IMPORTANT TECH UPDATE: EVO™ 550 / EVO™ 5000 FIRMWARE UPDATE REQUIRED

ACTION REQUIRED!

EVO™ 550 and EVO™ 5000 Automatic Tank Gauges shipped from Franklin Fueling Systems between the period of January 19, 2021 and April 23, 2021 with controller module firmware versions 2.23.2 and 2.23.3 require an immediate firmware update!!

If you purchased a unit manufacturer during this time, you will need to update to firmware version 2.23.4 ASAP!
For a list of affected serial numbers, please contact Franklin Fueling Support Center at 1.800.984.6266 or submit a ticket


You can read the tech update for instructions on the firmware update.

Tech Update

Download the Latest EVO™ 550 & EVO™ 5000 Firmware Upgrade

Be sure to fill out the form to get the firmware upgrade as well as to unlock and receive the latest software updates!

Upgrade Instructions
Upgrade Instructions
Release Notes
Release Notes


Franklin Fueling Systems EVO / INCON Automatic Tank GaugesLooking for EVO / INCON Equipment & Replacement Parts? Check out our online store!
And if you can’t find what you are looking for, please call us at 1.800.238.1225 or
Email Us!

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!

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JWK SBI – Shop By Image Feature

THEY Say A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words…
JWK SBI - Shop By Image

…But we at the John W. Kennedy Company decided to expand on Henrik Ibsen’s 1913 roughly coined phrase by making a picture more than just a picture worth a thousand words.  We decided to make them a shopping tool and informational resource with simple mouse clicks on one image.

May not sound like anything different you’ve seen until you’ve seen JWK’s SBI – Shop By Image feature!

The John W. Kennedy Company has been using image mapping to organize information and build quotes off of since the early 2000s for a few of our larger customers. So it was only natural when we launched our online store in 2016 to use them directly to shop from as well, allowing site visitors to add equipment and parts directly to their shopping carts from an image! We have simply kept this feature on the down-low, mentioning them here and there to get a feel as to whether they would be used and how often.

In late 2018, working with our eCommerce provider, we customized our site to integrate image mapping directly into our eCommerce solution to allow us to map images in-house and drop them on our site to create a powerful tool that is becoming more and more popular. There is no middle people involved; just us, an image and our site! From concept to reality in less time than it can take to get a quote most days.

JWK SBI Blue Hill Express

Blue Hill Express, Canton, MA 2009 image map


Blue Hill Express, Canton MA Encore dispenser image mapped from 2009

Blue Hill Express, Canton MA Encore dispenser image mapped from 2009

We have mapped out everything from exploded view parts breakdowns to an entire gas station. Some of those early image maps are still being used many years later.  One set of complex maps compared the customer’s current spec to their proposed upgrade and the associated costs. Unfortunately, we can not disclose them due to their proprietary nature and agreements made with the customers but the impact they made was powerful.

  In the case of new products, it allows us to hit the ground running by building the new products with a high degree of consistency and accuracy with all pertinent resources in tow such as product images, literature and videos . Kennedy warehouse staff even use them to identify components they are unfamiliar with in various systems like pipeworks.

Fairfield SCM-5DS Image Map

Fairfield SCM-5DS simple image map of exploded view

The early image maps (like the ones above and to the left of Blue Hill Express) were much more involved and required several expensive software apps to create over the span of a few days that didn’t look nearly as sharp or cool as what we can do now.

By the time we made our jump to eCommerce in 2016, we were able to create them with one piece of open source software that provided a much cleaner look to the finished map with even more functionality. With all the information at our fingertips and all products in our system, simple image maps can be created in less than an hour like the Fairfield Industries SCM-5DS you see pictured to the right, while more complex ones may take a half day or more. 


No “hover” effects for non-mouse driven devices

This is really a bit of a downer we hope to figure a way around moving forward but not holding our breath at a quick and easy solution.  While you can still use the image maps on tablets and smartphones, they don’t provide the same impact, functionality, nor are the images as big as they are on a desktop or laptop but again, they still work and can be used on such devices. And depending on the browser being used on tablets and smartphones, some will open with just a touch while others require you to touch and hold to open a new tab.  Yeah, I agree, the inconsistency in web browsers from device to device and IO to IO is pretty bad as well.  We are all still learning this new digital world, even those building it.  This is why you will not find a direct link to any image maps on the mobile version of our site as we do not drive customers away by frustrating them with a feature that does not work the same on every device.


At this time, the most popular image maps are the Franklin Fueling FE Petro submersible pump exploded views.

