Cronic water in gas tank

[krosemond]

Just replied to a post and it got me thinking. For the 2nd time this year, my cannister fuel filter/h20 separator has filled up with water. 60 gallon in-hull tank (22 years old) that I rarely fill up. I just don't like carrying around 30 gallons of fuel I will never burn in a day. Is it condensation? The tank is foamed in, with no bilge, so I can't imagine water getting in that way. Here is another thought: the air vent for the tank is about 6" below the rub rail on the outside of the hull, angled aft. I imagine some water might get in there during washdown, but I am very aware of not spraying into it. Still a quart of water after burning 200 gallons of gas still seems like a lot. What gives?

 

[MarkC]

Re: Cronic water in gas tank

If you have a flush on-deck filler thing, could it be the gasket on filler cap isn't sealing? <br /><br />If it's the vent, they do make special vents that supposedly keep water out...

 

[DanMcK]

Re: Cronic water in gas tank

krosemond; I have 96 Gal fuel tank in My 21' Bayliner CC. Like You, I seldom fill the tank . Not keeping the tank full can cause condensation. To make matters worse my tank is a belly tank and I trailer. That nice warm fuel tank hits that cool water , You know it is going to sweat. I also have lots of water in my fuel from time to time. To me it sounds like You are getting water from the place where you buy your fuel.It is a good thing We have water seperating filters. Only thing to do is keep an eye on it and keep draining Your seperator. Good Luck.

 

[krosemond]

Re: Cronic water in gas tank

After posting, I thought about it. It is probably a combination of all of the above. It happened at the beach. Major humidity in the air. Dew happened last week in a 20 knot NE wind. When it is calm, the boat gets a free rinsing from the dew. And my obervation about the amount of fuel burned is moot. Water sinks to the bottom. So the boat in the water at the coast in high humidity, running every day, it might fill the separator faster than usual. So what I am getting here is: Check all entries into the tank, and watch the filter. I carry a spare, and when it sputters, I know the first place to look. I buy my fuel in many different places. I trailer the boat. I would rather understand and watch this situation than carry around more fuel than necessary. And on the days I venture out into the ocean, draining the filter might be SOP before leaving. I was just afraid that someone might come up with something I should be concerned with. Thanks for the input.

 

[ram]

Re: Cronic water in gas tank

Years ago I had the same problem in a smaller boat. It was coming in the vent! YOU COULD TRY A "TRAP" IN THAT VENT LINE. Blessings!