Water in fuel tank problem solved

[garpe]

Hi all
Have been working on an idea to stop condensation and water ingress through tank breathers as i see alot of posters here have this problem.

What is needed one T piece, two low pressure Check or non return valves and an air compressor Dessecant filter all with fittings the same size as your vent line. #Most of this can be aquired from your local air compressor shop.

How to install #
Where vent line comes up under the gunnal cut the line and install the T peice.
Fit one check valve on the vent line after the T piece so expanding vapour can be exhaled through the existing breather. Now install another piece of tubing and the other Check valve so air can only be drawn into the tank, from here you just fit suitable lengh of tubing to the accessable location for fitting of your dryer filter.These are only the size of a can of beer.

Summary #All fuel vapour venting is out original vent with no return allowed by the check valve.
All air entering your tank is being dried by Dessecant such as silica gel which is protected from contamination by a chech valve.
When silica gel turns pink signalling moisture it just has to be cooked at 120C in the oven to recharge.

Hope this helps someone as ill be fitting it to my boat.'

cheers all Peter

[StevenM]

Some pics of the end product Peter

might be very helpfull to a few who are having the same drama

cheers

Steven

[garpe]

Hi Steven
The boat i'm having done up won't be finished for a while so pic will have to wait sorry. You would think this set up would be benificial to anyone boating north of Sydney as condensation in fuel tanks occurs unless tanks are left full. I'll try attaching a drawing.
The whole setup can be hidden under the gunnal and your air intake can be tubed to cabin or under console/dash where water is never seen.
I've seen suggestions of people moving there vents above hardtops and so forth which is not a great idea if leaving tanks full as fuel normally vents on hot days if the tanks are to full.

cheers Peter

[garpe]

Hope this attach works

[garpe]

try again

[Glenn_Woods]

Does sillica gel absorb or react with fuel vapours.

Woodsy

[garpe]

Woodsy
We use sillica gel at work on natural gas skids as instrument gas driers and have no problems. Thats in a hydrocarbon enviroment.
This should not be an issue as the check valve should not let any fuel vapours into the inlet line, only clean air coming into the tank through the sillica gel.

cheers Peter G

[garpe]

[quote][/quoteBM
Ausfish Bronze Member




Ausfish.com.au

Re: Perspex Windscreens
« Reply #8 - on: 28. Nov 2006 at 22:37 » Industries have standard procedures and ways of doing things that have been established over time.

All too often peopel try to take something from one industry and apply it to another withotu the intrinsic knowledge of its application inthe other industry.

Bit like the post recently about keeping condensation from an underfloor fuel tank. From an industry perspective, disaster waiting to happen.

While there is always room for improvement in any design, random meddling particularly with a fuel system on a boat is a recipe for disaster.

Engine manufacturers keep (amoung other things) their fuel systems very simple and for good reason. If its simple it cannot be stuffed up.

I have seen the most elaborate engineering type arrangements on boat fuel systems and they usually result in blown up engines. BM ]BM
Ausfish Bronze Member






I find this interesting as there was no reply on this post , give me your views BM.
The arrangement i put forward has nothing to do with the fuel system of a motor at all, except removing the possibility of water ingress to the tank carrying into the motor which should still have filter fitted. The engine Manufacturers you refer to don't have inspection of your fuel tank in your boat before selling you a motor as this has nothing to do with there fuel system, it is merely a supply.

I look forward to your worldly views for all to see BM

Peter

[Roughasguts]

Mate, very simple and should be effective and worth a shot.
But you got to test it over time.

Don't get me wrong i'm not having a go, I like to re design thing me self.

Just wondering about those non return valves, whats in the guts of them.
Stainless steel ball' and spring' on a plastic seat, if so that may be
problem number one' in a salt inviroment. What are there chances of sticking open or closed.

Just wondering cause the Airconditioner parts work in a sealed enviroment they work in gas and a small amount of oil.
And all the air is sucked out of the unit.
(sure and some condensed moist air) which the drier does remove.

But Not a salt air open enviroment, with plenty of moist air, and no lubricant for those non return valves.

Cheers.

[garpe]

Rough
The non return valves can be as simple as a marble with plastic seat as they do with the fuel siphon jiggers. I'll do a search and post results latter on. Thanks for the reply and the whole idea was to try and help people as simply as poss , can be redesigned to suit. I beleive that if someone like a fuel filter supplier wanted to they could make this unit out of plastic and it would not have to be any bigger than a can of beer.
love beer PG

[Roughasguts]

Garpe, nuthen wrong with new ideas, has to be a better way of doing every thing.
Just takes someone with a fresh approach to get the ball rolling.

My fuel problem isn't water contamination, it's using enough of it, to keep it fresh.

Opposite of beer... always fresh, but never enough supply.

[brettski3]

dont you need air to go in and out of a fuel tank? a non return will not allow air movement in one direction and then you get no fuel

[garpe]

Brettski3
The non return valves work opposite directions and only operate to make sure all air going into the tank comes through the sillica gel housing (dryer) and all gas venting goes through non return valve to vent. This is why you need the twin lines after the T with a non return valves on each line in different directions.
cheers Peter

[Abu]

We use the dessicant (silca gel) on our vehicles and depending on the humidity they can turn pink in less than a day.........might be a bit of a pain in the tropics.

[garpe]

Abu
Thanks for the input and could you let me know.
Is the application on your work vehicles on the fuel tank breathers and if so what size tanks and consumption.
I must admit i have not hooked this system up yet as my boat is in the shop, I thought it might work as the tank normally breaths at change of temp or when emptying and the average boat tank should not have to displace alot of air.
My original idea was to hook up a silica gel bulb on the vent when the boat was stored between trips then i thought why not fulltime. I suppose if you have water traps and your tank is not going to corrode with water in it then you have no worries.
I think i'll try the set up but definitely interested in your experiences before i do.

Cheers Peter

[Glenn_Woods]

Hi Garpe. The silica is on the up stream side of the NRV. This would expose it continuosly to moist air giving it a shortened life. What about 3 NRV's. Thats 2 inline on the suction/intake line in same airflow direction.

Breather opening----NRV-----silica----NRV----T

The silica is only active when air is drawn in. What do you think.

Woodsy

[garpe]

Woodsy
Sounds good that would definitely lenghen the life between baking in the oven. As this is still only an idea I am looking forward to input and very interested to hear back from Abu about his work vehicles. I still think it has merit.
Cheers and thanks for the input.
Peter