As the title suggests I seem to be having some difficulty removing all of the water in my fuel tank. She's afloat and has a full 300 ltr tank which I'm disinclined to throw away. Can anyone recommend a useful product for dealing with this?
Oh and no WillK I am NOT looking for a box of matches!
The water will sink to the bottom of the tank. The pickup for the fuel may not be at the very bottom of the tank. So my first step would be on a calm day (so fuel and water and not getting mixed) to put a long piece of thin hose down the fuel filler to the bottom of the tank (and it the boat is stern heavy, to the rear of the tank). Then attach some sort of pump to other end of the hose (something like the oil extraction pumps that GelPlane make under the "pela" brand would be ideal, but there are cheaper pumps without the "resevoir" available. Electric pump may not be a good idea for obvious reasons.
If you really want to get your fuel dry after that or you think you only have a small amount in there to start with then you might want to try aquasock (not checked if suitable for petrol or only diesel).
Quicksilver used to make a small cage full of hydrophillic powder that absorbs the water from the fuel. You simply lower the cage into the fuel tank and it goes to work.
Clearly it's limited and can only take so much out.
"Disparaged.........." I'll have to get back to you on THAT one!
Polwart - I've been running the engine and draining from the double in line filters that I fitted. I'd say that I have probably removed some 3 litres or so by now. I'm hoping I have found the source as it was sweet water I reckoned it could only be either the vent or the filler with a possibility of the sender flange. I'm down to occasionally finding a little in the filter bowls now so I'm hoping that a product will do the business for me now. I'll check out aquasock, Chris's powder...... oh and "disparaged" and get back to you!
where do you fill up? any risk it is coming in with the fuel (which means you are paying £1.30/L+ for water !) - condensation is another possibility if you have large tanks sitting nearly empty - especially if they are metal - although 3L seems a lot for that.
Filling station - yes wondered about that myself. I may ask around and see if any others have similar experience here. I'm using the pontoon fuelling station in Rosas marina. Yes it's definitely too much for condensation, especially as the tanks are always nigh on full.
Filling station - yes wondered about that myself. I may ask around and see if any others have similar experience here. I'm using the pontoon fuelling station in Rosas marina. Yes it's definitely too much for condensation, especially as the tanks are always nigh on full.
You bought 3L of water at the fuel barge. Which honestly is a HUGE amount of water.
You're best "cure" is to find another place to get gasoline although you may get some relief by complaining to the fuel people, although I kind of doubt it.
3L is a bit of a guestimate as I have been draining for a good few weeks. I'll never know whether it really was the fuel station as I inherited the fuel in the tank when I bought the boat and as I say I have found 2 other potential sources of the water. Anyhow - is that not all academic since it's in there (or some is). I have 2 viable choices for fuel here. I've already "fallen out" with the lazy B@stards at one station leaving me with this one or a life of lugging fuel around in jerry cans in quantities of one to two hundred litres at a time. Hobson's eh?
Eastern Thunder
Northern Exposure 5
!) - condensation is another possibility if you have large tanks sitting nearly empty - especially if they are metal - although 3L seems a lot for that.
