alternatives to vetus WS180FE fuel/water separator- filter, any good?

[Jamboat]

So, after owning this boat for 6 years we have just discovered that in addition to changing fuel & oil filters when servicing ( every 250 hours) there is another filter the fuel/water separator, which is a Vetus ws180

Found this out by having a small fuel leak & tracing it to the nut under the ( what we now know) filter. No idea why we hadn't wondered what this thing was before....... but nipping up the nut has sorted the leak.

 

Did a search on here & the Vetus site, now know a bit more about this thing & wonder how we have managed to not have had any problems resulting from our neglect to renew before!

 

Anyway, we obviously need a new one & found the vetus one at £34 but as we usually use Baldwin filters for other fuel & oil would this brand do for the fuel/water separator.

 

Reason I ask is that looking at this one, http://ricoeurope.com/spin-on/666-bf587-d.html , it just says it's it's a secondary fuel filter with no mention of the water separation aspect ?

[Grace and Favour]

I have a Wasp separator - - well made, and with a stainless filter (which only requires washing) Linky

[Barge Maria]

Vetus don't make filters, filter makers do! So, find an alternative supplier, perhaps Baldwin offer one?

Vetus charge like a raging bull for everything, God knows why. Someone like www.ssldieselparts.co.uk may be able to help you with an alternative.

 

Good luck.

[kevinl]

One of the members here covered these in theit blog a while back

http://boatlife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/keep-it-clean-keep-it-filtered.html

you could pm them for more details.

K

[Jamboat]

One of the members here covered these in theit blog a while back

http://boatlife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/keep-it-clean-keep-it-filtered.html

you could pm them for more details.

K

Just read the blog & that's spot on, Les gets his from filtermania which is in Acton Trussell & we will be passing there in a week or so - sorted Thank you !

[Neil Smith]

Hi,

 

Its a primary filter you need not a secondary one, take yours to a motor factors and they will match it up for you a lot cheaper than vetus.

 

Neil

[Guest]

Filtermania do a Baldwin replacement. I always use these in place of the WS180. They are much cheaper and boat seafety compliant too. excellent company:

 

http://www.filtermania.co.uk/

[blackrose]

I changed my Vetus water separator/sediment trap for a CAV/Delphi one. I bought it at a truck parts shop for about £40. The new elements are about a fiver each compared to about £50 for Vetus elements. I did try buying other makes of element but was told that the generic makes were of poor quality, so gave up in the end and just changed the whole thing for the CAV/Delphi. If you do this I don't think you can have one with a glass or plastic bowl and you need to change the bleed screw for a metal one. The truck parts bloke sorted it out for me.

Edited September 7, 2014 by blackrose