Water in diesel tank Hunter 34
- Thread starter hunter healer
- Start date
diesel fuel mixed with emulsified water. Your pump likely mixed them. You tank doesn't have a fuel gauge?
You check for water bottoms like this:
@hunter healer 
So here you go.
Diesel is usually tinted a color so that it can be identified as taxable or not.
So here you go.
Diesel is usually tinted a color so that it can be identified as taxable or not.
Good call senang. I had to check my picture and the instruction sheet of my Racor. I did hook the vacuum gauge to the second output of the filter. I misspoke on that one. Thanks.
Thank you very much! I’m going to o into the locker and pull off the filler hose from the tank and put a clear plastic tube down into the tank! I’ll keep you posted. By the looks of your bottle ( good representation of the stuff) I have diesel and biomass sludge on the bottom no water unless it mixed when I used the electric pump.
In my experience (bought boat in 2015 with 2 - 79 gallon diesel tanks containing about 120 gallons of diesel unknown fuel age), there is not always a lot of water. But even a little gives a space for the critters to exist. They grow breed, poop and die in the interface between water and diesel.
I addressed them by adding fuel, adding additives to kill and resolve them, filter replacements
(at one time after every 25 hours, I was sucking off the bottom of one tank while driving the boat through 3 ft chop), and polishing fuel by transferring fuel from one tank to the other. I now have one tank 95% clean and one to go.
My plan was to use the fuel and the boat while I worked the problem. The costs of a preemptive strike, that would have been installing cleaning ports in both tanks, power scrubbing both tanks, and polishing the fuel was estimated at $2,500. I thought $20.8 a gallon for the fuel was a bit steep.
I've spent about $2.40 a gallon on filters,
a new Racor 500 filter unit
(I needed to replace the original Ford truck filter anyway,
but I threw it in to the cost estimate at $210) and chemicals.
We each have to choose our path to better boat experiences.
I addressed them by adding fuel, adding additives to kill and resolve them, filter replacements
(at one time after every 25 hours, I was sucking off the bottom of one tank while driving the boat through 3 ft chop), and polishing fuel by transferring fuel from one tank to the other. I now have one tank 95% clean and one to go. My plan was to use the fuel and the boat while I worked the problem. The costs of a preemptive strike, that would have been installing cleaning ports in both tanks, power scrubbing both tanks, and polishing the fuel was estimated at $2,500. I thought $20.8 a gallon for the fuel was a bit steep.
I've spent about $2.40 a gallon on filters,
a new Racor 500 filter unit
(I needed to replace the original Ford truck filter anyway,
but I threw it in to the cost estimate at $210) and chemicals. We each have to choose our path to better boat experiences.
Well I put a clear tube in the filler opening in the tank and whenI pulled it up no water inside! The racor bowl was clear of water, so I cleaned the bowl and replaced the filter and bled the system and ran the motor for 3 minutes no abnormal running.maybe I should let it run for 10 minutes?
Get the vacuum gauge, I thought I had mine licked, running ok on the dock only to get out and have power issues. I installed the vacuum gauge and could see I had a restriction. I finally drained the tank, pulled the pickup tube and cleaned it out. I had a strainer in the pickup tube that Hunter put there. It was clogged with guck! I threw the strainer in the trash and cleaned out the pickup tube. The vacuum gauge now reads 0 and I have had a good sea trail, no more power loss issues. Learned a lot. Now I can use the vacuum gauge to know when to replace filters or if there is an issue. Get one that has an 'high' needle so you can see where its been. Good luck.
I bought a 12 volt fuel transfer pump on eBay and pumped out everything in the tanks in some jerry cans. I let them sit for the better part if a week so that water abd debris would settle. I then bought one of these....
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200578787_200578787. I carefully pumped the diesel into this funnel and into the tank. I left about 1/2 Gallon of tainted fuel in each can...didn't want to take a chance if foiling fuel again. Haven't seen water in my fuel since.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200578787_200578787. I carefully pumped the diesel into this funnel and into the tank. I left about 1/2 Gallon of tainted fuel in each can...didn't want to take a chance if foiling fuel again. Haven't seen water in my fuel since.
I have done rainfall calculations entering an open hole. In my case, its was a 16" hole on the top of a railcar.
It is not the duration of the rain [your case 6 hours], but the rain rate, as in Inches/hour.
_____
I was going to suggest about a 2 tablespoons of water got into your fuel.
Most rainfall has a quick burst, then light rain.
Normally , my guessed water amount, and your 20 gallons of fuel, the would most likely dissolve during the sinking process.
I am guessing, you will never see the rain water impact.
Jim...
PS: My example was about 1 cup of water in an 8"/hour downpour thru the 18" hole.
PSS: Test it yourself, get a small funnel about the diameter of your fuel fill, and set it the top of an empty milk jug. See the amount collected in the next rain.
Last edited:
Jim, problem with the H34’s is the fuel fill is flush with the deck at the aft portion of the starboard rail. and when it rains, all the rain water (on the SB side) flows over the fill. Hunter should have picked this area up about 1” IMO.
Shannon
_____
I was going to suggest about a 2 tablespoons of water got into your fuel.
Most rainfall has a quick burst, then light rain.
Normally , my guessed water amount, and your 20 gallons of fuel, the would most likely dissolve during the sinking process.
I am guessing, you will never see the rain water impact.
Jim...
PS: My example was about 1 cup of water in an 8"/hour downpour thru the 18" hole.
Shannon
_____
I was going to suggest about a 2 tablespoons of water got into your fuel.
Most rainfall has a quick burst, then light rain.
Normally , my guessed water amount, and your 20 gallons of fuel, the would most likely dissolve during the sinking process.
I am guessing, you will never see the rain water impact.
Jim...
PS: My example was about 1 cup of water in an 8"/hour downpour thru the 18" hole.
Ouch!
My boat has the cap, high and dry from runoff.
Well my example is like standing in the rain trying to catch water in your open mouth.
Oh well , I was guessing.
Jim...
Are these rules you mention applicable to non Coast Guard Inspected vessels used for pleasure only?
