Slight fuel odor in bilge

[Knot Waiting]

I've been spending alot of time down in my bilge lately running a bunch of new wiring. While working on the port side (filler hose runs here) I have noted a gasoline odor. It's not present on the starboard side or very far above the engine hatch. Is this acceptable? It's also worth noting that the boat has been sealed up in storage all winter and has not been run nor moved since last fall.

This is the first boat I've owned where the engine is in it's own room and sealed off by a hatch. My previous boat just had a doghouse over the engine and I don't recall any fuel odors in that configuration.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Slight fuel odor in bilge

Gas fumes settle to the lowest point. I have a 17' boat with a 22 gallon built in tank. I have a hatch 2x4' that I can lift and look right at the tank and all the connections. The fill line is about a foot long. The outlet hose to the engine is about ft. and a half long to get out of the bilge. The vent is overboard. I don't spill fuel and don't have any leaks yet if you have a finicky nose you can detect a slight fuel odor when you open the hatch.

Mark

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Slight fuel odor in bilge

I was kinda thinking it was a fairly normal phenomenon but it never hurts to get a few opinions too.

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: Slight fuel odor in bilge

Hi neighbor...(I'm a "Rocket")

As long as it's not an overwhelming gasoline odor, let it "air out" a little and all should be well again. As the previous poster noted...the fumes will "sit" at the lowest point, hence the reason for having your exhaust blower vent from the bottom of the bilge.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Slight fuel odor in bilge

If you have a carb, you will have fuel odor, period. Carbs are never sealed, there is always a path where gasoline is in contact with the atmosphere, even if its through a tiny vacuum port.