cleaning 50 gallons of fuel
- Thread starter dougg
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newbury
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
- Messages
- 14,164
- Location
- From Vt, in Va, retiring to MS
- Tractor
- Kubota's - B7610, M4700
Captain Dirty
Platinum Member
Simple (lazy man's) answer: Let time and gravity work for you, fuel floats on water so the water should settle out.
A bulk fuel storage tank should have a drain at the lowest point as well as a draw off fitting some distance (short, like a few inches for a tank less than a few thousand gallons capacity) above the drain. The draw off fitting may be a tube that extends from the top of the tank to a short distance above the bottom. This is so the bottoms, sediment, and water (BSW) can collect at the bottom of the tank and not be drawn off with the fuel. You can check the amount of BSW either by drawing off some fuel into a glass jar to see if the BSW is above the draw off point or by smearing water finding paste, which changes color when it contacts water, on a stick and "sticking" the tank from the top. You might be able to get water finding paste from a local gasoline station, fuel dealer, or the like. If you Google "Oil gaging supplies" you will find places that sell pastes, usually by the dozens of tubes or jars, but one jar could last you a decade if you keep it tightly capped so humidity doesn't activate it. Alternatively you could periodically drain about a gallon of BSW in to a glass jar. If the draining is a third or more fuel you should be able to draw off fuel without any BSW. Let the drainings settle, decant or filter the floating fuel, and use it.
RjCorazza
Elite Member
If I knew my fuel was water contaminated I would start with draining off the bottom of the tank as Captain Dirty states, then use a Mr Funnel, then install a water block filter on the normal use pump.
The funnels are a great way to handle contaminated fuel, and some folks use them as a regular device while filling their machines. I don't have the patience to use them regularly though.
The funnels are a great way to handle contaminated fuel, and some folks use them as a regular device while filling their machines. I don't have the patience to use them regularly though.