It seems my water separator filter is filing up with water more frequently lately. In addition to normal interval replacements is there anything wrong with just taking it off and dumping the gas/water out and replacing the filter back on?
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Water seperators
- Thread starter Roy
- Start date
If this is for gasoline, is it E10 gasohol? If so , there is good chance the fuel has phase-separated if you have that much water, and both layers could be very damaging to the engine(s).
If using straight , non-ethanol gas only , the water sinks to the bottom and can be pumped out from the bottom until only gas is coming out and it is ok to dump water out of the separator ( not into sea water) and refill with fresh gas and reinstall.
But since you apparently have a serious water in fuel problem , better find the source now. Most likely source by far is a missing or cracked O-ring at the filler cap or a poor-design vent-in-filler fitting allowing water in which should be replaced with better setup.
Could also be water leaking down to sit on top of the tank and getting in through a cracked sender gasket , or just bad source for fuel, or for some reason someone doesn't like your boat. You need to stop water getting in!
If using straight , non-ethanol gas only , the water sinks to the bottom and can be pumped out from the bottom until only gas is coming out and it is ok to dump water out of the separator ( not into sea water) and refill with fresh gas and reinstall.
But since you apparently have a serious water in fuel problem , better find the source now. Most likely source by far is a missing or cracked O-ring at the filler cap or a poor-design vent-in-filler fitting allowing water in which should be replaced with better setup.
Could also be water leaking down to sit on top of the tank and getting in through a cracked sender gasket , or just bad source for fuel, or for some reason someone doesn't like your boat. You need to stop water getting in!
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2017
- RO Number
- 33941
- Messages
- 72
I had the same issue. I let mine sit overnight and early in the morning when the water was calm I hooked up a compressor to the vent line for the tank and pressurized my tank. I ran the line that normally ran to the carb up to a 55 gallon drum through a clear line. I watched the fuel coming out until the water and contaminates were gone. I then topped off with fresh gas. That way the fuel was picked up by the in tank fuel pickup and the water and heavy crud came off the bottom where they would normally be found instead of at some undetermined depth using a siphon hose. This also keeps running electric pumps out of the engine bay area where gas fumes could collect. When I say hooked up a compressor, I mean pumped the tank up to only about 3 PSI just enough to get fuel flowing not enough to get the tank to split down the side LOL. This left about 20 gallons in a 125 gallon tank. I ran some of the "gas only" that was remaining into a gas can and tested by running this through the pressure washer as I cleaned the boat. It burned fine and ran on it so I topped off what was left with 100 gallons of new fuel. As for the separators, I bought a stockpile of 18-7846 Cierra separators and will be changing them frequently just in case. But it is OK just to pour them out and refill with fresh fuel as needed. The difficulty is what to do with your "fill gas" while underway. You want to have some for "just in case" while under way. I am keeping a spare fuel can with 2 gallons of gas strapped to the aft railing of the houseboat. It gave one of the guys a laugh at the dock. He asked how far I thought 2 gallons of gas was going to get me in a houseboat that size. (He doesn't do any of his own maintenance so I excused the ignorance of his comment.)
River Runner- Pressurizing the tank in that manner would not get anything off the bottom or any of the layer below the pickup. Sure , you will see all-gas flow, but underway water or gomph from the bottom could still mix in and be sucked into the system. Depending on the tank volume below the pickup that could contain quite a lot of water, etc..
And if there is a filter sock on the pickup. any debris remains in the tank or on the sock.
Much more effective would be to remove the sender and "polish" by recirculating fuel picked up right at the bottom and returned to the bottom to stir things up, with large polishing filter/separator in the circuit. Using a pump certified for use with gasoline of course and protected connections and switch well away from fumes. This assumes the fuel is not phase-separated e10 gasohol which should be removed.
I consider dumping filter/separator contents and reusing element only a reasonable emergency get-home measure if for some reason new spares are not available onboard as they should be on any boat. But sometimes the replacements clog and need to be dumped as you suggest, with some good risk of allowing particles to pass to the outlet side..
Hopefully, you you have the type of filter with a drainable bowl with potential to keep you going after a quick drain even though the metal bowl drains ( unless your engines are O/B's) are a PIA since they don't have petcocks. Unfrotunately, just that draining doesn't allow helpful refill.
As for keeping spare fresh filter-filling gas onboard, how about a sturdy quart can of already-stabilized straight gas Tru-Fuel or similar available at every hardware store? It's pricey, but then how often is it needed if you maintain fuel system as best you can?
I've had my present boat since 1995 and somehow have never once had to replace a clogged fuel filter/separator running about 200 hrs/year worth of fuel through 2 tanks and 4 filter separators . Knock on fiberglass.... But I do keep a couple sets of each type onboard and correct filter wrenches to potentially deal with replacement.
And if there is a filter sock on the pickup. any debris remains in the tank or on the sock.
Much more effective would be to remove the sender and "polish" by recirculating fuel picked up right at the bottom and returned to the bottom to stir things up, with large polishing filter/separator in the circuit. Using a pump certified for use with gasoline of course and protected connections and switch well away from fumes. This assumes the fuel is not phase-separated e10 gasohol which should be removed.
I consider dumping filter/separator contents and reusing element only a reasonable emergency get-home measure if for some reason new spares are not available onboard as they should be on any boat. But sometimes the replacements clog and need to be dumped as you suggest, with some good risk of allowing particles to pass to the outlet side..
Hopefully, you you have the type of filter with a drainable bowl with potential to keep you going after a quick drain even though the metal bowl drains ( unless your engines are O/B's) are a PIA since they don't have petcocks. Unfrotunately, just that draining doesn't allow helpful refill.
As for keeping spare fresh filter-filling gas onboard, how about a sturdy quart can of already-stabilized straight gas Tru-Fuel or similar available at every hardware store? It's pricey, but then how often is it needed if you maintain fuel system as best you can?
I've had my present boat since 1995 and somehow have never once had to replace a clogged fuel filter/separator running about 200 hrs/year worth of fuel through 2 tanks and 4 filter separators . Knock on fiberglass.... But I do keep a couple sets of each type onboard and correct filter wrenches to potentially deal with replacement.