Skater Burns at Desert Storm...
04-22-2012, 05:40 PM
#21
VIP Member
my buddys think im crazy,but every time i put my boat in the water,i always open the hatch,turn on the blower and smell for gas fumes,then i start them and check for leaks,only takes a minute,and if nothing else,it gives me peace of mind.electrical fires can be almost as bad as a gas leak,but probibally less common.
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Throttles- Cleveland Construction 377 Talon
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10 OPA Class 1 National Champion ( happy now Ed! )
Throttles- Cleveland Construction 377 Talon
08 OPA Class 1 National Champion
08 Class 1 Geico Triple Crown Champion
08 OPA High Points Champion
10 OPA Class 1 National Champion ( happy now Ed! )
04-22-2012, 05:42 PM
#22
Gold Member
Gold Member
It doesn't take that large of fuel leak in an enclosed bilge to bring it to an explosive level. That's why the first thing that should be done before starting is open the hatches and do the smell test. If you can smell raw fuel you have a potential problem... Gasoline vapors even in small amounts can have the explosive potential of a stick of dynamite...after it blows usually the fuel lines are severed causing more fuel to feed the fire... This is a very unfortunate thing but it was and is preventable...
If you have a bilge full of fuel though, the air / fuel mixture is way to rich to ignite. Sometimes opening the hatch can add enough air to get you into the correct range to blow. Properly installed bilge blowers suck from the lowest point in the bilge and replace it with fresh air. One theory states that you're actually more efficient in moving air with the hatches closed. Of course with enough fuel in the bilge, all bets are off. That may have been the case here, but we're arm chair quarterbacking.
Here's my point on that being a fuel fed fire though. Notice the massive flames and black smoke? Black smoke means a fuel rich mixture. There's lots of fuel feeding that one. (And yes, fiberglass & resin are decent fuels.)
04-22-2012, 06:31 PM
#23
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Absolutley agree that with the correct fuel / air mixture, a powerful explosion is indeed possible. Also agree that the smell test - particularly in the lowest point in the bilge where fuel vapors collect - is a great tool.
If you have a bilge full of fuel though, the air / fuel mixture is way to rich to ignite. Sometimes opening the hatch can add enough air to get you into the correct range to blow. Properly installed bilge blowers suck from the lowest point in the bilge and replace it with fresh air. One theory states that you're actually more efficient in moving air with the hatches closed. Of course with enough fuel in the bilge, all bets are off. That may have been the case here, but we're arm chair quarterbacking.
Here's my point on that being a fuel fed fire though. Notice the massive flames and black smoke? Black smoke means a fuel rich mixture. There's lots of fuel feeding that one. (And yes, fiberglass & resin are decent fuels.)
If you have a bilge full of fuel though, the air / fuel mixture is way to rich to ignite. Sometimes opening the hatch can add enough air to get you into the correct range to blow. Properly installed bilge blowers suck from the lowest point in the bilge and replace it with fresh air. One theory states that you're actually more efficient in moving air with the hatches closed. Of course with enough fuel in the bilge, all bets are off. That may have been the case here, but we're arm chair quarterbacking.
Here's my point on that being a fuel fed fire though. Notice the massive flames and black smoke? Black smoke means a fuel rich mixture. There's lots of fuel feeding that one. (And yes, fiberglass & resin are decent fuels.)
Below the explosive or flammable range the mixture is too lean to burn and above the upper explosive or flammable limit the mixture is too rich to burn. The limits are commonly called the "Lower Explosive or Flammable Limit" (LEL/LFL) and the "Upper Explosive or Flammable Limit" (UEL/UFL)
For gasoline the explosive limits are fairly low with the range being 1.4% (LEL/LFL) to 7.4% (UEL/UFL).
Bilge blowers are much more effective when the hatches are closed but checking for obvious leaks before firing up only takes a second and can save not only your boat but possibly your life.
On a somewhat unrelated incident where it was a natural gas explosion in a home the question was asked to one of the fire investigators what the possible ignition source was. His reply was just about anything that creates an arc or spark from a faulty light switch to the pilot light on the water heater...
Last edited by fountain4play; 04-22-2012 at 06:34 PM.
04-22-2012, 07:46 PM
#27
That is absolutely awful but at least they were not hurt. Does this happen with outboard boats as well? For some reason I always thought for an explosion you need to have some kind of igniter, spark? Are you guys saying air/gas fumes can lead to a fire just by themselves? Or does that usually happen right when you start the engine and you have gas fumes in the engine compartment? I'm really not too familiar that's why I'm asking.
Charter Member
04-22-2012, 09:12 PM
#30
