Don't kid yourself. If you think polishing fuel at the dock does any
good your wrong. It's just about a total waste of time. Anything that
clogs the filters will hide in corners, stick to the walls of the
tank, and will not be removed by simply circulating fuel through a
filter over and over again. The only time a fuel polishing system
works if you get a high pressure return washing out every corner and
baffle and wall and roof and floor of your tanks, or you polish while
underway with a low enough fuel level, and seas high enough to beat
loose everything that clings on tight.

Just my take on fuel polishing systems.

Joe

On Jan 28, 11:07*am, "Roger Long" wrote:
I agree that on board fuel polishing is no substitute for real tank cleaning
and polishing done at regular intervals.

I thought Rick Hamble made a good case though for a constantly running
recirculating system as the primary filtering method with the filter set ups
most of us depend on as back up. *The idea, I think, is to filter fuel at a
higher rate than engine usage to extend the time before the tank walls get
cruded up by getting the stuff in suspension out faster. *Startron seems to
do a pretty good job of moving stuff from the tank walls to suspension based
on what I've seen in my sediment bowl.

As long as you have the power to constantly run a nice size pump
underway that's a great ideal. Plus most diesel return as much if not
more fuel as they use.



I wouldn't put fuel polishing facilities in my boat just for continuing to
sail around here in Maine where fuel quality is pretty good. *If I pick up a
load of fuel that's been sitting out on the dock in 55 gallon drums for a
few months up in Newfoundland and find my filters loading up quickly, I want
to be able to recirculate a lot of fuel and do the filter replacements in
the time and place of my choosing instead of up against a nasty lee shore
somewhere.

That's a great plan.

I like dual stage filters systems like Racor makes to keep you off a
lee shore.

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=83570F

But they do charge an arm and a leg for them. Either that or be
prepared and ready to make a quick filter change in any and all
conditions. You have the Racor 200 IIRC and it's a fairly easy change
if the ring gaskets don't give you any problems, and the gasket track
is good and clean. It's also pretty easy to avoid much if any air.

Joe



--
Roger Long