Gas tank condensation during summer?
08-05-2019, 06:29 PM
#12
Registered
Ethanol Fuels attracts water like a sponge (same as bio diesel) - if there is a rainy period/ humid with temp fluctuations, your engine won't know if you topped off with ethanol fuel or a garden hose...
08-05-2019, 11:42 PM
#13
Registered
Ethanol does pull the moisture out of the air but it can also absorb the water in gas. This can be beneficial. Small amounts of the combined water and ethanol get burned off without harm.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
08-06-2019, 09:51 AM
#14
Forum Regulator
VIP Member
Ethanol does pull the moisture out of the air but it can also absorb the water in gas. This can be beneficial. Small amounts of the combined water and ethanol get burned off without harm.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
08-06-2019, 09:53 AM
#15
Registered
08-06-2019, 10:20 AM
#16
ethanol does pull the moisture out of the air but it can also absorb the water in gas. This can be beneficial. Small amounts of the combined water and ethanol get burned off without harm.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
08-06-2019, 10:24 AM
#17
ethanol does pull the moisture out of the air but it can also absorb the water in gas. This can be beneficial. Small amounts of the combined water and ethanol get burned off without harm.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
The problem is when the gas ethanol have reached it saturation and phase seperation occurs. This mixture sits on the bottom of the tank. When it gets sucked up bad things happen. Phase seperation can not be undone, no additives help at that point. The only thing to do is clan the tanks.
Have you ever noticed how a plastic gas tank or gas can ballons up when warm and shrinks down when it cools. The more air and less gas the greater the expansion and contraction. So when you tank is empty it warms up and expells the air. Then when the air cools it pulls in fresh moisture ladden air which the ethanol pulls the moisture from. In the low fuel scenario you have less ethanol to hold the moisture and more air carrying the moisture. You have a better chance of phase seperation. So more gas in the tank serves a 2 fold benefit. First it diplaces more of the air. Second more gas can hold more water at a safe level.
given today's fuels and ineptness of pretty much the majority of the population (no one cares if they make a mistake)...
...i find when it comes to the boat & fuel, that it's imperative to treat all fuel in the boats at all times.
I filled my 37at up years ago with non-ethanol fuel at a marina, and left it for a couple months in florida, untreated. Turns out, the fuel had ethanol in it; due to someone's screw up. It soaked up so much water that it ruined my my fuel pumps and 4 filters; found that out the day before a poker run, in which i thrashed to get them replaced and make the event.
Store it empty.
Store it full.
Store it half.
Store it long.
Store it short.
Just make sure you have fuel treatment in there and you will be fine. Cars and other vehicles that don't have open air fuel tank vents are better off; but boats are a different story.
I prefer the star-tron blue bottle treatment, and have not had an issue since i started using that 10 years ago. For winter storage, i use star-tron as well as sta-bil. I buy the star-tron at walmart in the most concentrated bottle, and keep anywhere between 5-10 bottles on the shelf in the garage at home, and a full bottle in the boat at all times.
...i find when it comes to the boat & fuel, that it's imperative to treat all fuel in the boats at all times.
I filled my 37at up years ago with non-ethanol fuel at a marina, and left it for a couple months in florida, untreated. Turns out, the fuel had ethanol in it; due to someone's screw up. It soaked up so much water that it ruined my my fuel pumps and 4 filters; found that out the day before a poker run, in which i thrashed to get them replaced and make the event.
Store it empty.
Store it full.
Store it half.
Store it long.
Store it short.
Just make sure you have fuel treatment in there and you will be fine. Cars and other vehicles that don't have open air fuel tank vents are better off; but boats are a different story.
I prefer the star-tron blue bottle treatment, and have not had an issue since i started using that 10 years ago. For winter storage, i use star-tron as well as sta-bil. I buy the star-tron at walmart in the most concentrated bottle, and keep anywhere between 5-10 bottles on the shelf in the garage at home, and a full bottle in the boat at all times.
