Water in fuel tank

[salmon slayer]

I just found out after trouble shooting that I have a large amount of water in my fuel tank. When winterized each year (boat is 10 years old) I would put fuel conditioner in and make sure the tank was full. Every spring I would replace the water fuel separator filter. This has built up over time and or possibly some bad gas at that fill up.

Is there anything you can add when fuelling up to minimize or eliminate this problem in the future?
What do others do?

 

[Sharphooks]

You mentioned “a large amount of water” in your tank. How large??? Yes, fuel conditioners like Yamaha Ring Free help as far as helping to address the water/ethanol fuel thing, but are you sure you don’t have other issues going on? Like water getting in to a fuel vent or a gas cap?

I just went through that in a 26 foot boat with twins.....I found white gunk in both fuel/water separators . Turned out to be a “large amount” of saltwater in the tank——had to pump the tank dry and scrub it, then change all the fuel lines and filters

You said you did some trouble-shooting. Is the gas cap tight with a ring seal that’s in good shape? Fuel tank vents pointed south towards the wate?

 

[Foxsea]

I just found out after trouble shooting that I have a large amount of water in my fuel tank. When winterized each year (boat is 10 years old) I would put fuel conditioner in and make sure the tank was full. Every spring I would replace the water fuel separator filter. This has built up over time and or possibly some bad gas at that fill up.

Is there anything you can add when fuelling up to minimize or eliminate this problem in the future?
What do others do?

Yup, it happens. We had this issue several years ago and it turned out our gas cap was leaking, as Sharphooks suggested. I rigged up an electric fuel pump with hose and tubing. I went through the fuel sensor hole with the boat tilted back so the water went to the back corner of the tank. I bent the tubing to reach the back corner and sucked out all the water until fuel started to come out. Then I changed all the fuel filters. With a relocated filler and a new cap there have been no issues since.

 

[wolf]

Like others said replace filters thats as soon as water gets into the 10 micron filters there basically useless so buy alot or go big get a racor with a bowl on the bottom and wen you see water drain it right away to save that filter... sooner or later it will be free ive never seen a boat tank that never didnt contain water nature of the beast. hence why most pick up tubes are about a inch away from the bottom or more. worse part is if a marina doesnt replace filters of run the tanks dry and you get that fuel your screwed ...I encountered that one time brand new tank in my boat brand new brass fitting went and filled up at a marine fuel dock a week later my main dies lucky at time my kicker was on a secondary tank got back in drained my filters full of rust and water I WAS PISSED as I knew where I got the fuel took them the bucket of **** , of course they blamed me . Funny brand new Alum tank all new fitting how does rust get in there???never went back there again...

 

[Kristo]

Good info here but hopefully the o/p wasn't holding his breath for an answer from July 2017 ;-)
If your filler cap has o-rings check condition and multi stage fuel filtering is a good thing.

 

[WHO DAT]

Like others said replace filters thats as soon as water gets into the 10 micron filters there basically useless so buy alot or go big get a racor with a bowl on the bottom and wen you see water drain it right away to save that filter... sooner or later it will be free ive never seen a boat tank that never didnt contain water nature of the beast. hence why most pick up tubes are about a inch away from the bottom or more. worse part is if a marina doesnt replace filters of run the tanks dry and you get that fuel your screwed ...I encountered that one time brand new tank in my boat brand new brass fitting went and filled up at a marine fuel dock a week later my main dies lucky at time my kicker was on a secondary tank got back in drained my filters full of rust and water I WAS PISSED as I knew where I got the fuel took them the bucket of **** , of course they blamed me . Funny brand new Alum tank all new fitting how does rust get in there???never went back there again...

I have often considered a separate tank for my kicker , space is an issue but possibly a small remote tank with its own fuel line that could be attached if a problem arose with the main tank , also I was recently apprized that there are small inline separator's for the vent line that will mitigate any fine mist that is being sucked into the tank whilst running which made sense ? always a crappy situation but very interesting topic