Engines1

As with most things related to the pleasure marine industry, they do not get used as much as they should.  This certainly applies to the fuel in your tank.  For most boat owners the fuel sits in the tank month after month.  This fuel degrades over time and at some point gets to the point where it starts to cost you real time and money.  So what to do?  We have heard all sorts of claims about fuel polishing.  This is the trick of pulling your fuel from the tank by means of an electric fuel pump.  This fuel is then run through a filter or series of filters and then back to the tank.

Well I’m here to tell you that method IS NOT fuel polishing.  Fuel polishing involves reversing the deterioration of the fuel.  You see fuel breaks down.  Filtration does not deal with the organics (unless they are large clusters), only the inorganic matter such as sand and dirt and in cases, water.  So what is a person to do?  Enter the fuel conditioner.  This device is placed between the tank and the first filter.  The fuel conditioner breaks down the organic clusters into smaller particles that return to the fuel solution where they were designed to reside.  Most of this organic sludge is composed of wax and tar.  These compounds fall out of the fuel over time and come back together ending up at your tank bottom.  The fuel conditioner breaks the weak magnetic bonds holding these clusters together and gets them mixed back into the fuel.

Now how much will it cost me to get me fuel clean?  This depends on fuel volume and your ability to do mechanical work.  There are systems that you can purchase for as little as $1000 which are totally ready to connect and run.  These will be your best bet when you store several hundred gallons.  If, on the other hand you are the owner of a few dozen gallons the solution must be cost effective.  So a do-it-yourself system is most likely best.  These systems will involve a fuel conditioner, pump, three-way valve, fuel filter/water separator and hose and fittings.  The system will be connected as follows: tank-conditioner-three way valve-secondary pump-fuel filter-tank.  This method allows you to take advantage of the conditioner whether the engine is running or not.  The three-way valve will allow you to switch between the engine circuit and the polishing circuit.  With a little planning and patience and attention to detail you can assemble an inexpensive fuel polishing system to take care of tanks below 100 gallons for about $500.

Now let’s discuss the actual pump.  Most likely you have an electric pump already on the engine.  This is fine if you can deal with the worry of a pump failure at a critical moment such as docking in a strong current or passing a freighter with a cross wind.  But for most it is best to install a separate, stand alone pump for your polishing system.  And as a side note-the cost of a switch, wire, extra hardware, and time will most likely offset the price of a new pump.

So if you are thinking about installing a fuel polishing system on your boat remember, it is as easy as you want to make it.  And also remember that a pump and filter does not constitute fuel polishing, only fuel filtration.  To call it polishing you must have a fuel conditioner.

For extra help send us an email at sales@cleanfuelmanagement.com or info@engines1.com.  Give us a few details about your boat such as number of gallons, number of tanks, whether 12 or 24 volts DC is available and of course, your contact information.  We will be happy to show you how you can get this job done fairly.

You can also visit either engines1.com or cleanfuelmanagement.com