Do I need a water separator?

[littlebunker]

Hi all, I was just told that I ought to pick up a water separator. I've never heard of this particular piece of equipment but it was described to me as essential. I don't boat much but I have a 12gallon tank, so I probably only fill up once a year.

Thoughts on a water separator? I have a 30hp evinrude that uses one of those primer bulb fuel lines. The water separators I'm seeing look like you basically run it inline with the fuel line... like right now, I have the evinrude fitting on my gas tank and the fuel line comes right out of that. Looks like maybe I run a fuel line out of my gas tank, and into the separator, and then attach the evinrude fitting to the output of the separator. Will these separators work with the primer bulb fuel lines, or will that make it too hard to suck out fuel?

thanks!!

 

[ondarvr]

It's nice to have one, they just go inline in a convenient location, they work fine with a squeeze bulb and any size motor.

 

[robert graham]

Yes!!!....Walmart sells the Attwood Fuel/Water separator unit for about $26, easy to install on the inside of your transom....I have mine between the bulb and the motor so I can use the bulb to refill the canister when changing it, but it'll work either way. No doubt these separators are among the very best preventive maintenance items yet devised....

 

[dingbat]

When installing a seperator stick with 10 micron or better. A 25 micron filter is good sticks and rock collection

 

[jwall116]

I do not use one as I haven't found it necessary with a single outboard powered boat.

1) They work by gravity, the water in the fuel will drop to the bottom of the filter. Once it filled up with water, water will still flow past the filter.

2) With our ethanol fuel these days, the fuel will suspend a certain amount of water in the fuel and burn it in the combustion chamber. E0 will not do this, and will flat out separate. Now when our E10 fuel has too much water in it, it will completely phase separate, at which point the filter will not save you and you have a much bigger problem ahead of you. The water collected in peoples filter is likely a result of phase separated fuel on the bottom of the tank getting sucked up, than it removing it from fuel that has it suspended.

I use a 10 micron inline filter on my outboard. They are $6 and see through, if there is water I can likely see it.

1995 Johnson 130 HP with a 60 gallon built in tank.

 

[scoutabout]

Our Scout came from the factory with one for the Yamaha 4 stroke 90. I change the spin-on filter once a season and have not had issues. The engine has a water indicator in the under cowl fuel filter as well. I also installed one on our SeaRay I/O we had previous to this boat.

I don't think most engine would have issues sucking gas through one.

The main difference I think is with the bigger built-in tanks there's probably more chance of collecting water on the bottom. Smaller portable fuel tanks not as much unless you are pumping bad gas.

 

[robert graham]

I've been just removing, dumping and replacing the canister on my C90 Yamaha....replace with new canister about every 3 years whether it needs it or not....the times I've replaced it I've hack-sawed the old cartridge to inspect the insides and pleated paper filter media....maybe a bit of dust or particles but really looked like new inside.....but mine is a red plastic 12 gallon "portable" tank, not a large capacity built-in tank, which I'm confident is a totally different situation, filter-wise...

 

[jack daniels marine]

Im not familiar with the evinrude 30hp, however your motor may well have a combined gauze filter/separator allready with the traditional red plastic floating indicator. Any decent additional separator will work with a primer bulb, no problem.

 

[littlebunker]

hey everyone, thanks for all the great responses. I decided to pick one up just in case... feel like it's probably overkill, but I'm more on the paranoid side, so.

thanks!

 

[robert graham]

hey everyone, thanks for all the great responses. I decided to pick one up just in case... feel like it's probably overkill, but I'm more on the paranoid side, so.

thanks!

You'll never be sorry for adding the separator......