Franklin Fueling Systems FE Petro Variable & Fixed Length Submersible Pump Replacement PartsFranklin Fueling Systems FE Petro Variable & Fixed Length Submersible Pump Replacement Parts FE Petro STP Discharge Manifold Assembly Replacement PartsFranklin Fueling Systems FE Petro STP Discharge Manifold Assembly Replacement Parts

These very popular maps are used multiple times a day to find parts and provide much needed information in a format not found anywhere else and that’s where the John W. Kennedy Company excels over all others; provide much need information in a timely manner.  We know who’s looking, who’s buying and when.  We know vendors and our competition use our site for information from not just our analytics but from the horse’s mouth. What does it say about the competition when they use our site over their own or the vendors to get information from?

Pretty telling to say the least!

That tells us what we’ve known for nearly a century, information is still king! And that’s the best way we know how to win a customer’s loyalty; it’s not just about price but the support network and the timeliness of that support. This can also be seen with our trade shows we’ve hosted since the 90s and our daily efforts since 1930.  And now, we are just trying to carry that effort forward to the digital world wide web.


So by all means, please click on the image below to explore our Shop By Image page that features mapped images from Fairfield Industries, Franklin Fueling Systems’ brands (Corrosion Control, Cable Tight, EBW, EVO, FE Petro and UPP), Morrison Brothers, NUPI, Omntec and OPW with more to follow!JWK SBI - Shop By ImageIf you have any suggestions for image maps you would like to see, please feel free to email
Shop By Image Suggeston
and if the resources are available, we will do our best to make it happen!



Can’t find what you are looking for on our site or have questions? Feel free to call us at 1.800.451.4021 or
EMAIL US

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!

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Franklin Fueling Systems EVO™ 600 and EVO™ 6000 ATGs FREE ONLINE TRAINING!!

GET CERTIFIED ON THE LATEST ​​​AUTOMATIC TANK GAUGE TECHNOLOGY

For a limited time, we are offering FREE FFS PRO® University online certification for EVO™ 600 and EVO™ 6000 Automatic Tank Gauge Installation / Wiring and Programming.

This free online training is available now through June 30, 2021!!

Franklin Fueling Systems Fueling System Safety A few things to know before you get started on the free training. 

You are required to have an FFSPRO account. If you do not have one, you can register here.

Next, you will be required to take the online Fueling System Safety course. Be aware that if you are not using one of the following browsers, you may encounter functionality and content issues:
Internet Explorer 9 or later
Safari 5.1 or later
Google Chrome 17 or later

Controller Specialist: EVO™ 600 & EVO™ 6000 Installation & Wiring

Controller Specialist: EVO™ 600 & EVO™ 6000 Installation & Wiring EVO™ 600 and EVO™ 6000 automatic tank gauge model overview, installation and wiring of modules, probes, remote alarms, sensors, and Turbine Pump Interface

Begin Presentation          (Login to Take Test!)

PREREQUISITES:
Fueling System Safety

Site Startup Specialist: EVO™ 600 & EVO™ 6000 Programming

Site Startup Specialist: EVO™ 600 & EVO™ 6000 Programming EVO™ 600 and EVO™ 6000 fuel management & system programming including user/network interfacing, console navigation, initial setup, and optional supported feature programming.

Begin Presentation       (Login to Take Test!)

PREREQUISITES:
Fueling System Safety

EVO™ 600 & EVO EVO™ 6000

The new EVO™ 600 and EVO™ 6000 ATGs provide highly accurate inventory management and full-featured compliance monitoring for any size fuel system. Advanced features include Corrosion Control™ System automation and monitoring, Electronic Line Leak Detection, and DEF/AdBlue® recirculation.

Be sure to check out our ever-expanding product offerings and great deals from Franklin Fueling’s many brands found in our webstore.

EVO 600 Base Model
EVO 600 Base Model
EVO 6000 Base Model
EVO 6000 Base Model
FFS APT FFS CableTight FFS EBW
FFS EVO FFS FE Petro FFS Flex-Ing
FFS Healy FFS Incon FFS UPP

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!

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Behind the scenes of filling up: How do operators keep track of their fuel inventory?

This is Veeder-Root’s fifth article in their series on what actually happens when you fill up at a gas station. Read the others here:
Behind the Scenes of Filling Up:
1. How Does it Work?
2. Gaining Approval and Getting Started
3. How does the fuel actually get to the nozzle?
4. How do gas stations ensure fuel isn’t leaking?
.

Keeping track of all that fuel

Veeder-Root

When you fill up at a gas station, it’s likely that you’re one of many people getting gas at the same time.

