Finally joined the MEP-803A club...

[robson1015]

Always more than one way to skin a cat...
What would be the issue with leaving fuel in the line? Aren't the fuel lines in the genset full when not in use....?

 

[Guyfang]

1. Any water in the line would freeze. Too much water, busted line.

2. If joe the plumber walks by, kicks the hose coming out of the ground, or breaks the fitting off the gen set, what happens? If no valve is in place between the fuel source and the lowest open part of your line and the lowest part is BELOW the fuel source, you could have a spill to surpass the Exxon tanker spill.

Granted, it is a far fetched chance to happen. But I bet EXXON didnt think that darn old tanker would run aground.

 

[boatman69]

Any good tank setup has to have a drain at the lowest point to drain water/sediment off. Which by the way was an added bonus to the ultimate well nut repair. The 802 only holds half as much water with the modification done.

 

[robson1015]

1. Any water in the line would freeze. Too much water, busted line.

2. If joe the plumber walks by, kicks the hose coming out of the ground, or breaks the fitting off the gen set, what happens? If no valve is in place between the fuel source and the lowest open part of your line and the lowest part is BELOW the fuel source, you could have a spill to surpass the Exxon tanker spill.

Granted, it is a far fetched chance to happen. But I bet EXXON didnt think that darn old tanker would run aground.

Plumber Joe will be fixing the genset before he leaves the property.....! lol
This isn't a gravity system. The fuel will be sucked from the pickup tube which is connected from aux. hose at the top of the barrel.
If the line breaks from the ground level or the fitting near the fuel cap it won't leak out from the barrel....

 

[robson1015]

Any good tank setup has to have a drain at the lowest point to drain water/sediment off. Which by the way was an added bonus to the ultimate well nut repair. The 802 only holds half as much water with the modification done.

I understand that a valve near the bottom of the tank would be beneficial but not necessary due to the fuel/water separator in the unit.
By the way - your ultimate well nut repair is awesome...

 

[Light in the Dark]

Well seeing as your fuel source is in the building, you could always fab up a mount on your wall to hang one of these: https://www.grainger.com/product/35...AZIDPRR_1714-9435-3&req=Customers_Also_Viewed

Then you could plumb to it, and them from it down to the tank. In doing so, not only can you further mitigate water in the lines, but you could also install a T after the filter, should you want to introduce air (so the aux pump will evacuate the line). Close the T after the generator is off, and the line is clear.

 

[boatman69]

Thank you. Yes, very hard to put a drain in a drum. I was lucky/ patient and got a 100 gal. Round aluminum semi tank with big cast brackets for a hundred bucks on Craigslist. Complete with $125 locking cap!

 

[jamawieb]

Plumber Joe will be fixing the genset before he leaves the property.....! lol
This isn't a gravity system. The fuel will be sucked from the pickup tube which is connected from aux. hose at the top of the barrel.
If the line breaks from the ground level or the fitting near the fuel cap it won't leak out from the barrel....

Sorry to disagree but if the line breaks or taken off at a lower point than the aux source it will siphon out (It has to already have fuel in the line of course). I had this happen one time when I was using a 55gallon drum and took off the aux fuel line at the gen set to move it. When I returned back to the drum, about 4 gallons was left on the ground.

 

[robson1015]

I don't anticipate much water in the 55 gallon drum due to the PRI-D stabilizer I'm using. Any water that may be present will be caught by the fuel/water separator in the unit. As far as the fuel in the line, I will probably disconnect the line at the genny and blow air through it back to the barrel to clear the line of fuel. I could use water finding paste in the barrel to check for water periodically. Thanks for the suggestions and comments-that's why I'm on this incredible site.

 

[Chainbreaker]

...I even have a desicant filter in my tank vent. QUOTE]

Not to wander from the OP's thread subject, but this situation might apply to his situation, or others, storing large amounts of aux fuel in vented tanks...

