HOW TO ELIMINATE WATER IN THE GAS TANK Pt 2

 

HOW TO ELIMINATE WATER IN THE GAS TANK  Pt 2

Any work on a fuel system requires the upmost of care and concern for safety. Do not tackle this job if you have the least bit of question. Hire a pro, however an understanding of the process is necessary so you can check the boat over after the first fueling . The boat owner will also want to check the tank are over the first few weeks for possible leaks.

There is more than one way to clean up a contaminated fuel tank, however the best way to really remove debris and water out of the fuel tank, is to hire the services of a fuel scrubber. Have you ever seen a portable fuel scrubber machine? What the scrubber does is it pulls the contaminated fuel from the tank though one line, runs the contaminated fuel thru multiple filters, and returns clean fuel to the tank through a second line. By doing this it moves the fuel completely around the tank and cleans the tank and the fuel at the same time. This is a service that works on diesel or gas. Bad diesel will become a burnable fuel again and gas will clean up and by adding octane booster you burn off the cleaned gas.

If you know of, or can find the services of a fuel scrubber it is a good idea to have them service your vessel at least every two or three years (depending on the running hours) to clean the tank(s). Beware: Full scrubber services, if you have an older boat with a aluminium fuel tank (as the machine cycles the fuel) will remove corrosion and occasionally open small leaks in the  fuel tank. Be sure to have the company who sets up the scrubber, and provides the scrubbing service complete the removal of the sender unit at the fuel tank. The service technician should follow all the safety precautions I outline below and be the only person on the boat while the scrubber is hooked up.

The scrubber machine is portable and can be transported to the dock next to your boat. The machine will run for hours (the time that it needs to run is dictated by the volume and condition of the fuel) to complete the tank and fuel cleaning job.

 

So what if there is no scrubber available?

You will have to work with a manual vacuum pump and draw all the contaminated fuel out of the fuel tank to be disposed of in a responsible way (follow the local disposal laws). The way to do this is to remove the fuel sender from the fuel tank in question, and use this opening for your vacuum access. NOTE: ALL BOAT MANUFACTURERS ARE TO ALLOW AN ACCESS POINT FOR THE FUEL TANK SENDER Before you just undo the sender and remove it there are several steps you must take.

Make sure that there is no one on the boat before you start and keep the boat free of others until you are finished and tested.

1- Disconnect all the batteries on the boat

2- Make sure the shore power is disconnected at the dock

3- Make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated

4- Be sure you have the correct tool to undo the sender screws, the sender screws may require a clean up with a wire brush first as corrosion is not uncommon

5-Do not loose any of the sender screws and if you do or there are screws that are to corroded to reuse you must replace with the correct hardware. do not attempt to replace with any old screw as this is an area were you do not want leaks.

6-Have a correct replacement gasket for the sender on hand to reinstall.

7-When you remove the sender make a note on the direction the float arm faces

8-You must replace the sender facing exactly the same direction otherwise the fuel gauge will receive an unreliable signal.

9-If your are replacing the sender the measurements of the old sender are necessary for the gauge to work properly.

10-Once the sender is replaced and you add fuel be sure to make sure you have no leaks in the tank or the sender seat.

11- verify that you fuel gauge is working correctly

12- Anytime you open up the fuel tank you should mark your initials in the rub rail on the transom, this is a warning that the fuel system has been tampered with after the original install.

 Use only a manual vacuum pump do not use any power pumps or pumps that require a power source . The spark or heat created by any power source can ignite! The fumes from even bad gas are explosive! I recommend that you hire a professional to do this work as the risk of an accident is high.
 

When using the manual vacuum to remove all the fuel (you will need): To transport the fuel to a recycle location in certified gas cans for correct disposal at an authorized fuel recycle location. Once the fuel is removed you can take your time with the manual vacuum and remove as much debris from the tank as you can reach. Quite often there are two lengths of hose with the manual vacuum kit so you can reach along way into the tank. Once you have cleared out the fuel tank as much as possible you will need to reinstall the fuel sender. It is a must that the gasket on the sender be replaced. Boaters can buy these gaskets at your local marine parts store. (If the sender is corroded go ahead and replace it.)

Boaters will want to keep at least two spare filters on board after the cleaning fuel tank, as loose debris that you did not clean out will now be floating in the fuel. The filter will catch this debris and protect the motor. If you do not have an in line canister filter you will need to install one before you start to feed the motor with gas from the recently cleaned fuel tank.

After a self service fuel tank clean out you will also want to add fuel conditioner, not fuel stabilizer. The conditioner helps the motor burn raggedy fuel and suspends particles so the new fuel filter will collect it up without the debris getting to the motor
.

Please remember to keep an eye on the tank for the first few weeks after a cleaning to be sure that no weak spots in the fuel tank have opened up.

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MY FLARE IS PAST ITS PRIME / Flare Disposal?

