In the American Midwest farmers call it H.U.M.bug Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microorganism It doesn't just get into Diesel fuel , it also grows in hydraulic and engine oil.
Desiccant dryers for fuel tank vents are cheap and easy to make, silica gel bags can be obtained for free or close to free from motorcycle dealers and if placed in a canister inline with incoming vent air will remove atmospheric moisture. Lay bags on the deck on a sunny day will dry them out. That said, I agree with henroshipping, no shortage of contaminated fuel out there.
I tried to install that a couple of years ago but the damn vent connections are impossible to reach without removing the tanks and then I first have to remove the engines so I gave up. Otherwise, it's a good idea.
Interesting. Never heard about them, but understand the principle. Have you tried it? Does it work? I assume you need to change them often or dry them in the sun often. Desiccants will absorb moisture all the time when exposed to humid air.
@@Sailing-Maja Hello Sailing-Maja. Yes I have made and used them to good effect. Silica gel will indeed absorb moisture if left out in a humid atmosphere, however inside an essentially sealed desiccator can they will only pull moisture out of air that passes through the can. That air volume will be equal to the volume of fuel used so relatively little in practice. The motorcycle crate silica gel I have used consist of approx 500gm cloth or perforated heavy paper bags, I draw fuel tank inlet / vent air from the bottom of the canister via a neoprene hose with the tip of that hose buried beneath several bags, atmospheric air enters at the top of the can, ie: air to the tank has to travel past and around several bags prior to entering the tank. In the tropics I reckon atmospheric air could be drawn from a dry area such as an air-conditioned saloon via said neoprene hose.
@@henroshipping I totally agree! When travelling around I get diesel from different places. One of these places must have been contaminated with this stuff.
@@skunkjobb Absolutely true. I have already changed the complete fill lids. They were 40 years old, so both the gaskets and the plastic lid were at the end of life time. Now I have new ones in metal, and with an O-ring that is easy to replace.
@@Sailing-Maja In Sweden you can buy fuel without RME so called white diesel..I do so and dont acquires microorganism problems in my machines, boats, yachts, trucks ect. We sailing abroard a lot and never fill or tank directly from the pump, alwas in 20L plastic containers so the can sit on deck for a week and the diesel and water can layer up, then we fill our maintank by siphon and leav the "Blidge" water in the plastic container.
@@0e32 We buy without RME here in Norway as well, but nevertheless we got it. Dont know how, but we did get it. By the way, your routine is very good! 👍👍
In the American Midwest farmers call it H.U.M.bug
Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microorganism
It doesn't just get into Diesel fuel , it also grows in hydraulic and engine oil.
Nasty stuff!
We had this in a Cummins emergency generator years ago. When the Mech' told me I thought he was having a joke! No joke.
@@rossr100 No joke. Not at all!
Don't have refueling points horizontal and flush on the deck especially in the scuppers. Install a bigger filter and spare new filters onboard.
@@sportsmancraft1 Totally agree with you.
Desiccant dryers for fuel tank vents are cheap and easy to make, silica gel bags can be obtained for free or close to free from motorcycle dealers and if placed in a canister inline with incoming vent air will remove atmospheric moisture. Lay bags on the deck on a sunny day will dry them out. That said, I agree with henroshipping, no shortage of contaminated fuel out there.
I tried to install that a couple of years ago but the damn vent connections are impossible to reach without removing the tanks and then I first have to remove the engines so I gave up. Otherwise, it's a good idea.
Interesting. Never heard about them, but understand the principle. Have you tried it? Does it work? I assume you need to change them often or dry them in the sun often. Desiccants will absorb moisture all the time when exposed to humid air.
@@Sailing-Maja Hello Sailing-Maja. Yes I have made and used them to good effect. Silica gel will indeed absorb moisture if left out in a humid atmosphere, however inside an essentially sealed desiccator can they will only pull moisture out of air that passes through the can.
That air volume will be equal to the volume of fuel used so relatively little in practice. The motorcycle crate silica gel I have used consist of approx 500gm cloth or perforated heavy paper bags, I draw fuel tank inlet / vent air from the bottom of the canister via a neoprene hose with the tip of that hose buried beneath several bags, atmospheric air enters at the top of the can, ie: air to the tank has to travel past and around several bags prior to entering the tank. In the tropics I reckon atmospheric air could be drawn from a dry area such as an air-conditioned saloon via said neoprene hose.
@@RichardCummins-ni4em Great. Thanks.
There was an aircraft crash on Mayday , where they got a decimal wrong and put too much bug killer in the jet fuel..
@@andrewdillon7837 Oh. That’s not good. You need to get it right.
@@Sailing-Maja kg vs pounds thing ,,i have every Mayday aircrash episode ,,,little things like metric are hard for some ppl
@@andrewdillon7837 We all go metric, foot by foot ….
@@Sailing-Maja So you arn't Inching away then,,
Check where you get your diesel from, condensation will not give you that amount.
@@henroshipping I totally agree! When travelling around I get diesel from different places. One of these places must have been contaminated with this stuff.
@@Sailing-Maja Check the gaskets on the fill lids too. Mine were bad so I got rain water into the tanks.
@@skunkjobb Absolutely true. I have already changed the complete fill lids. They were 40 years old, so both the gaskets and the plastic lid were at the end of life time. Now I have new ones in metal, and with an O-ring that is easy to replace.
Stop blend in RME into the diesel and the problem is gone!!
@@0e32 Nothing we users can do about that. We get get fuel we get, and we need to adapt. Apart from that, I do agree with you.
@@Sailing-Maja In Sweden you can buy fuel without RME so called white diesel..I do so and dont acquires microorganism problems in my machines, boats, yachts, trucks ect. We sailing abroard a lot and never fill or tank directly from the pump, alwas in 20L plastic containers so the can sit on deck for a week and the diesel and water can layer up, then we fill our maintank by siphon and leav the "Blidge" water in the plastic container.
@@0e32 We buy without RME here in Norway as well, but nevertheless we got it. Dont know how, but we did get it.
By the way, your routine is very good! 👍👍
Simple, install a Algae-x
Thanks. I’ll check that.