At busy gas stations and c-stores there are multiple transactions happening at one time. In fact, the average c-store dispenses just over 4,000 gallons of fuel per day!

With all that fuel pumping out of the storage tank, how does the site operator maintain an understanding of the current inventory, how much has been sold that day, and the amount of inventory that they started with? This basic information is what they will need for inventory reconciliation, which is the process of making sure that they can account for all the fuel that has been dispensed.

If there is a difference between the amount of fuel that records say are in the storage tank and the actual amount of fuel in the tank, then there is a fuel variance. There are two likely scenarios for the loss, either there is an adjusted loss or an actual physical loss of the fuel.

Adjusted losses accrue when key records of fuel transfer don’t match up. It’s common when the bills of lading, delivery confirmations, automatic tank gauges, and point-of-sale equipment may all supply a different record of the transaction. Contributing to the issue are tank charting and equipment errors, which can mask any actual fuel losses.

Physical loss might happen if there was a leak that went undetected, a meter drift, theft or delivery discrepancy, or even a change in temperature that causes fuel contraction or expansion in the tank.

What Can We Do About it?

The first step is to confirm that the equipment at your gas station is maintained and operating correctly. You then want to ensure that you have accurate tank charts for your site. The next step is to implement a daily reconciliation and variance tracking method.  

C-Store owners should also take advantage of remote connectivity options that allow them to check on their inventory and site status from anywhere. 

Automating The Process

The most accurate way to generate a tank chart is to use AccuChart on your Veeder-Root TLS Automatic Tank Gauge. This application takes frequent measurements and reports back when there is a statistically significant data set for creating an accurate tank chart. 

Once you have an accurate tank chart, an application like Business Inventory Reconciliation (BIR) can automatically calculate fuel variance.

BIR tracks all the fuel that enters or exits each of your underground tanks, accounting for all delivery and dispensing activity. It automatically collects metered sales information from electronic and mechanical dispensers and generates accurate delivery and reconciliation reports.  

This is our final installment in our blog series on what actually happens when you fill up at a gas station. You can find more information on every step of the process here

If you have any questions or would like to purchase Veeder-Root and Red Jacket Products, visit us online at www.johnwkennedyco.com or call us at 1.800.451.4021.

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
JWK USA Logo

Behind the scenes of filling up: How do gas stations ensure fuel isn’t leaking?

This is Veeder-Root’s fourth article in their series on what actually happens when you fill up at a gas station. Read the others here:
Behind the Scenes of Filling Up:
1. How Does it Work?
2. Gaining Approval and Getting Started
3. How does the fuel actually get to the nozzle?
.

Veeder-Root

With so much fuel passing through a gas station’s fueling system, how do they ensure that fuel isn’t leaking?

For decades now, the Environmental Protection Agency has enforced regulations that require gas stations to prove they aren’t leaking fuel into the ground or the water supply, and there are a number of ways the gas station can meet the requirements. 

But beyond the regulations, fuel costs money – it’s the single most expensive inventory item for gas stations – and leaks or other fuel losses are costly! 

Managing Compliance

Once you’re done filling up, there is an entire monitoring system at the gas station that tests the fuel lines for any potential leaks and monitors important spaces around the site to ensure they’re dry. This system is called an automatic tank gauging system which includes a console, like the TLS-450PLUS ATG, series of sensors throughout the gas station, and probes in the underground fuel tanks. 

The automatic tank gauge system has many functions at a gas station, but at its core it provides the owner and store operator with reports that prove the site isn’t leaking fuel and provides the fuel inventory data needed to run the station. These reports are provided to EPA inspectors to ensure gas stations are complying with the regulations.

Fixing Issues Immediately

It’s important to have the appropriate reports, but leaks must be addressed in real time, and that is where the ATG console is also working like a security system for the fuel site.  

When an issue is detected in the fueling system, the TLS-450PLUS ATG records a condition result and generates an audible and visual alarm for the store operator. Employees at the site can then follow their protocol for addressing the issue.  

The guiding principle is ensuring that the gas station is safe for customers and meeting regulations. 

What’s Next?

Next week, we’re discussing how the TLS-450PLUS ATG gives C-Store owners and operators the business data they need to correctly manage their inventory. 

You can find more information on every step of the process here

 

If you have any questions or would like to purchase Veeder-Root and Red Jacket Products, visit us online at www.johnwkennedyco.com or call us at 1.800.451.4021.

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
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Behind the scenes of filling up: How does the fuel actually get to the nozzle?

This is Veeder-Root’s third article in their series on what actually happens when you fill up at a gas station. Read the first article here. and the second article here.
Veeder-Root

Imagine you’re at a gas station and you’ve started a transaction at a dispenser. Maybe you’ve never given it another thought, but how does the fuel actually get to the nozzle?