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MY FLARE IS PAST ITS PRIME

FROM AUSTRALIA:

Whilst it may not directly affect Personal Watercraft (PWCs) operating in NSW, some PWC operators may carry old distress flares that are requirements interstate like QLD. Or as a recreational boater you must carry flares and have some that are well past their use by date.

 

Please note; people are not allowed to hand in expired or unused distress flares to chandler’s (shops, outlets) or leave them with Marine Rescue units along the coast, or dispose of them in rubbish bins.

FROM THE UK:

With regard to disposal of old flares, the Government has created a farcical situation, which I have no doubt will result in very many flares joining the vast quantities of surplus military ordnance from 2 world wars at the bottom of the Hurd Deep and many of the other deep trenches around the European coast line. A more ecologically friendly solution is urgently required.  

Who is going to be out walking in filthy weather looking out to sea???  Pyrotechnics have had their day, but I believe France insists in them being carried and out of date ones invite a fine!

They are more of a safety hazard than the problem that they were there to solve.

 

When I lived in Coventry I 'disposed' of old flares each year on November 5th , wearing gloves and eye protection.  I took the view that practically no-one in the massively urbanised West Midlands would recognise any of these pyrotechnics as distress signals, and that anyone who did recognise them would simply smile knowingly about someone letting off their old flares on bonfire night.

 

BOAT NUT

Some countries and regions have adopted expired flare disposal programs, after reading of the response in Canada I think we will add flares to our Boating Green in 2916 Program for boaters

 

 

 

 

As Boat Nut Magazine is in the process of setting up our Green Marine Program and reading the discussion about flare disposal. We will be adding flare disposal to our agenda.

The Canadian Government legislated that all recreational boats must carry the appropriate number of marine flares for the size of boat, but they did not include methods of disposing of the expired flares.
Boaters must replace their flares every four years, thus creating a large buildup of expired flares in storage barns, garages etc, because boaters can't find out how to dispose of them properly.
Some are doing the unthinkable....
We have heard from boaters in Ontario in several places where they have been told to "soak the flares in water overnight and put them in the regular garbage". Many flares have a waterproof coating so the water may NOT get through leaving the chemicals active. Flares are not only explosive but are also hazardous waste and, although soaking them in water could prevent them flaring up, the chemicals are still there and should not go in the regular garbage. Putting the soaked flares in the garbage could put them in contact with other chemicals, causing even more serious consequences. Gases that could be produced could also be hazardous to human health.

Explosives and hazardous chemicals as those found in flares should be handled carefully and taken to a hazardous waste site for proper disposal.

After dozens of phone calls to people who I though should know, like our municipality, fire departments, OPP, Marinas, Power Squadrons, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Boating Ontario, Boaters, Fisheries and Oceans, Associations, our MPP's office and the Office of Boating Safety, I was somewhat frustrated because none of them could give me a proper procedure for disposing of expired marine flares.
Believe it or not, most just said "if you find out, let me know". But I was persistent and it paid off.

CIL/Orion's Cradle to Grave Policy

Finally, The Office of Boating Safety returned my most recent call and said they had followed up on my request and found a document that would answer my questions. It was  CIL/Orion's "cradle to grave policy" for CIL/Orion Marine Distress signals. I then called the president of CIL/Orion and learned that this 2009 policy is still in effect and Canadian boaters can send CIL/Orion Flares to them for disposal. They will accept other brands of flares, but there is an additional charge.
There are several brands of flares on the Canadian Market, but CIL/Orion is the only Canadian Manufacturer. They have been working with several levels of government and boating associations and police to get a proper policy in place. With so many agencies involved in the decision making, there is always one that won't co-operate so nothing gets done.
Getting permission for a state-of-the-art-disposal site is one stumbling block and the other is the gathering and shipping of the flares. For an individual boater with a few expired flares, it could cost him $50 - $70 to ship them to CIL/Orion.
Until the committee comes up with something better, it makes more sense for several boaters or even a marina or association or club to get together and split the cost of shipping expired flares back to CIL/Orion.

The Procedure for Disposing of Expired Marine Flares

So, thanks to CIL/Orion, we have a procedure for disposal of their flares. We would advise Canadian boaters to get together in groups, make a list of all the expired flares and send the list to  CIL/Orion. They will send you the right size and number of packages appropriately labeled "Explosive and Hazardous Material" for Purolator and the cost involved. Once received, you can fill the boxes then ship via Purolator to CIL/Orion.
This may not be the perfect answer, but it seems to be the best Canadian boaters have at the present time. We would recommend boaters in other countries contact the company who makes the flares and ask for a procedure to dispose of them.

Brenda Dawson

December 2011

 

To guarantee access to all of  Boat Nut Magazine articles, pictures and featured services visit the official Boat Nut Magazine ©™ website. Be sure to reply to the Boat Nut Association registration on our site for the latest Boat Nut weekly and monthly news letters and opportunities.

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Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided

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