Question on Emptying Racor Filter Water Bowl

[SawyerCurt]

Quick question on the frequency that the clear water bowl (or whatever the official name is) on the Racor filter needs to be emptied due to it being full of water. From what I've read and asked around my club, I am hearing things from once per season to never. I have had to empty mine twice in the past 2 months, as it was almost completely water and a small layer of fuel on top. And while I was out on Saturday I was having the RPMs going up and down as we tried to pick up the anchor and then the engine stalled completely out and we couldn't get it re-started (had to be towed back to the mooring). I am wondering if I have a tank of bad fuel. Is having to empty out the Racor filter bowl twice in two months unusual? I am thinking "yes", but would like to hear confirmation from this group.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Yes in my case. I have never had water in the bowl (knock on wood). I do get a little bit of gel-like biomass.

You could hire a fuel polishing company that can take the water out or you could spend about $150 and make your own polishing kit. Access to our tanks sucks so a fuel polisher might have limited results. So I would just try the self-made kit first and see if that fixes the problem.

On a side note, looks like you are low on anti-freeze too.

Good luck,

Jesse

 

[Bob S]

Check the O-Ring on the diesel cap. Sounds like you might be getting rain water. That's more than condensation, somehow water is migrating to your tank.

 

[cam]

I use a fuel additive which mixes fuel tank condensation water with the diesel fuel. I have two fuel filters one like yours which is remote from the engine and the other on the engine itself. Both these filters are changed annually. I have used this system over 15 years on 3 yachts and have never had a fuel clogging problem.

Happy sailing
Cam

 

[Long Story]

On our boat were also a never - as in never needed but, I always bleed just a little off when I change the engine mounted filter each year. I also change the element in this filter every 3 years or 100 engine hours. What your seeing seems excessive and should be addressed. Not sure what fuel cost in your area but another option is just have what is im your tank pumped out, and fill with fresh clean fuel. Up here the 27 gals in a full tank would cost just shy of $100.00 to replace. The marina pumps the old stuff out for "Free" because they throw it in their drum and use it on other yard equipment. (no they don't return it to the tank)

Yes your very low on coolant, hope that was not part of your stalling issue...

Russ
s/v Long Story

 

[RichH]

Bob S has the most probable cause of your water - degraded deck fill O-ring.

That clear bowl simply should be occasionally visually monitored ... just put a flashlight (a 'torch' for you Brits) on one side of the clear bowl, your eyeballs on the other side and simply look for the differences in liquids. If you see water simply drain it from the bowl.


Additonal.
However, the way that your Racor filter is 'plumbed' is probably making any such water behave 'worse than usual'. I notice from your pic that the inlet hose (from the tank) to the filter 'rises in elevation' TO the filter!!!!!!! ---- very BAD practice.
The hosing / tubing from the tank top exit should always (if possible) slowly drop in elevation TO such a filter and that 'run' of hose/tubing should NEVER be below the level of that inlet on the filter. The reason is that any 'low spots' in the line and especially any 'low spots' in the line below the level of the inlet of the filter ....... will act as a water trap!!!! Any water that is in the oil has its first chance of 'settling out' will collect in the 'low spots' of the tubing and it will stay there indefinitely .... or until the fuel demand from the engine is high (rpm) and the water is then 'pulled' as a gigantic 'slug' into the filter where it can be settled out. Depending on how much water is trapped in the lines you may at high rpm and overload and exceed the water removal ability in that filter and send water 'as slugs of water' to the engine.
Rx.: The very lowest (altitude) device in the entire fuel system should be the filter(s), so arranged that any free water that accumulates in the hose/tube alway can drain back to the FILTER with the water trap sump. This means also that there should also be a steady continual 'rise' for that tubing/hose from the filters TO the engine - your filter outlet hose is 'pointing down' causing any water that settles out downstream of that filter cannot drain back into the filter and therefore will also become trapped in that section of tubing/hosing. Slugging the hot fuel injectors with cold water is a sure way to 'fracture' the injector nozzle tips - expensive!!

If you already have or highly suspect water in the bottom of the fuel tank .... simply put a small diameter hose into the very bottom of the tank and hand pump or power pump the fuel/water until you see only oil in the pump effluent. Id recommend NOT to put 'dehydrants' such as alcohols into your diesel tank as many of the alcohols used are increasingly incompatible with rubber hoses, etc. and can also increase water uptake into the oil from the atmosphere ... coming into the vent. Pump the water out of the tank. Change the O-ring on the deck fill every few years.

Good luck.

 

[Tom J]

I've never had water in the bowl of the Racor. As suggested, it sounds like you are getting quite a bit of water into the fuel tank, possibly at the filler cap o-ring. And as Jesse suggested, you should get your fuel polished. A proper polishing system will clean and de-water your fuel. I had a fellow polish the fuel in my tank with an elaborate system of his own design. He ran the fuel through the filters and desiccant until his computer told him the fuel was clean and dry. In addition, he removed the fuel level sensor and dropped in suction and return lines to the bottom of the tank, to stir up any sludge, and to get at any water. Try to find a reputable guy with a portable polishing system. If he tries to connect his lines to your existing fuel and return lines, tell him to forget it.

