Installing a fuel polishing system

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by rfadler

I found my tank has a drain plug that I'm going to use as the pick-up source for the fuel polisher. That way I should eliminate the sludge at the bottom of the tank.

The danger of that is of course if you ever develop a leak or bust a hose, your whole tank ends up dumped into the bilge.
On Bulk tanks its very common for there to be a drain at the lowest point, you drain a little every now and again looking for water and if you find it of course drain until you only get fuel.

If I could build a tank, then I would be much more likely to consider a polisher, I'd have the pick up tube and the return both on the bottom and try to place the return in such a way that it caused a current to mix the tank or at least flow the bottom fuel around.
But I'm like I believe almost all boat owners, I would have to work with what is there already, which for me means the dip tubes meant for a generator install, which are so close to each other, likely I'd mostly be pumping the same fuel around in a circle, and not sure how much flow I could get out of a 3/8" hose either

[DeepFrz]

Stu, if I may. You have lived in an area where you were not very likely of getting bio contamination growing in your tank. Colder water, drier atmosphere. You are now living in a very different climate and I caution you to not take fuel contamination lightly. You are much more likely to end up with water in your tank which may hasten the bio growth. However, have you ever taken a close look at the insides of your tank?

About Steve D'Antonio: Oh no, the emperor has no clothes...

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Stu, if I may. You have lived in an area where you were not very likely of getting bio contamination growing in your tank. Colder water, drier atmosphere. You are now living in a very different climate and I caution you to not take fuel contamination lightly. You are much more likely to end up with water in your tank which may hasten the bio growth. However, have you ever taken a close look at the insides of your tank?

Thanks for the warning. Could you explain why? Thanks.

[DeepFrz]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Thanks for the warning. Could you explain why? Thanks.

I thought I did.

You are now living in a very different climate

Actually, you are now living in a temperate rain forest climate, although where you have your boat, not far from where I used to own an acreage, on the edge of the rain forest.

Thanks for your blog. I enjoyed your trip up the wet coast (pun intended).

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I thought I did.

Actually, you are now living in a temperate rain forest climate, although where you have your boat, not far from where I used to own an acreage, on the edge of the rain forest.

Thanks for your blog. I enjoyed your trip up the wet coast (pun intended).

Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it and experiencing it all.

Not to be dense (pi!) but I "get" rain. What I don't understand is the differences you suggest I might expect because it's wetter here than SF. I am thoroughly familiar with the area, having visited here regularly for the past 20 years. It rains, it's wet. But with a secure fill cap, the only opening to the fuel tank is the vent. I am an air conditioning engineer. I get humidity, too.

But why would I expect to have more problems. Really, not pulling your leg or anything. Just trying to learn and get more local knowledge. Thanks.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Not joking, not exaggerating.

Energy is never wasted, we turn on the polisher to increase the load on our 10kw generator which runs 1-2 hours per day in anchorages or when underway if we have the motor running.

Fair enough. But weekly polishing is just not needed. Not even monthly really. Quarterly OK... Unless you have one of the really slow flow rate systems that run whenever you have spare energy.

Seems your power generation system is all out of balance if you have to switch on an amp or two of pump to increase the load! Perhaps a smaller generator

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Not to be dense (pi!) but I "get" rain. What I don't understand is the differences you suggest I might expect because it's wetter here than SF. I am thoroughly familiar with the area, having visited here regularly for the past 20 years. It rains, it's wet. But with a secure fill cap, the only opening to the fuel tank is the vent. I am an air conditioning engineer. I get humidity, too.

But why would I expect to have more problems. Really, not pulling your leg or anything. Just trying to learn and get more local knowledge. Thanks.

He might be getting at the sistuation where if you leave your tank part empty and live in an area with wide temperature variations, and leave your boat out of the water, and allow the sun to shine on it to head it up (not a realistic situation for most of us but often quoted). The air in the tank heats up and expands out of the vent, then the tank cools and pulls in moist air from outside. Condensation forms in the tank and you get water in your fuel.

