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I would like to get your opinion on using the pillow style fuel bladders as the only fuel storage. They are available in capacities from 25 gal (for instance here http://atlinc.com/rangeextender.html). Assuming they are in a vented case or box and protected from abrasion they should last a long time.
The main advantage is that there is no chance of water contamination since the fuel does not come in contact with air - BIG deal with E10 fuel! I would like to hear reasons why not to do that.
Thanks
Bo
Hi Bo,
My first thought was that it was an intriguing idea for in hull tanks to eliminate leaks due to corrosion. After reading their website, it seems that Coast Guard regs prohibit them from being installed below deck. There is also the thought that aluminum tanks can last 20 years or more.
Installing above deck will take up valuable deck space if boat already has in-deck tank. If not, fuel seems to turn over in smaller on-deck tanks fast enough that phase separation due to water saturation of E10 fuel is rare, at least in my experience.
If that is a great concern, it seems that paying the extra buck/gal for ethanol-free fuel might be more cost effective. $474 seems to be the cheapest (25gal).
Dennis
Edited by DennisVollrath on 09/28/16 - 7:26 PM
1985 Outrage 18 with Suzuki DF140A
Bo, this is a solution looking for a problem. You didn't specify what boat you have, but most Whalers that use portable tanks run through fuel fast enough that you'll have no issues with E10. If you install a fuel bladder in any sort of enclosure you'll need to make sure it complies with regulations - mostly this involves a powered fan, which you must run before starting the boat. Sounds like a big pain in the neck. If you're concerned, you're better off just using a fuel stabilizer, installing a water-separating filter, and buying only the fuel you plan to use in fairly short order.
Since where I am it's illegal to sell gas that does not contain ethanol, I've been using E10 since it came on scene - many years, 3 different boats (one with a 100-gallon tank that lasts a while) and nary a problem.
Down here on the gulf coast, I see fuel bladders that are made to order to fit in compartments like fish boxes and wells that have lids that are built in to boats. I have never seen a fan used for this type of application, but they are not truly "under the deck", but fitted in recessed compartments which are accessible by removing deck covers.
The problem is that unless the compartment that is chosen for this has an under-deck access route to the inside of the compartment, (and I have seen one that had this), the fuel lines from the bladder have to run over the deck.
I use a 100 gal ATL fuellocker for extra range myself on the Whaler 27 for extra range offshore occasionally, but I have installed a quick-connect fuel line system to a valve to the fuel system. The bladder does take up space running out with it, but I plan in order to use it up on the way out, then disconnect it and roll it up and stash it in an empty compartment under the deck and switch to the main tanks for trolling and the return trip. At the dock, I remove it and store it until I need it again.
ATL will build to order any size or geometry tank you need to fit a compartment. No fan is required in these applications.
Good thoughts, thanks for replies, it is interesting how different views enlarge the picture. Also, I started to think that frequent flexing of the bladder in continuous use would shorten its life.
I will stay with traditional fuel tank.
Also, I started to think that frequent flexing of the bladder in continuous use would shorten its life.
It won't, at least with the ATL's. They are designed to withstand the flexing of continuous use, and are in fact used by the U S military in this type of application.
