Debris in the fuel tank

[mrsmelly]

My boat has drainage pipes directly from the very base of the fuel tanks with stop cocks that can simply drain off directly from the bottom of the tanks. It's only a colecraft Hull, nowt special but I know they build hulls without them for some reason. 

[bizzard]

34 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

My boat has drainage pipes directly from the very base of the fuel tanks with stop cocks that can simply drain off directly from the bottom of the tanks. It's only a colecraft Hull, nowt special but I know they build hulls without them for some reason. 

I take it it is an integral tank across the stern with the rudder stock tube poking up out of it. If so ,with the usual bows up attitude I doubt you'd get all or much of the water out, if any, the tanks base is almost certainly slanting slightly upwards too and water will settle at the back of it. Do it when in dry dock when the boats on the level. This is why a pump is needed to aim its flexible pick up pipe to the rear and rear corners of the tank.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, bizzard said:

I take it it is an integral tank across the stern with the rudder stock tube poking up out of it. If so ,with the usual bows up attitude I doubt you'd get all or much of the water out, if any, the tanks base is almost certainly slanting slightly upwards too and water will settle at the back of it. Do it when in dry dock when the boats on the level. This is why a pump is needed to aim its flexible pick up pipe to the rear and rear corners of the tank.

Yes, spot on Bizz. The drain offs would rake the majority out though as they are at the very bottom on the tanks. 

[bizzard]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes, spot on Bizz. The drain offs would rake the majority out though as they are at the very bottom on the tanks. 

You say ''tanks'' So I take it they are two stand alone tanks ? sitting on either side on the swims, If so the drain offs needed to be right at the rear of them to account for the upward slant, unless they are intalled or chocked up level to account for it.

[mrsmelly]

13 minutes ago, bizzard said:

You say ''tanks'' So I take it they are two stand alone tanks ? sitting on either side on the swims, If so the drain offs needed to be right at the rear of them to account for the upward slant, unless they are intalled or chocked up level to account for it.

Yes two tanks, one either side. My boat was built in 2008 so it's to supposedly enable it to comply with red diesel legislation taken by others. One side for propulsion the other for the heating system. It will just be one tank divided by a sheet of steel I spose. 

[bizzard]

6 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes two tanks, one either side. My boat was built in 2008 so it's to supposedly enable it to comply with red diesel legislation taken by others. One side for propulsion the other for the heating system. It will just be one tank divided by a sheet of steel I spose. 

Ok, tanks.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

My boat has drainage pipes directly from the very base of the fuel tanks with stop cocks that can simply drain off directly from the bottom of the tanks. It's only a colecraft Hull, nowt special but I know they build hulls without them for some reason. 

I specified that but the builder forgot to fit it

[blackrose]

I dipped my tank today using a clear 5mm OD/3mm ID rigid PVC pipe and there was no water in the bottom that I could see, just red diesel to the bottom of the pipe. That's after 15 years, so I'm not sure how some of you are routinely pulling so much water out of your fuel just from condensation? I suspect in some cases it could be filler cap leaks letting rainwater in.

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 14/03/2020 at 13:24, blackrose said:

I dipped my tank today using a clear 5mm OD/3mm ID rigid PVC pipe and there was no water in the bottom that I could see, just red diesel to the bottom of the pipe. That's after 15 years, so I'm not sure how some of you are routinely pulling so much water out of your fuel just from condensation? I suspect in some cases it could be filler cap leaks letting rainwater in.

I definitely had this problem about 12 years ago. I now carefully inspect the O-ring, and replace from time to time, and also apply silicon grease to the threads and O-ring.

[LadyG]

On 19/02/2020 at 09:10, tree monkey said:

I routinely do mine and BSPs once a year since I had an engine stall caused by gunk stirred up from the tank.

I use a pela pump, first time I got at least 15lts of gunk and water, now hardly anything 

I got 50l of clean and 30l of mucky liquid, which was last two inches. One pump died, one survived.

[DandV]

On 21/02/2020 at 04:55, mrsmelly said:

My boat has drainage pipes directly from the very base of the fuel tanks with stop cocks that can simply drain off directly from the bottom of the tanks. It's only a colecraft Hull, nowt special but I know they build hulls without them for some reason. 

Our 2006 Reeves hull had a drain point from the base of the tank. Never used it, it was on starboard and the batteries  calorifier, fridge and wine rack , were on port, so it was always a little on the high side. But more importantly, it was correctly both valved and capped, and as well, difficult to get a sample jar underneath deep in engine ole. Just a lot less faffing round to put the suction tube of a very cheap plastic bulb pump down the port side located fill/ dip point out in the open and pump into a Rose's marmalade jar for inspection and disposal.

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, DandV said:

Our 2006 Reeves hull had a drain point from the base of the tank. Never used it, it was on starboard and the batteries  calorifier, fridge and wine rack , were on port, so it was always a little on the high side. But more importantly, it was correctly both valved and capped, and as well, difficult to get a sample jar underneath deep in engine ole. Just a lot less faffing round to put the suction tube of a very cheap plastic bulb pump down the port side located fill/ dip point out in the open and pump into a Rose's marmalade jar for inspection and disposal.

It seems they did half a job and thats the problem with many. Ours has a pipe coming fro the bottom of the tank in a position that makes it easy to drain into any bucket or can. Its also valved and capped. I am lucky as my boat was specced and fitted out by a boatyard and hire fleet owner with years of what is realy needed and for his own private use so it has many small but sensible mods not on standard shells. For instance instead of a ring for a centre rope on the roof it has a cleat which makes it easy to tie up if rafted or temporary at water point etc. I have seen them on others but most just have a ring.

[DandV]

7 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

It seems they did half a job and thats the problem with many. Ours has a pipe coming fro the bottom of the tank in a position that makes it easy to drain into any bucket or can. Its also valved and capped. I am lucky as my boat was specced and fitted out by a boatyard and hire fleet owner with years of what is realy needed and for his own private use so it has many small but sensible mods not on standard shells. For instance instead of a ring for a centre rope on the roof it has a cleat which makes it easy to tie up if rafted or temporary at water point etc. I have seen them on others but most just have a ring.

Must say I like cleats and wonder why they were  missing, Perhaps in deference to nb traditions.