I just purchased a nice used 50 gal aluminum Dura-Craft diesel truck tank (refer tank) that has a 90 deg vent elbow coming out of top with a short section of hose sticking out. I don't want to leave that open to the atmosphere to suck in moisture especially with our 5% biodiesel. I did a quick search for water absorbing filters and didn't find anything...my search kept giving me water separating fuel filters. So, do you "boatman" or anyone else have a source for a desiccant type vent filter that I could attach to, or replace, this fitting (1/2" pipe thread into tank) somehow:

 

[boatman69]

https://www.tricocorp.com/product/watchdog-desiccant-breathers/

What I use. you could buy the desiccant beads separately and make your own. They're a little pricey you need to shop around I got a Mini for $20.

 

[Light in the Dark]

All I could find: https://www.justrite.com/aeroventtm...xtra-replacement-filter-3-4-bung-opening.html

Its not really a dessicating filter though... its more for chemical absorption (and its not the same threading). I use these on my tanks (doesn't help you here.. but its just another potential avenue). Burps when pressure is called for, and relieves negative pressure as needed: http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...MI0rmmw6Ol1gIVCYlpCh3yZwJ8EAYYBCABEgKE8vD_BwE

 

[Guyfang]

Sorry to disagree but if the line breaks or taken off at a lower point than the aux source it will siphon out (It has to already have fuel in the line of course). I had this happen one time when I was using a 55gallon drum and took off the aux fuel line at the gen set to move it. When I returned back to the drum, about 4 gallons was left on the ground.

I had it happen to me a few times in Germany. We parked a 1200 gal fuel tanker behind the gen building. Knocked holes in the wall and ran aux line from the gen sets to the tanker. In the winter, the lowest point in the aux fuel lines would accumulate water. Temps dropped below freezing. At 02:30 in the morning I heard the first set shut off. We were not allowed to sleep in beds on the missile site, so I wasn't in a bed. I was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on a trash can. By the time I got up, and tossed the blanket, the second set shut off. Buy the time I got to the building, two more went down. Just as I got to the last gen set, it died. We had been in a high state of alert. Had been. All hel*broke loose. I had to refuel everything with 5 gal cans. Five gen sets, 30 gal per set. At the same time, a helping hand, a radar mech, had disconnected several of the aux fuel lines. He was going to thaw them out for me. But left the job undone. His boss wanted him to start firing up the radars, and getting them back on line. The aux lines laid on the floor all night. I spent most of the night carrying fuel cans. Never even gave them a thought. At some point in time, the ice melted. For several hours, fuel ran out. When I went out to do my checks at 06:00, I smelt the fuel and it was readily apparent what had happened. I took most of the blame. Several hundred gallons of fuel leaked out. Not pretty. I had to fill 500 sandbags on my "free" time. Then empty them out.

Fuel tanker

Front of gen shead.

Picture of only permanent building, on the site, the shi* house.

 

[NATCAD]

That is a great story guyfang, is that the radar mech the guy grinning in 1st photo?

I promise to always empty and put away my aux fuel line.

 

[Guyfang]

No, That is my good friend, my Road Pee and Business Partner, Willie. I bet he works in a gas station some place in Alabama.

The old building doesn't look too bad. But no lights, doors had to stay open 24/7 and even in the middle of the day, you needed a flashlight. I carried at least two, and several extra batteries. What a dump.

 

[robson1015]

Got the fuel pickup tube today. Cleaned the junk out of it with a bore brush.

 

[robson1015]

Fuel tank barrel filled and hooked up. Battery charger/maintainer mounted where I can see at a quick glance.

 

[jamawieb]

Looking good!

 

[robson1015]

Test run on the house panel today. Everything electrical turned on - A/C, lights, two refrigerators, well pump, microwave,...total load max 65%.

 

[robson1015]

More than enough power output for here.....gas stove, gas dryer, gas hot water heater. I like the extra output of the 803A because I have electric back-up if the gas goes down. Back-up includes electric water heater, electric stove.
New optima batteries should be here tomorrow. I'll update when I get them in....Thanks for looking- any and all comments, questions, criticism welcome.