The answer is that fuel is pumped up from an underground storage tank via a submersible turbine pump and through the fuel lines to your dispenser nozzle.

The submersible turbine pump is the powerful unsung hero of the fueling system. These pumps have two main components; a packer manifold which is in the sump space and a Unitized Motor Pump (UMP) that sits down in the tank.

Starting the Flow

  1. During a transaction, the packer manifold receives the signal and activates the UMP.Fuel Drawn Into Pump
  2. The UMP starts spinning and that rotational energy creates pressure and moves fuel up through the pump.Fuel Flows into UMP
  3. The fuel flows up through the column pipe to the packer manifold.Fuel Flows up the Column
  4. Fuel enters the packer manifold and goes through a check valve, which is used to keep pressure in the lines, before being discharged into to the fuel lines. Fuel enters packer manifold

Keeping Track

While it’s dispensing fuel to your vehicle, the dispenser is keeping track of exactly what you’ve pumped and how much that costs. Once you’re done, there are a series of signals that are managed through the automatic tank gauge and control boxes that turn off the STP and finish the transaction.  

If using a TLS-450PLUS Automatic Tank Gauge paired with Electronic PLLD, then station operators can also monitor line pressure during the dispense to ensure that system isn’t leaking and meets release detection requirements.

What’s Next?

Next week, we’re discussing how the TLS-450PLUS ATG makes sure the fueling system is free from leaks and compliant with regulatory requirements.

You can find more information on every step of the process here.

 

If you have any questions or would like to purchase Veeder-Root and Red Jacket Products, visit us online at www.johnwkennedyco.com or call us at 1.800.451.4021.

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
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Behind The Scenes Of Filling Up: Gaining Approval and Getting Started

This is Veeder-Root’s second article in their series on what actually happens when you fill up at a gas station. Read the first article here.
Veeder-Root

Most people don’t know this, but a gas station’s fuel dispenser is connected to three primary pieces of equipment that help it run a fueling transaction:

  1. Point-of-Sale System
  2. Red Jacket® ISOTROL™ 1-8 Control Box
  3. TLS-450PLUS Automatic Tank Gauge

These three pieces of equipment make up the system that manage the transaction, calculate inventory data, and facilitate the pumping of the fuel.

The Gate Keeper

When you lift the handle and start a transaction at the dispenser, nothing happens without the Point-of-Sale System approving it. This is because a POS system must authorize a sale to allow next steps to happen.  

The authorization can be done manually by an attendant at the gas station or it can be set to pre-authorization.  

Manual authorization means that someone on site must approve all transactions prior to any dispensing. If you’ve ever been at a site where an attendant must pump all gas, this is likely an instance where they’re using the manual settings. 

In instances of pre-authorization, the POS system allows a transaction to happen once the payment, usually credit or prepaid fuel card, is approved. If you have ever gone to a 24-hour site that is unattended, this is set to pre-approval. 

In either case, the Point-of-Sale System is providing a gate keeper function in the fueling transaction to make sure that only approved fuel dispenses happen. 

Sending the Signal

Now that we know the transaction is authorized, the dispenser will reset the displays and get ready to dispense fuel.  

In order to create the pressure needed in the fuel lines to dispense it, the Red Jacket® Submersible Turbine Pump will need to be activated.  

This is done when the dispenser signals the other key equipment in the process, the ISOTROL 1-8 Control Box, which notifies the TLS-450PLUS ATG. At that point the ATG sends a relay signal to the Red Jacket IQ Smart Control to start the Red Jacket STP and create pressure in the fueling lines.

Now What? 

Next week, we’re discussing how the fuel is pumped from the tank and to the dispenser, including the different modes available. 

You can find more information on every step of the process here

If you have any questions or would like to purchase Veeder-Root and Red Jacket Products, visit us online at www.johnwkennedyco.com or call us at 1.800.451.4021.

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
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How Does it Work? Behind the Scenes of Filling Up

Veeder-Root

For most people, getting gas for their vehicle is an unavoidable, routine part of life. We do it because we have to do it.  

And while we all know how to operate a gas pump, most don’t realize that there’s a symphony of sensors and probes working together to keep the fuel flowing safely and efficiently. 

Today, we’re tackling the first piece of the fueling process, activating the dispenser.

Car Fill Up

Gas Pump vs. Fuel Dispenser 

Yes, there is a big difference between gas pumps and fuel dispensers, even though people use the words interchangeably. 