 

[Rummerful]

I will be adding a separator soon. I can tell you that we lived aboard on another boat for 7 years and I only had to clean the separator a couple of times and I never had water in it. I only cleaned it to change out the filter. We had a service in Tampa that would clean out the tank, much the way Tom describes. You can try to pump the water out yourself, but the location of the tank will make it difficult. I would not try starting the engine until the water problem is solved and antifreeze is added.

 

[Capt jgw]

You're definitely getting water on the tank, possibly from a bad o-ring on the cap or maybe the vent fitting of it ever goes under while sailing. The pick up point in the tank should be at least a couple inches from the bottom so of its getting to the filter that's a lot of water. If the tank is metal it's probably corroding away at the welds. You need to get, and keep, the water out off the tank ASAP.

 

[Brian D]

One thing I think will work will be to attach a fuel pump to your filter and extract all the fuel from your tank. This way the filter will also extract all the water and trap it in the filter. You can then drain the water and refill the fuel tank.

Now, if you have like 60 gals this may be a task, but if you loop the fuel back to the tank you should still be able to extract most of the water. Is not water heavier than diesel/gas and therefore will settle to the bottom of the tank? It would seem that the water will be extracted first.

Just a thought.

 

[Rummerful]

On the boat that we cruised for 7 yrs, I made the pick up from the bottom of the tank, so any water in the tank would be removed. I made a dual filter system (before Racor came out with one) and the 2nd filter never got water. The first did from time to time, but never a problem.
The water has to get out of the tank.
Eric

 

[Capt jgw]

Using the existing fuel pick up won't work. It's not at the bottom and can't reach all the water. If you can get to the gauge sender, it comes off with five screws. Reach in with another hose and some kind of pump, even an outboard motor squeeze bulb, and suck the water out.

 

[KZW]

Using the existing fuel pick up won't work. It's not at the bottom and can't reach all the water. If you can get to the gauge sender, it comes off with five screws. Reach in with another hose and some kind of pump, even an outboard motor squeeze bulb, and suck the water out.

I got my C-310 in July. The fuel system needed help as it was clear the PO had put in a fuel treatment (bottle found in the boat), but had not put in a biocide. I added Biobor to shock the fuel in the tank a few months back. The Racor bowl fills with muck (I've not found water, but there must be some as the bugs live in the water and eat the fuel. I've opened the sender unit twice. It is no fun to reach through the hatch in the rear berth, but it can be done. Get all the things you will need (tools, bucket, pump, trouble light) through the access hatch and then pull yourself in up to your waist. You can lean on one arm while working with the other. There area five Philips sheet metal screws with one hidden by the sender unit wires. I recommend a ratchet handle with a Philips adaptor. I've used a small hand driven pump and a pump that goes onto an electric drill. You must get the pick up on the bottom of the tank. I suggest a 15 inch brass tube fitted onto plastic tubing that goes to the pump. Make sure you buy a pump that is self priming. They run about $8 to $12 at Home Depot.

Put back the gasket on the sender unit with care. The screws are NOT in a symmetrical pattern - at least they aren't on my boat. It is frustrating to trying to start a screw by hand - one that you can't see but only feel, and have the gasket in the way because it shifted from the original orientation.

I'm still getting muck from the bowl. I'm cleaning the bowl monthly and replacing the filter every quarter. It is my hope most of it is cleared out and I can go to an annual filter change.

 

[Capt jgw]

Right about the holes on the sender not being symmetrical. It only goes in one way to prevent the arm from getting stuck on the side of the tank. They're all that way. It helps to put an index mark on the sender and tank before removing it so you can line the holes up. If it's on a position where you can't see it and can only get two fingers on it (as so many things on boats are), well, that's why I HATE WORKING ON BOATS. But I love it at the same time!

 

[KZW]

Right about the holes on the sender not being symmetrical. It only goes in one way to prevent the arm from getting stuck on the side of the tank. They're all that way. It helps to put an index mark on the sender and tank before removing it so you can line the holes up.

Putting in a mark would be great. However, in the C-310, one cannot really see the top of the tank. It is buried deep in the aft end of the compartment, is very difficult to reach (behind the rudder stock) and there is only a few inches of clearance between the top of the tank and the bottom of the propane tank locker above it. One cannot get a standard six inch screw driver on the screws due to lack of clearance. In fact, the sender unit cannot be extracted vertically; it only comes out at an angle due to lack of clearance.

In the picture, taken from the access hatch in the aft berth, the fuel pick up and return lines can be seen on the top of the tank. The sender unit is to the left of the pick up units (hidden by the blue flashlight resting on the rudder stock bearing). If you are claustrophobic, you don't want to work in there.

OK, if it sounds like I'm whining, well, I am. Everyone has access issues on their boats!

 

[Capt jgw]

That's why I love working on boats so much.