gallons (< 946 Liters)
FPS FX 2.5 GPM (9.5 LPM) 500+ Gallons (1,893+ Liters)
FPS SX-F 2.5 GPM (9.5 LPM) 500+ Gallons (1,893+ Liters)
FPS MX-F 4 GPM (15 LPM) 1,200+ Gallons (4,542+ Liters)
FPS LX-F 10 GPM (38 LPM) 1,900+ Gallons (7,192+ Liters)

If you find that there is not sufficient room to install the desired system, it is best to explore a system that can be properly fitted into the engine room. Although not ideal, any fuel filtration system will serve a customer better than none. Below is table outlining each system and their controller’s dimensions. There will need to be enough room to mount both, ideally, near each other.

System Name System Dimensions Controller Dimensions
FPS Compact 14” x 10” x 8” (36 x 25 x 20 cm) 6.54” x 6.54” x 4.01” (16.6 x 16.6 x 10.19 cm)
FPS DX-S 15” x 18.5” x 7.5” (38 x 47 x 19 cm) Controller Included on System Backplate
FPS FX 20” x 17” x 7” (51 x 43 x 18 cm) Controller Included on System Backplate
FPS SX-F 23” x 26” x 9” (58 x 69 x 23 cm) SFC-50: 10” x 12” x 8” (25 x 30 x 20 cm)
SFC-55: 13.4” x 16” x 7.4” (34 x 41 x 19 cm)
TSC-7000: 16.0” x 13.4” x 7.4” (40.6 x 34.0 x 18.8 cm)
FPS MX-F 23” x 26” 9” (58 x 69 x 23 cm) SFC-50: 10” x 12” x 8” (25 x 30 x 20 cm)
SFC-55: 13.4” x 16” x 7.4” (34 x 41 x 19 cm)
TSC-7000: 16.0” x 13.4” x 7.4” (40.6 x 34.0 x 18.8 cm)
FPS LX-F 26” x 34” x 12” (66 x 86 x 31 cm) SFC-50: 10” x 12” x 8” (25 x 30 x 20 cm)
SFC-55: 13.4” x 16” x 7.4” (34 x 41 x 19 cm)
TSC-7000: 16.0” x 13.4” x 7.4” (40.6 x 34.0 x 18.8 cm)

Revenue Source #3: System Installations

System installations are where many Algae-X resellers report making their largest chunks of revenue. Many installations are not always straight forward as many OEM tanks lack accessory ports for aftermarket installs. In these situations, retrofitting a system to existing plumbing can take a good amount of manual labor which many resellers are happy to charge a premium for.  

An ideal system installation will usually occur at the OEM level where manufacturers will establish independent plumbing for the fuel filtration system direct into the tank or fuel manifold. Illustrations of this type of installation can be found below:

Unfortunately, many owners do not have the luxury of specifying filtration solutions at the OEM level as many were never offered the option to do so or may not have been the original purchaser of the vessel. For these customers, systems are usually retrofitted to the existing plumbing like so:

Should a reseller run into a difficult installation, Algae-X provides complimentary reseller support in order to help one achieve the best outcome in the most efficient manner.

Revenue Source #4: Maintenance Contracts & Consumable Sales

Once a system is installed, many resellers will offer maintenance contracts which will primarily consist of routine system inspections and filter changes. All Algae-X systems come standard with smart system alarms to notify the user of needed maintenance. This makes it easy for both resellers and end users to know when to change out certain filters.

Keeping filter elements on-hand can provide a great deal of convenience for customers should they realize they need one. These filters can then be made available as al-la-cart consumables or be reserved exclusively for customers who have a signed maintenance contract.

In addition to making replacement filters available for customers, Algae-X provides a line of highly concentrated robust fuel additives. Without a system installed, our fuel additives are the most cost-effective option for customers to experience performance gains such as increased power output and fuel efficiency while also combating fuel contaminants. To learn more about our available fuel additives click here.

Reseller Support

Algae-X confidently stands behind its product offerings and provides resellers with complimentary troubleshooting support and sales tools for customer education. The intent for Algae-X is to enable its resellers to become the fuel quality experts that many of their customer will rely on for all of their marine fueling needs. If becoming an Algae-X reseller interests you, please feel free to navigate to our Algae-X reseller page for more information and application details.

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