As I said the above is often quoted in literature but really refers to, small, tanks used for domestic heating or standby power systems etc.. that do change temperature.

Cruising boats, in the water, just don't have this pumping issue. You can buy little devices for your vent to help prevent the ingress of moisture this way too if you feel the need.

I polish my fuel every now and again when I come across somebody with a portable system that I can borrow. I have seem commercial operations that charge so much that the first clean that they do must repay their capital investment - good business to get into! I'll install a pump and filters/perpetrator one day just for convenience.

Otherwise I polish it through the filter/seperator to the day tank and then through another Racor then the engine's fuel filter

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Littlechay

Fair enough. But weekly polishing is just not needed. Not even monthly really. Quarterly OK... Unless you have one of the really slow flow rate systems that run whenever you have spare energy.

Seems your power generation system is all out of balance if you have to switch on an amp or two of pump to increase the load! Perhaps a smaller generator

You're missing the point. The generator produces max power whenever it's running to charge the batteries. We cook (electric cook tops), charge, make freshwater and polish all at the same time. Because of this and having a large generator, we don't need to run it as often. Thus saving power and using the genset efficiently at it's max.

Your understanding of the way a boat generates power and self sufficiency while at anchorages seems to be "all out of balance."

Big genset + large battery charger = less run time = less fuel used.

The polishing system flow rate is 150 gallons per hour.

[DeepFrz]

Stu, I don't think Vancouver Island is any worse place for bio growth in fuel tanks than other places where it rains a lot but you have to be careful. As has been mentioned several times at least in this thread the engine fuel pickup does not reach to the bottom of the tank. Any water that gets into the tank will stay there and cause problems. One just has to be very careful. Fueling in the rain can put water in the tank and depending on where and how you sail that may be an inevitable thing. Anyway that's about all I can think of. Good luck and enjoy your new environs. I loved Van. Isl. but had to leave the area for a number of reasons.

[DeepFrz]

Oh, LittleChay, I wasn't referring at all to the expansion/contraction of fuel or air in the tank. Its just that when you live in a very wet environment it is difficult to keep things dry.

[kmacdonald]

If you use your boat enough a fuel polishing system is snake oil. It may be worth it as a placebo for some.

[transmitterdan]

A diesel engine polishes its own fuel as it runs. I have a Yanmar 4JH3e and our boat has 2 fuel tanks. I ran a test wherein we ran the engine for 2 hours taking fuel from one tank and returning it to the other tank. I wanted to transfer fuel from one side to the other and had no other easy way to do it. The return tank took on about 30 gallons of fuel over that 2 hour period. So basically every hour the engine runs it polishes about 15 gallons of fuel. So to me a separate fuel polishing system would seem to be a waste of money and a source of extra leaks. I think all diesel engines work the same way. When running they return a lot more clean fuel to the tank than they burn.

And if you have a bunch of sludge stuck to the walls of your tank no amount of polishing will clean it out. That requires scrubbing or power washing inside the tank.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You're missing the point. The generator produces max power whenever it's running to charge the batteries. We cook (electric cook tops), charge, make freshwater and polish all at the same time. Because of this and having a large generator, we don't need to run it as often. Thus saving power and using the genset efficiently at it's max.

Your understanding of the way a boat generates power and self sufficiency while at anchorages seems to be "all out of balance."

Not missing the point at all and I'm very in balance with this mate!

You said you put the polisher on to load the generator - like your suffering from an under-loaded generator - think about it!

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

A diesel engine polishes its own fuel as it runs.

Exactly - I said this up there ^^^^ somewhere, but those who have bought the gadgets won't choose to get it

But usually the return on a multi tank setup goes back to the day tank so you only polish the daytank with your engine, unless your running a single tank system then all is good

Of course if you don't use your boat or engine or generator then you may need to polish your fuel!

[Kenomac]

And so it continues..... but now on a different thread.