Some countries use gas pumps, which use a pumping device inside the unit to create suction. The pump pulls fuel out of the storage tank and dispenses it through the product lines and nozzles. 

In North America, we use fuel dispensers. These units work on a pressurized system using a submersible turbine pump immersed in the underground storage tanks to deliver fuel to the dispenser. 

Activating the Dispenser 

So what really happens? The customer pulls up to the dispenser, starts a transaction using a Point-of-Sale system like Passport®, removes the nozzle, and selects a grade.  

A signal is sent to the Red Jacket® ISOTROL™ 1-8 Control Box. The control box isolates signals from the dispensers, and protects against wiring shorts and phasing issues.  

The ISOTROL notifies the TLS-450PLUS Automatic Tank Gauge to activate the  Red Jacket® IQ Smart Control Box and submersible turbine pump

Now What? 

Next week, we’re breaking down the authorization process and how Veeder-Root’s integrated site solutions work together to provide a safe and seamless consumer experience at the gas station. 

You can find more information on every step of the process here.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase Veeder-Root and Red Jacket Products, visit us online at www.johnwkennedyco.com or call us at 1.800.451.4021.

 
 

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
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Vendor Spotlight: Introducing Freedom Electronics

Freedom ElectronicsThe Kennedy Company Proudly Adds Freedom Electronics To Our Webstore

These days, retail gas stations are almost forced to run on low margins and keep expenses down to stay profitable due to the highly competitive nature of the business. It’s always nice to have affordable options when needed repairs come down the pike to the equipment that provides your bread and butter.  This is also true for those small service companies and independent service technicians that don’t have big operating budgets as well.

 Freedom Electronics provides re-manufactured, repaired, and re-engineered parts & products for the fuel dispenser, tank monitoring and point of sale (POS) systems that are used in C-Stores across the US and Canada at very reasonable prices.

Freedom Electronic PrintersFreedom Electronics provides over 2,300 SKUs* to 600+ customers. If we don’t have it in stock or you can’t find it on the John W. Kennedy website, it is likely that Freedom Electronics has it in stock and we can get it for you!

Matter of fact, if we don’t have it in stock and you order directly through our site or call us at 1.800.238.1225 by 1:30PM Eastern Time, Freedom Electronics ships 80% of all orders the same day!

Freedom Electronics Re-Manufacturing Process

 

 

Total Quality Program – Systemized Re-manufacturing process has been engineered for the highest quality levels, with standardized repair processes, computerized testing equipment and cross-checking process by a Quality Control Technician before it is shipped or put into stock.

 

 

 

Freedom Electronics -Kennesaw, GA

 

Freedom Electronics was founded in 1998, has grown to offer a 21,000 square foot facility equipped with state-of-the art re-manufacturing, testing, and fulfillment systems and processes. To support their continued growth, they recently added an additional 6,000 square feet.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to their proven expertise and commitment to excellence, you can trust Freedom Electronics to supply and support new and expertly re-manufactured parts that ensure uninterrupted revenue generation while minimizing costly downtime.

 

* Editor’s Note: We have only recently begun populating both our system and eCommerce site with Freedom Electronics products, beginning with their most popular choices.  Do not hesitate to contact us at 1.800.238.1225 if you can not find what you are looking!

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!

 

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Franklin Fueling “Let’s Be Frank” Episode 8 Podcast: EVO Series Training with Ben Thomas

Let's Be Frank with Kali Kinziger

Welcome to the latest episode of
Franklin Fueling’s
Let’s Be Frank
podcasts hosted by
Kali Kinziger.

Let’s Be Frank podcasts are perfect to introduce newbies to the petroleum equipment industry; from the latest products, new technology, install and maintenance tips and tricks to brushing up on the latest industry trends.

 


Let's Be Frank Episode 8: EVO Series Training with Ben ThomasIn this episode Kali chats with the founder of UST Training, Ben Thomas, who has been helping UST operators stay in compliance since 1987 and training Class A/B and C UST operators for the last 17 years. Ben shares the perspective of how c-store operators interact with EVO™ Series Automatic Tank Gauges.

 

 

 

Check out the EVO Series of products on our website.

Let's Be Frank - How To Listen
Listen on Let's Be FrankRead Kali’s blog and listen
to her podcasts directly on
befrank.ffspro.com
Listen on Apple PodcastsSearch: “Franklin
Fueling Systems” on
Apple Podcasts
Listen on SpotifySearch: “Let’s Be Frank” or
“Franklin Fueling Systems” on
Spotify
FranklinFueling.com
FFSPRO Site Builder FFSPRO Advantage FFSPRO Verify FFSPRO University

The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!

 

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